HollywoodCiak

Film 2452 - Quiz Lady

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:14:00 +0000

Intro: Back home after two weeks in Fuerteventura and before going back to the movies, this is the first film I watched.

Film 2452: "Quiz Lady" (2023), Jessica Yu
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Bill
Thoughts: Not groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it. It delivered exactly what I expected (and was looking for).
It’s always nice to see Sandra Oh, she’s a great actress and definitely deserves more roles on both the big and small screen, and here she’s no exception: she’s playing a very different character from what I’ve seen her do in the past. She’s loud and in your face, channelling crazy and unhinged energy. And look, she didn’t reinvent the wheel, but she definitely delivered. Especially next to Awkwafina, who is her exact opposite here. Reserved and invisible, her Anne gives off almost on-the-spectrum energy, especially when it’s time to play the game and answer all the questions.
Again, "Quiz Lady" isn’t giving anything we haven’t seen before, but the great chemistry between the two leads keeps the boat afloat, and it works.
Cast: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Paul Reubens, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, Jonnie Park, Will Ferrell.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: I think this TV movie is a good vehicle for both Awkwafina’s and Sandra Oh’s talent, and if you like these two actresses, then this film is definitely for you. For everyone else, "Quiz Lady" is a fun enough ride that delivers some enjoayble moments and works as good, lighthearted entertainment.
Awards: It won Outstanding Television Movie at the 2024 Emmy Awards, securing Awkwafina and Sandra Oh (on her 14th nomination!) finally that Emmy win.
Key word: Linguini.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2451 - Angels & Demons

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:15:00 +0000

Intro: Last Fuerteventura movie before we came back to our everyday life in Dublin. Another Netflix pick.

Film 2451: "Angels & Demons" (2009), Ron Howard
Watched: From the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: This was always my favourite of the three movies inspired by Dan Brown's book, but now that I've seen it again... I don't know anymore. I mean, I still find it entertaining and I LOVE Hans Zimmer's soundtrack, but overall, "Angels & Demons" isn't as great as I remember it to be. To be honest, after rewatching the first one right before watching this one, I have to admit some details of the two plots kinda merged together, and I couldn't tell the two movies apart anymore. The Church is still involved, Silas (Paul Bettany) and the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) almost feel like the same character, and because of the nature of the two stories (a race against time, the amount of plot twists and clues), there really are similarities between "The Da Vinci Code" and this film. Plus, the plot involving the Camerlengo is so absurd that it's hard to keep a straight face.
Anyway, for what it is, "Angels & Demons" is still an enjoyable, crazy (helicopter) ride.
Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code
Film 81 - Angeli e demoni
Film 1287 - Angeli e demoni
Film 2451 - Angels & Demons
Film 1237 - Inferno
Cast: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Armin Mueller-Stahl.
Box Office: $485.9 million
Worth a watch?: If you like Dan Brown's books and/or enjoyed the previous film, this one is still a decent enough watch—something that cannot be said about the third, awful movie of this trilogy.
Awards: /
Key word: Tongue.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2450 - Mamma Mia!

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:34:00 +0000

Intro: Another evening in Fuerteventura, another movie at Debbi's. This time the trio reunited for dinner, and we decided to watch a movie that we all love (and that was available on Netflix).

Film 2450: "Mamma Mia!" (2008), Phyllida Lloyd
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi, Niamh
Thoughts: Lately, musicals have been a hit or miss for me, but there are some that I can always go back to and enjoy. "Mamma Mia!" is one of them.
It's not perfect by any means. I think some of the shots are clunky, and the heavy use of green screen really takes you out of it in some scenes, but overall the music is great and the cast is fantastic, so it's an extremely enjoyable experience. More so than its sequel anyway.
Meryl Streep is a perfect Donna, and I think she has great chemistry with both Amanda Seyfried and her two bandmates (Julie Walters and Christine Baranski). In general, the female cast is a step above everybody else. The energy they bring and the fun they're having together transcend the screen and really reach the audience—it's contagious. Even more so if you know the songs: try not to sing along!
From a technical point of view, I think the movie could have been a bit "cleaner," but it compensates for its clumsiness with charismatic energy, wit, and a lot of fun.
Ps. I've been taking a Screenwriting class at the Lir Academy lately, and our lecturer asked us to come up with a couple of loglines for movies we had watched in the past. I picked "Weapons" and "Mamma Mia!", so I thought I'd include the one I wrote for this movie here:

A young woman planning her wedding on a small island in Greece decides to invite her three possible fathers to the celebration without telling her free-spirited mother. Things get complicated when the three men arrive at the same time, each believing he might be her father.

Film 1664 - Mamma Mia!
Film 1705 - Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Film 2450 - Mamma Mia!
Cast: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski.
Box Office: $706.4 million
Worth a watch?: If you love musicals, or this one specifically, "Mamma Mia!" the movie adaptation is good fun and shouldn't be missed. If musicals are not your thing... then it's better to leave it.
Awards: 3 nominations at the 2009 BAFTAs for Outstanding British Film, Best Film Music, and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. 2 Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical (Meryl Streep) and 1 Razzie Award win for Worst Supporting Actor (Pierce Brosnan). The movie was nominated for 1 Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and Best Breakthrough Female Performance (Amanda Seyfried) at the MTV Movie & TV Awards.
Key word: Wedding.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2449 - People We Meet on Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:39:00 +0000

Intro: We're still in Fuerteventura and the girls have joined us on the island. Petra & Rebecca are on one side of the main village, while Debbi's accommodation is right next to ours. So on Monday, since Niamh had her college course, I went over to her's to watch a movie and have dinner together.

Film 2449: "People We Meet on Vacation" (2026), Brett Haley
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi
Thoughts: I didn't know what to expect with this one. I didn't know the story, nor the book this is taken from, so I went in with low expectations and the hope that I would at least have a decent time. And look, to be fair, I did have a decent time at the beginning.
"People We Meet on Vacation" is your classic Netflix romcom that you watch and forget about the next day. There's nothing remarkable about it: the aesthetic is perfectly clean and glamorous, with no hint of real life anywhere. Everyone seems to be either rich or somehow gravitating towards a luxurious lifestyle, considering the way the characters are dressed and the locations they’re placed in. And of course, most of the romantic moments happen in what could easily be a postcard backdrop. But no one was really aiming for realism here.
Once you make peace with that and focus on the plot... oh jeez. If I had to summarize what happens in this movie, I'm not sure I'd be able to remember anything beyond the classic 'will they won't they' cliché. They're just friends, but secretly they're made for each other and obviously already in love, except the timing never seems to work in their favour. Eventually, towards the end, they find a way to finally **(I don't think it's a) SPOILER** make it happen for themselves. They are in love, all is good in the world, and we can move on because really, who in their right mind didn’t expect the plot to go exactly like this? Nobody.

Cast: Emily Bader, Tom Blyth, Sarah Catherine Hook, Lucien Laviscount, Miles Heizer, Jameela Jamil, Lukas Gage, Molly Shannon, Alan Ruck.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: Predictable and not memorable enough for any other qualities to make it stand out, "People We Meet on Vacation" is a good enough option for a night of brainless escapism, but not much else. Also, sorry to say, but I wasn’t impressed by Emily Bader's performance in the lead.
Awards: /
Key word: Ohio.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:27:00 +0000

Intro: Another evening at home in Fuerteventura, another movie courtesy of Netflix Spain.

Film 2448: "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), Ron Howard
Watched: On the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I had watched this movie before, but I was never a huge fan of this franchise. If anything, I always preferred the second film. But I have to admit that I enjoyed this rewatch, especially because I didn't remember much of the plot and I'd never seen it in English before.
Obviously, this is one of those movies that, once you've seen it, half of the intrigue is gone. When you rewatch it and remember what happens, it's not as fun as the first time around. That said, it's definitely an ingenious piece of media: all the references to people, places, and facts, how everything is tied up and connected, how it is all part of a much bigger puzzle that eventually leads back to Jesus, religion, and faith.
It's definitely a fun watch once the suspension of disbelief kicks in: there's so much going on, so much that is thrown at you as the audience, that it can be hard to know what's real, what's a theory, and what's just an idea that Dan Brown came up with and added to his story. So yeah, there's definitely a lot to take in—final plot twist included—but for what it is, "The Da Vinci Code" is an extremely entertaining movie, well made and with a great international cast. I'd love to see more Audrey Tautou on my screen, although she hasn't starred in a movie since 2019. Definitely worth giving it a go. It's a bit overstuffed plot-wise, but if you watch it for the first time, it's definitely an entertaining experience.
Film 2448 - The Da Vinci Code
Film 81 - Angeli e demoni
Film 1287 - Angeli e demoni
Film 2451 - Angels & Demons
Film 1237 - Inferno
Cast: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany, Jean Reno.
Box Office: $801.3 million
Worth a watch?: Definitely worth giving it a go. It's a bit overstuffed plot-wise, but if you watch it for the first time, it's definitely an entertaining experience.
Awards: Nominated for Best Original Score at the 64th Golden Globe Awards and for Best Score Soundtrack at the 49th Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for 1 Razzie Award for Worst Director.
Key word: Royal blood.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2447 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:22:00 +0000

Intro: More than a year ago, Niamh and I decided to rewatch this saga on my (back then) new projector. Then life got in the way. People liked the idea and wanted to host the event themselves, but it never came to fruition. Back to the original duo, we finally managed to watch the first movie in Fuerteventura when we were there in February. We still have to watch the other two movies...

Film 2447: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), Peter Jackson
Watched: On the laptop
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: One of my top 5 movies, together with "A Streetcar Named Desire", "All About Eve", "Doubt", and "Volver"/"Brokeback Mountain". Ok, top 6, but whatever.
There was a time when I used to watch this movie every single day for a whole year. I learnt the dialogues, watched the extended edition, adored this IP. And I still do, to be honest. I'm actually quite excited because this November I'll be going to Comic Con Ireland, where I'll get the chance to meet Miranda Otto (Eowyn) and my sexual awakening, Elijah Wood (Frodo). So the LOTR obsession is still going strong.
Needless to say, then, that rewatching "The Fellowship of the Ring" is always a treat for me. Maybe a laptop isn't the perfect (or intended) format to fully enjoy the experience that "The Lord of the Rings" offers, but considering how many times I've seen it before, it didn't impact me too much, to be honest. The worst part was the shitty wifi that wasn't really working and forced us to stop the streaming multiple times, but that's a whole different story.
Anyway, I always love to rewatch this movie. I think it's the best of the trilogy, and the story does an amazing job of setting the scene for all that is to come in the following two movies. The cast is amazing, Cate Blanchett is the only Galadriel, Peter Jackson's work (and imagination) is phenomenal here and serves the story perfectly, and the soundtrack is a cult classic. Even the visual effects, 25 years later, still hold up (enough).
A timeless film.
Film 159 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 313 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 1270 - Il signore degli anelli - La compagnia dell'anello
Film 1515 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 1803 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 2079 - Il Signore degli Anelli - La Compagnia dell'Anello
Film 2447 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Film 314 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Film 1279 - Il Signore degli Anelli - Le due torri
Film 1295 - Il Signore degli Anelli - Il ritorno del re
Film 2214 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis.
Box Office: $897 million
Worth a watch?: I love this movie and will always be biased. It's long and full of characters, and this is just one third of the whole story, so I understand that it isn't everyone's cup of tea. But for me, it's pure movie magic.
Awards: The movie received so many nominations, I'll list them like this for convenience. In bold the wins.

Oscars
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup
Best Original Score
Best Original Song ("May It Be" - Enya)
Best Sound
Best Visual Effects

BAFTAs
Best Film
Best Direction
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Ian McKellen)
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Editing
Best Makeup and Hair
Best Original Music
Best Production Design
Best Sound
Best Special Visual Effects

Golden Globes
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Best Director
Best Original Score
Best Original Song("May It Be" - Enya)

Grammys
Best Score Soundtrack Album – Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Best Song – Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media

Actor Awards
Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role (Ian McKellen)
Outstanding Cast – Motion Picture

MTV Movie & TV Awards
Best Movie
Best Action Sequence ("The Cave Tomb Battle")
Best Breakthrough Performance (Orlando Bloom)
Best Fight (Christopher Lee vs. Ian McKellen)
Best Male Performance (Elijah Wood)
Best Villain (Christopher Lee)

Key word: One Ring.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2446 - The Moment

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:03:00 +0000

Intro: Last Friday evening in Dublin before the two-week break in Fuerteventura, Spain. And we couldn't leave Ireland without going to the movies to catch this one!

Film 2446: "The Moment" (2026), Aidan Zamiri
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi, Rachel
Thoughts: I famously hate extremely loud movies, but this one I didn't mind too much. It gave me anxiety, yes, but I still enjoyed the ride.
I think the main selling point for me is Charli XCX: she's very entertaining and surprisingly good here. I know she's playing herself, so obviously it's a bit easier than playing a character from scratch, but she comes across as genuine and authentic, not forced, still able to channel that "Brat" energy even though Brat Summer ended a while ago now. Which brings me to my next point.
"Brat" came out on June 7, 2024. Brat Summer was "over" in September 2024, but then it experienced a resurgence after Charli's 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performance. I went to see Charli perform here in Dublin on June 17, 2025, and Brat Summer was still very much alive. So my question is: why wait until the beginning of 2026 to release this movie in theaters?
"The Moment" and Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights" came out at the same time and, from a marketing perspective, it's a strange move. This movie is clearly connected to the album "Brat": they share the same art style and visuals, and although this is a mockumentary that aims to make fun of Brat Summer and its cultural impact, it heavily features "Brat", the tour, Charli's life, and the media attention around her. On the other hand, "Wuthering Heights" is directly connected to Charli's subsequent eponymous soundtrack album that she created for the film. And with the release of the first singles from the album, "House" and "Chains of Love", it seemed clear that Charli had entered a new era—even if it's currently tied to a film (a new album is apparently on the way).
In this sense, A24's "The Moment" feels a little bit too late. It should have come out earlier to link it more directly to "Brat" and make better use of the cultural phenomenon that Brat Summer proved to be. I'm not surprised that this movie didn't make a big splash at the box office: not only it came out to leat, but also it's a mockumentary and it's tied to an artist who is hugely famous, yes, but not everyone's cup of tea. Not to mention that the beef with Taylor Swift might have had an impact on whether people decided to give this film a go or not.
Anyway, I enjoyed "The Moment" enough, although it wasn't what I expected. I found some moments funny—like when the whole tour starts very "Brat" and ends up becoming a sellout version of itself, or when Charli tries to pay with the Brat card but it doesn't actually work—and I appreciated how committed she was to this project. I didn't enjoy how stressed the story and editing made me feel, but I understand it's intentional, and I wish they had used more songs from "Brat", considering how heavily they seemed to rely on the album and Brat Summer in promoting this film.
Ps. A lot of cameos and famous people are featured here, have fun recognizing them all!
Pps. I'm including here Charli's portrait I did a while ago and posted on my Instagram account @the_moustached_designer

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Moustached Designer (@the_moustached_designer)

Cast: Charli XCX, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, Kylie Jenner, Rachel Sennott, Arielle Dombasle, Julia Fox, Alexander Skarsgård.
Box Office: $5 million
Worth a watch?: Not a film I would necessarily rewatch, but I'm glad I saw it in the cinema rather than at home, because it's one of those movies that is better experienced on the big screen, with a proper Dolby Surround sound system. It's a whole experience, and it really overwhelms you at the beginning. The story captures Charli's mental state well, and the film translates it into images that affect you whether you want it to or not. Some bits are funny, others do a good job of highlighting how surreal the music business can be—how everything can be turned into money and what people are willing to do to please the crowd, reach a bigger audience, and stay culturally relevant. There's definitely a lot of good intentions in this movie, but maybe too many ideas for just one project.
Awards: /
Key word: Concert.
Trailer
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Bengi

David di Donatello 2026: nominations and winners

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:32:00 +0000

David di Donatello 2026

Miglior film
Cinque secondi, regia di Paolo Virzì
Fuori, regia di Mario Martone
La grazia, regia di Paolo Sorrentino
Le assaggiatrici, regia di Silvio Soldini
Le città di pianura, regia di Francesco Sossai

Miglior regia
Mario Martone – Fuori
Gabriele Mainetti – La città proibita
Paolo Sorrentino – La grazia
Silvio Soldini – Le assaggiatrici
Francesco Sossai – Le città di pianura

Miglior regista esordiente
Ludovica Rampoldi – Breve storia d'amore
Margherita Spampinato – Gioia mia
Greta Scarano – La vita da grandi
Alissa Jung – Paternal Leave
Alberto Palmiero – Tienimi presente

Migliore sceneggiatura originale
Francesco Bruni, Carlo Virzì e Paolo Virzì – Cinque secondi
Letizia Russo, Guido Silei e Pietro Marcello – Duse
Margherita Spampinato – Gioia mia
Paolo Sorrentino – La grazia
Francesco Sossai e Adriano Candiago – Le città di pianura

Migliore sceneggiatura non originale
Vincenzo Alfieri e Giuseppe G. Stasi – 40 secondi
Leonardo Di Costanzo, Bruno Oliviero e Valia Santella – Elisa
Mario Martone e Ippolita Di Majo – Fuori Doriana Leondeff, Silvio Soldini, Lucio Ricca, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda e Ilaria Macchia – Le assaggiatrici Ludovica Rampoldi – Primavera

Miglior produttore
Carlo Degli Esposti, Nicola Serra, Marco Grifoni per Palomar, Benedetta Cappon per Avventurosa, con Rai Cinema in collaborazione con Piperfilm Alexandra Henochsberg, Pierre-François Piet per Ad Vitam – Duse
Benedetta Scagnelli, Alessio Pasqua, Gianluca Arcopinto, Claudio Cofrancesco per Yagi Media, in collaborazione con Paolo Butini, Ivan Caso, Filippo Barracco – Gioia mia
Lionello Cerri e Cristiana Mainardi per Lumière &co., in collaborazione con Joseph Rouschop per Tarantula, Katrin Renz e Stefan Jäger per Tellfilm – Le assaggiatrici
Marta Donzelli e Gregorio Paonessa per Vivo Film, in collaborazione con Philipp Kreuzer per Maze Pictures e Cecilia Trautvetter – Le città di pianura
Andrea Occhipinti per Lucky Red, Marco Alessi per Dugong Films, in collaborazione con Beatrice Bulgari per Eolo Film Productions – Un film fatto per Bene

Migliore attrice protagonista
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi – Duse
Barbara Ronchi – Elisa
Valeria Golino – Fuori
Aurora Quattrocchi – Gioia mia
Anna Ferzetti – La grazia
Tecla Insolia – Primavera

Miglior attore protagonista
Valerio Mastandrea – Cinque secondi
Claudio Santamaria – Il nibbio
Toni Servillo – La grazia
Pierpaolo Capovilla – Le città di pianura
Sergio Romano – Le città di pianura

Migliore attrice non protagonista
Valeria Golino – Breve storia d'amore
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi – Cinque secondi
Barbara Ronchi – Diva futura
Matilda De Angelis – Fuori
Milvia Marigliano – La grazia
Silvia D'Amico – Tre ciotole

Miglior attore non protagonista
Francesco Gheghi – 40 secondi
Vinicio Marchioni – Ammazzare stanca - Autobiografia di un assassino
Fausto Russo Alesi – Duse
Roberto Citran – Le città di pianura
Andrea Pennacchi – Le città di pianura
Lino Musella – Nonostante

Miglior casting
Marco Matteo Donat-Cattin e Federica Baglioni – 40 secondi
Margherita Spampinato e Giulia Tarquini – Gioia mia
Annamaria Sambucco e Massimo Appolloni – La grazia
Laura Muccino e Liza Stutzky – Le assaggiatrici
Adriano Candiago – Le città di pianura

Migliore autore della fotografia
Marco Graziaplena – Duse
Paolo Carnera – La città proibita
Daria D'Antonio – La grazia
Renato Berta – Le assaggiatrici
Massimiliano Kuveiller – Le città di pianura

Miglior compositore
Fabio Amurri – La città proibita
Mauro Pagani – Le assaggiatrici
Krano – Le città di pianura
Fabio Massimo Capogrosso – Primavera
Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross – Queer

Migliore canzone originale
La prostata enflamada (musica e testo di Checco Zalone e Antonio Iammarino, interpretazione di Checco Zalone) – Buen camino
Follemente (musica, testo e interpretazione di Levante) – Follemente
Ti (musica, testo e interpretazione di Krano) – Le città di pianura
Lasciare qualche scia (musica, testo e interpretazione di Bove) – Nonostante
Vaster than empires (musica di Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross, testo di William S. Borroughs, Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross, interpretazione di Caetano Veloso, Trent Reznor e Atticus Ross) – Queer

Miglior scenografia
Gaspare De Pascali e Carlotta Desmann – Duse
Andrea Castorina e Marco Martucci – La città proibita
Ludovica Ferrario e Laura Casalini – La grazia
Paola Bizzarri e Igor Gabriel – Le assaggiatrici
Paula Meuthen ed Emilia Bonsembiante – Le città di pianura

Migliori costumi
Ursula Patzak – Duse
Susanna Mastroianni – La città proibita
Carlo Poggioli – La grazia
Marina Roberti – Le assaggiatrici
Maria Rita Barbera e Gaia Calderone – Primavera

Miglior trucco
Maurizio Fazzini – Duse
Paola Gattabrusi – La grazia
Esmé Sciaroni – Le assaggiatrici
Vincenzo Mastrantonio, Adele Di Trani e Emanuele De Luca – Primavera
Fernanda Pérez e Jason Hamer – Queer

Migliore acconciatura
Marco Perna – Fuori
Teresa Di Serio – Il maestro
Samankta Mura – Le assaggiatrici
Marta Iacoponi – Primavera
Massimo Gattabrusi – Queer

Miglior montaggio
Vincenzo Alfieri – 40 secondi
Jacopo Quadri – Fuori
Giogiò Franchini – Il maestro
Francesco Di Stefano con la collaborazione di Francesca Addonizio – La città proibita
Cristiano Travaglioli – La grazia
Paolo Cottignola – Le città di pianura

Miglior suono
Maricetta Lombardo, Silvia Moraes, Piergiorgio De Luca e Giancarlo Rutigliano – Fuori
Angelo Bonanni, Giulio Previ, Mirko Perri e Michele Mazzucco – La città proibita
Antoine Vandenriessche, Daniela Bassani, Stefano Grosso e Giancarlo Rutigliano – Le assaggiatrici
Marco Zambrano, Francesco Mauro, Sebastian Pablo Poloni e Francesco Tumminello – Le città di pianura
Gianluca Scarlata, Davide Favargiotti, Daniele Quadroli e Nadia Paone – Primavera

Migliori effetti speciali visivi
Gaia Bussolati ed Enrico Bernocchi – Itaca - Il ritorno
Stefano Leoni e Andrea Lo Priore – La città proibita
Rodolfo Migliari e Lena Di Gennaro – La grazia
Giuseppe Squillaci e Daniele Mischianti – La valle dei sorrisi
Marco Fiorani Parenzi e Virginia Cefaly – Queer

Miglior documentario - Premio Cecilia Mangini
Bobò, regia di Pippo Delbono
Ferdinando Scianna - Il fotografo dell'ombra, regia di Roberto Andò
Roberto Rossellini - Più di una vita, regia di Ilaria De Laurentiis, Andrea Paolo Massara e Raffaele Brunetti
Sotto le nuvole, regia di Gianfranco Rosi
Toni mio padre, regia di Anna Negri

Miglior cortometraggio
Astronauta, regia di Giorgio Zampà
Ciao, Varsavia, regia di Diletta Di Nicolantonio
Everyday in Gaza, regia di Omar Rammal
Festa in famiglia, regia di Nadir Taji
Tempi supplementari, regia di Matteo Memè

Miglior film internazionale
Io sono ancora qui, regia di Walter Salles
La voce di Hind Rajab, regia di Kaouther Ben Hania
The Brutalist, regia di Brady Corbet
Un semplice incidente, regia di Jafar Panahi
Una battaglia dopo l'altra, regia di Paul Thomas Anderson

David Giovani
40 secondi, regia di Vincenzo Alfieri
La grazia, regia di Paolo Sorrentino
Le assaggiatrici, regia di Silvio Soldini
Le città di pianura, regia di Francesco Sossai
Per te, regia di Alessandro Aronadio

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Bengi

Film 2445 - Send Help

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:20:00 +0000

Intro: It came out at the end of January and I couldn't go straight away, but I didn't want to miss it before it left theaters (especially since I was heading to Fuerteventura, Spain). So Niamh and I made an effort to catch it at the cinema before it was too late. And I always find it curious how often I end up watching a movie about a plane crash right before I’m meant to fly somewhere...

Film 2445: "Send Help" (2026), Sam Raimi
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: If anything, I think this movie should've made way more money than it actually did! It's a great ride—hilarious at times, violently unapologetic, and led by a fantastic duo. In particular, Rachel McAdams once again proves what a powerhouse she is, regardless of the genre. Here, we get Regina George on steroids, and it's fantastic!
The movie starts where you'd expect: an underappreciated worker with no social life but a ton of social awkwardness is gunning for a promotion that never materialises. When her old boss is out of the picture and his son (Dylan O'Brien) becomes the new CEO, he chooses to promote his buddy and plans to fire Linda (McAdams) after a business trip to Bangkok. Things quickly shift when the plane crashes, and the only two survivors are Linda and her new boss, leaving them stranded on a deserted island, hoping to eventually be rescued. This is where Linda's passion for the TV show "Survivor" comes in handy, as the power dynamic quickly shifts and she suddenly takes charge, being the only one of the two actually capable of surviving in this unexpected scenario. From here on, you'd expect the story to go in a certain direction—but God, how wrong you'd be! Many twists and turns follow, leading to one of the most unexpected finales I've seen in a while. And look, nobody reinvented the wheel here, but it's nice to see a story that takes risks and goes darker in tone without being afraid of alienating the audience. That's why I think "Send Help" felt so refreshing.
In many ways, this movie reminded me a lot of Ruben Östlund's "Triangle of Sadness", but in a less artsy way, if that makes sense. It's clear that this is a commercial endeavour, and that's absolutely fine—Sam Raimi clearly knows what he's doing, which is why the end result is so satisfying to watch.
What a refreshing watch!
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel.
Box Office: $94 million
Worth a watch?: The horror vibe is undeniable, and there's a lot of blood and violence too—definitely more than I expected. So not a film for everyone, I'm sure, but a very good one for those who can appreciate it nonetheless. I loved it!
Awards: /
Key word: Engagement ring.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2444 - The Mummy

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:06:00 +0000

Intro: A cult classic that I'd rewatch over and over again—especially now, knowing that a new sequel (with all the original cast coming back) is coming out in 2028.

Film 2444: "The Mummy" (1999), Stephen Sommers
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Luke
Thoughts: I've always been a big fan of ancient Egypt, mummies, the pyramids, and all that jazz, so when they put all of that into a blockbuster movie with Brendan Fraser AND Rachel Weisz... I couldn't resist!
I love this franchise, and I couldn't believe how little I remembered of this first film. I guess I had my memories mixed up between this movie and the sequel, which I definitely watched more times, as it was one of the first DVDs I got growing up.
Nothing else to say—I think "The Mummy" is class!
Film 1572 - The Mummy
Film 2444 - The Mummy
Film 737 - La mummia - Il ritorno
Film 1934 - The Mummy Returns
Film 1402 - La mummia
Film 927 - Il re scorpione
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Jonathan Hyde, Kevin J. O'Connor, Oded Fehr, Erick Avari, Patricia Velásquez.
Box Office: $422.5 million
Worth a watch?: Cheesy and a bit silly? Sure—and that's probably why it works so well. It's a fun ride, Brendan Fraser is charming as hell, and Rachel Weisz is the clear standout of the film. I think back in '99, nobody expected them to both win an Oscar... and yet here we are, 27 years later. A great blockbuster—go and rewatch "The Mummy" and have fun!
Awards: 1 Oscar and 1 BAFTA nominations for Best Sound. 1 MTV Movie + TV Award nomination for Best Action Sequence.
Key word: Key.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2443 - The Long Walk

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:32:00 +0000

Intro: I didn't even know this movie existed before randomly watching a TikTok about the best movies that came out last year. This film was highly ranked and praised, so I was interested in giving it a go.

Film 2443: "The Long Walk" (2025), Francis Lawrence
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Luke
Thoughts: There are a lot of adaptations of a Stephen King's novel out there, and not all of them are good. This one is.
The idea behind this story is simple and effective: a group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as "The Long Walk," in which they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot (IMDb). Walk for as long as you can—there's only one winner and no finish line.
In theory, it's insane to think that someone would willingly participate in this "competition," but for the sake of this story, I won't focus too much on that. Yes, there is a prize involved, but how desperate do you have to be to participate knowing that your chances of winning are 1 in 50?
Anyway, the premise of this film is intriguing, and the execution is overall extremely well made. I was skeptical at the beginning, as this is a story of constant movement with no fixed location. Before watching "The Long Walk," it's hard to picture how the movie is going to portray this concept—something that works well on paper but doesn't necessarily translate into what we consider a conventional storyline for the big screen. Yet, Francis Lawrence manages to deliver a cohesive and entertaining piece of media that is never boring or overstimulating for the audience, which I find extremely impressive. On top of that, all the actors deliver strong performances, and I was particularly impressed with Cooper Hoffman—the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman—who gives a solid performance.
Overall, this movie reminded me a lot of "The Hunger Games" franchise: a deadly competition, the promise of enduring glory for the winner, the voyeuristic aspect of it (the walk is live-streamed for the whole country to watch), and young adults competing against each other but eventually bonding over this sadistic experience. There's less background story here—we're thrown into the action almost immediately and never leave it until the end—yet the similarities with Suzanne Collins's story are still there. And I think it's only fitting that the same director delivered both this film and four out of the five "Hunger Games" movies. Chapeau.
Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Roman Griffin Davis, Josh Hamilton, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill.
Box Office: $63.1 million
Worth a watch?: Very tense and controversial, "The Long Walk" isn't a film for everyone, but it's definitely a good movie. If you enjoy dystopian survival thriller stories, this one can't be missed.
Awards: /
Key word: One wish.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2442 - The Day After Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:57:00 +0000

Intro: Possibly my fascination with disaster movies started with this one. I'm not sure how many times I've seen it, but quite a lot for sure.

Film 2442: "The Day After Tomorrow" (2004), Roland Emmerich
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I mean, it's definitely not a masterpiece and it doesn't pretend to be, so for what it is, it's quite fun. In a way, it was ahead of its time, strongly pushing the climate change narrative to the most extreme scenario imaginable. And yeah, of course it does it because it's convenient for the plot, but rewatching this movie 22 years later, it was quite impressive to see how much time is spent discussing the issue and in such strong terms. It's clear that, although not a political movie whatsoever, the leaders of the world (especially the American ones) are depicted here as shortsighted, stubborn, and not trustworthy. Rings a bell?
Anyway, I'll admit that this time around I enjoyed "The Day After Tomorrow" a little less than I anticipated. Not that I was ever a big fan, but Dennis Quaid's views on politics and life have kind of tainted whatever movie legacy he had (that I was aware of), so seeing him here had an impact on how I perceived the movie this time around. Also, I'll be honest, I didn't care too much for his character anyway.
I definitely cared about Jake Gyllenhaal's and Emmy Rossum's characters, though. I think they have great chemistry together, and their storyline in the library is definitely more compelling—at least to me.
All in all, I'm still a fan of "The Day After Tomorrow" and the disaster movie genre. They tried to replicate this formula many times with varying degrees of success, but this movie and "2012" (both by Roland Emmerich) are definitely my favourites.
Film 721 - The Day After Tomorrow - L'alba del giorno dopo
Film 2442 - The Day After Tomorrow
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm, Emmy Rossum, Sela Ward.
Box Office: $552.6 million
Worth a watch?: I think it's good fun. Less fun nowadays, considering the climate situation around the world, but hey—this is a movie, a disaster movie specifically, and you know what to expect if you decide to watch it: everything gets destroyed and the world has to start over, possibly (hopefully) learning its lesson. It's a blockbuster movie with an environmental message.
Awards: The movie won 1 BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects. Nominated for 2 MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Breakthrough Performance (Emmy Rossum) and Best Action Sequence ("The destruction of Los Angeles"), it won the latter.
Key word: Ice age.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2441 - The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:43:00 +0000

Intro: I saved this watch specifically for when my friend Alessandra was coming to visit me in Dublin last January. She's a big fan of this franchise.

Film 2441: "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" (2025), Derek Drymon
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Alessandra
Thoughts: I'm not a fan of SpongeBob, but I'm aware of the lore behind it. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that it came out when I was already too old to properly enjoy it. That said, I think "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" is a fun ride and true enough to its source material (or what I know about it, anyway). This movie is all I expected from a SpongeBob film: silly, funny, and a bit crazy, but overall entertaining and extremely creative, especially visually. So no complaints from me here, I had a really nice time watching this film.
Film 1188 - SpongeBob - Il film
Film 2441 - The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
Cast: Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, George Lopez, Isis "Ice Spice" Gaston, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola, Regina Hall, Mark Hamill.
Box Office: $168 million
Worth a watch?: If you're a fan, go for it. And even if you're not, there's plenty to enjoy here. It's no masterpiece, but it's fun, lighthearted entertainment. Ice Spice's "Big Guy" drills into your brain and stays there for days because of how repetitive it is, so be ready for it.
Awards: /
Key word: Swashbuckler.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2440 - The History of Sound

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:49:00 +0000

Intro: I'll be honest, I wasn't necessarily feeling the fantasy for this one, but I decided to give it a go considering it was Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor together in a gay romance... But God knows I've been fooled before.

Film 2440: "The History of Sound" (2025), Oliver Hermanus
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: Possibly one of the most boring movies I've seen in my life. And not just boring—pretentious boring. I hate when I'm promised something that isn't delivered: a gay romance? Barely. History of sound? What history? This film is more than 2 hours long and almost nothing happens. The two fellas fall in love and fuck for a while, then go their separate ways, make lives for themselves, and eventually find their way to "reconnect." The lies come out, life gets harsher, everything gets complicated, boom—we're in the present and saying goodbye. Fine. Fine. The End. I cannot describe how disappointed I was in this film. You feel no connection to the characters, the story feels very episodic and at times disjointed, and you learn almost nothing about music and the history of American folk songs. Which is so strange, considering a) it's in the title of the movie and b) the first part of the story is all about David's obsession with these songs... I also want to stress as much as possible how much this isn't a gay love story. The characters just happen to be two men falling for each other, and that's it. Both Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor fooled me once already with their gay-bait movies "All of Us Strangers" and "Challengers," so I guess this is the straw that broke the camel's back.
Cast: Paul Mescal, Josh O'Connor, Molly Price, Raphael Sbarge, Emma Canning, Alessandro Bedetti, Chris Cooper.
Box Office: $1 million
Worth a watch?: It feels less like a movie and more like an award-friendly vehicle, if that makes sense. I can see a world where "The History of Sound" is a good movie—interesting and well made. The version we have in this part of the multiverse, though, is just pretty to look at but empty, with not much to say. Which is quite disappointing.
Awards: In competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Key word: Cylinders.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2439 - Now You See Me: Now You Don't

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 14:27:00 +0000

Intro: I always liked this franchise, especially the first movie, which I think I rewatched quite a lot back in the day. The second one wasn't as good, to be fair, but hey, I was still willing to give this third outing a go. It's just that I forgot to go to the movies before it was removed from the cinema's schedule...

Film 2439: "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" (2025), Ruben Fleischer
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: People are sh*tting on this movie a lot, but I found it to be exactly what I needed in that moment: good, lighthearted fun.
Yeah, it's not a masterpiece, but was it ever meant to be one? Not really. So I don't understand why "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" was somehow expected to be better or something that it isn’t, especially considering how the second one compared to the original. Let fun entertainment be just fun entertainment.
It's nice to see all the actors from the two previous films (but Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, and Daniel Radcliffe) coming back for this one, especially considering they came out in 2013 and 2016. A new addition to the big group of A-listers is Rosamund Pike playing the bad guy this time around. She's amazing in everything she does, so I'm super happy to see her joining a successful franchise. All in all, a great ensemble cast. At times, the dynamics between the different characters and the overall vibe of the movie(s) reminded me of the "Ocean's" trilogy.
Film 584 - Now You See Me - I maghi del crimine
Film 1120 - Now You See Me - I maghi del crimine
Film 1178 - Now You See Me 2
Film 2439 - Now You See Me: Now You Don't
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Lizzy Caplan, Rosamund Pike, Morgan Freeman.
Box Office: $243.7 million
Worth a watch?: Same formula, same cast (with some returning to the franchise), and a lot of new magic. It's easy to watch and a good ride for what it is. Uncomplicated and enjoyable—if you liked the previous ones, you should enjoy this one too.
Awards: /
Key word: Diamond.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2438 - Mulholland Drive

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:40:00 +0000

Intro: To celebrate this movie's 25th anniversary, they showed it again in cinemas and Niamh and I went to see it.
I was very excited—I hadn't seen this film in such a long time and, especially after discovering "Twin Peaks" last year, I was really looking forward to rewatching it with fresh eyes, a more evolved film taste, and a different mindset. The reality is, this was a chaotic watch for me and, especially at the beginning, I couldn't focus.
Before entering the cinema, we bumped into my ex and that was the first time we had seen each other after the break-up. This really threw me for a loop and impacted my ability to think straight for a while. I was eventually able to focus on the story and I'm glad I chose to stay, but what happened clearly ruined the vibe for me.

Film 2438: "Mulholland Drive" (2001), David Lynch
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I'm a big fan of "Twin Peaks" now and I'm glad I watched it last year before giving "Mulholland Drive" another go. Knowing David Lynch's POV a bit better definitely helped me understand this film more this time around. I remember the first time I watched it, I was very confused—extremely. I still had to check a few things online to clarify the ending, but other than that I was good to go.
I think this is such an iconic piece of media and so influential in many ways. There's obviously nothing I can add that hasn't already been said, celebrated, or analysed, so I'll just focus on what impressed me the most, starting with Naomi Watts. As a breakthrough performance, this is one for the ages. Imagine getting your big break working on a David Lynch movie—one this impactful—and delivering a performance like this. Here she shows exactly why she's the star she is. Iconic.
The soundtrack is another huge part of the experience and helps shape the story in a way that makes it impossible to imagine the film without it—or with a different one. I think Angelo Badalamenti deserved more recognition for it. His work, together with Lynch's vision, works hand in hand in shaping not only the "Mulholland Drive" universe, but also the broader world Lynch created, especially considering their collaborations on "Blue Velvet" (1986), "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (1992), "The Straight Story" (1999) and, of course, "Twin Peaks" (1990–1991; 2017).
It's strange how much I've been exposed to David Lynch's work lately. I'm grateful to the people who introduced me to it—it really changed my perspective on what a movie is, how we perceive it, and who's entitled to say what's right or wrong when it comes to cinema. I used to think that a film like this, or a TV series like "Twin Peaks", could never work for me because I'm "too pop" or mainstream. Lately, though, I've opened myself up to new things and different types of media and, very recently, I even went back to screenwriting. All of this has genuinely shifted both my perspective and my taste, and even though the journey isn't over, I can already see the changes.
So, thank you for all you did for cinema, Mr Lynch—you'll be greatly missed.
Film 143 - Mulholland Drive
Film 2438 - Mulholland Drive

@bbottone My boyfriend @gorysparkles introduced me to #TwinPeaks and for his birthday @niamh hassett and I recreated the red room scene to wish him #happybirthday. See you again in 25 years. #redroom #LauraPalmer #AgentCooper ♬ Dance of the Dream Man (Instrumental) - Angelo Badalamenti

Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Robert Forster, Michael J. Anderson, Lee Grant, Melissa George.
Box Office: $20.1 million
Worth a watch?: I understand that this is not everyone's cup of tea, but it's definitely a film one should watch at least once. It's a lot to take in at first, especially if you're not familiar with David Lynch, but you might end up really enjoying "Mulholland Drive" and feel inspired to explore more of his work—and who knows, maybe you'll become a fan!
Awards: Nominated for Achievement in Directing at the 74th Academy Awards. 1 win at the BAFTAs for Best Editing over 2 nominations (Best Film Music) and 4 Golden Globes nominations for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Director, Screenplay and Score. It won Best Foreign Film at the César Awards and Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival.
Key word: 6980.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2437 - 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:14:00 +0000

Intro: We watched the previous one that only came out last year, and of course we couldn't miss this one..

Film 2437: "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" (2026), Nia DaCosta
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi, Niamh
Thoughts: "The Bone Temple" is a good follow-up to the previous "28 Years Later", and the quality of these two movies together is surprisingly high. I'm saying surprisingly just because it's not often that a relatively small franchise like this one gets a trilogy sequel more than 20 years after the original movie came out and still maintains such consistency in quality. Even more so considering this one and the previous outing hit theaters only 6 months apart.
Timelines aside, "The Bone Temple" focuses heavily on Ralph Fiennes' and Jack O'Connell's characters from the previous movie. The two give stellar performances, and their character journeys are both extreme and satisfying. After his Oscar nomination last year (he should have won), it looks like we're witnessing a Ralph Fiennes renaissance, and I'm all here for it.
My only criticism of this film is the level of violence displayed. I'm not a prude, and I understand this is a work of fiction, but it was tough to witness all the torture sequences, and after a while I honestly couldn't take it anymore.
The storyline between Dr. Ian Kelson (Fiennes) and Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) is predictable at times, but it's probably the most interesting part of the story. It will be interesting to see how the zombie monster evolves after what happens to him in this second chapter.
Overall, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" is a good movie and an excellent sequel, well directed by Nia DaCosta ("Candyman", "The Marvels", "Hedda"). It's a pity that it didn't make enough money at the box office (the production budget was $63 million). Maybe the January release was too soon and hurt its performance, or possibly this franchise isn't strong enough to justify a trilogy so long after the original movie came out. Either way, the shooting of the third movie depended on the performance of this film, so it's unclear if this story will see its end at all. I have my fingers crossed!
P.S. As rumored before the movie came out, Cillian Murphy makes a cameo appearance at the end of the film, reprising his original role from the first "28 Days Later".
Film 2391 - 28 Years Later
Film 2437 - 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry, Emma Laird, Sam Locke, Cillian Murphy.
Box Office: $58.4 million
Worth a watch?: If you like this franchise and/or the previous movie, this is definitely worth the watch! As a standalone film, though, I'm not sure this works, as there would be a lot to unpack and catch up with if you don't know what happened before in the story.
Awards: /
Key word: Old Nick.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2436 - One of Them Days

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:29:00 +0000

Intro: I missed this movie when it came out, but I remember reading good stuff about it. So, when I had the chance, I finally gave it a go.

Film 2436: "One of Them Days" (2005), Lawrence Lamont
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I did enjoy this movie. I thought it was funny, and the two leads had great chemistry. I didn't know Keke Palmer before seeing her in "Nope", so I'm relatively new to her, but damn, she's good! I think she has great comedic timing and an undeniable star quality.
That said, I struggled a bit with all the slang the screenplay uses. It's clear that this is an American product catered to an American audience, and at times I either didn't understand what they were saying or what they were talking about. Additionally, I thought the story was a bit overly chaotic just for the sake of it. Still, I had a good time watching "One of Them Days".
P.S. This is singer SZA's movie screen debut. She is an Academy Award nominee (for "All the Stars" from the "Black Panther" movie) and a 7-time Grammy winner.
Cast: Keke Palmer, SZA, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Lil Rel Howery, Katt Williams, Maude Apatow, Janelle James.
Box Office: $51.8 million
Worth a watch?: It's a fun ride, and Keke Palmer and SZA work well together. Syreeta Singleton (the screenwriter, on her first attempt writing for the big screen) is definitely one to watch.
Awards: /
Key word: Payday Whenever.
Trailer
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Film 2427 - Brokeback Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:22:00 +0000

Intro: The last movie from the December batch I left behind to write about the films competing at this year's Oscars. It wasn't the only reason, though, as this is the movie I watched on an extremely tough day for me. I was emotionally drained, tired, and unhappy in a relationship that, within a few days, would end for good.
So I decided to rewatch this modern masterpiece, a story that breaks my heart every time. I put my phone away and cried for almost two hours, which, at the time, was exactly what I needed.

Film 2427: "Brokeback Mountain" (2005), Ang Lee
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: One of my favourite movies of all time, "Brokeback Mountain" is an emotional rollercoaster that never fails to deliver.
This film makes me think about the past a lot: I watched it alone at the cinema when it came out because none of my friends wanted to go with me. I was 18 at the time, still not fully out, and I remember seeing all these gay couples sitting together, watching the film, and wondering if there was a future for me where I too would be watching a movie with my partner—maybe holding hands or kissing. I remember reading the book and crying my heart out. I remember how every time I rewatched "Brokeback Mountain", the last scene would break my heart.
Finally, it's impossible for me to talk about this movie without mentioning what it meant to me at the time (and still means). As the only gay kid in my group of friends, for the longest time I felt like I was the only gay person on the planet. I thought it would be hard for other people to understand me and what I was going through. In a way, this movie represented hope. Not only does it revolve around a love story between two men, but it's also a movie that is adored by critics and audiences alike, has won many awards and, to this day, is considered one of the finest examples of contemporary cinema.
So yeah, "Brokeback Mountain" is not only a great movie, but it also represents a piece of pop culture that is, in a way, part of my story. And for that, I'm forever grateful.
Film 99 - I segreti di Brokeback Mountain
Film 1642 - Brokeback Mountain
Film 2427 - Brokeback Mountain
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid, David Harbour, Kate Mara.
Box Office: $179.1 million
Worth a watch?: A masterpiece, a great and tragic love story, a forever classic. The soundtrack is amazing, Ang Lee's direction is immaculate, and the four main cast members give timeless performances. It has to be watched.
Awards: Nominated for 8 Oscars (for Best Picture, Actor for Ledger, Supporting Actor for Gyllenhaal, Supporting Actress for Williams, and Cinematography), it won 3: Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. 9 BAFTAs nominations (Best Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Cinematography, Music, and Editing), it won 4 for Best Film, Direction, Actor in a Supporting Role (Gyllenhaal), and Adapted Screenplay. 4 Golden Globes wins (Best Motion Picture – Drama, Director, Screenplay, Original Song for "A Love That Will Never Grow Old") over 7 nominations (Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, Supporting Actress, Score). 1 Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. 2 MTV Movie & TV Awards wins for Best Performance (Gyllenhaal) and Best Kiss (Gyllenhaal and Ledger). The movie won the Golden Lion prize at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the David di Donatello and César Awards.
Key word: Shirt.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2426 - Fall Into Winter

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:49:00 +0000

Intro: Not a great weekend that was, for both my personal life and the movie choice that was made. At Sórcha & Niamh's apartment for the now-annual Christmas party, we decided to watch a Christmas movie together the next day to recover. And, to be fair, watching this movie with your friends is the only way to get through it.

Film 2426: "Fall Into Winter" (2023), T.W. Peacocke
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh R, Sórcha, Michelle
Thoughts: Possibly the worst and cheapest-looking Christmas movie I've ever seen. Not much else to say, really.
Cast: Lori Loughlin, James Tupper, Cherion Drakes, Darrin Baker, Marc Senior.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: I mean, you don’t watch this type of movie for the revolutionary plot or superb acting, but because it's Christmas and you want something easy, cheesy, and food-coma-proof to play in the background while vegetating on the couch. If that’s your goal, then "Fall Into Winter" is the perfect pick. Otherwise, look somewhere else.
Awards: /
Key word: Shop.
Trailer
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Film 2425 - Wicked: For Good

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:26:00 +0000

Intro: I mean, I watched the first one so it made sense to go and watch the second one I guess. I wasn't thrilled though.

Film 2425: "Wicked: For Good" (2025), Jon M. Chu
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi
Thoughts: I was never a massive fan of the first one, but at least "Wicked" had a bunch of good songs, two of which I actually knew. This second one cannot say the same.
I understand it was a huge disappointment for fans to see both Cynthia + Ariana and the movie itself get snubbed at the Oscars this year, but honestly, I can see why. This "Wicked: For Good" isn't as good as the previous film. The ending is a bit anticlimactic and misses the spark and grandeur of the "Defying Gravity" closing song, none of the new songs created for this film are memorable, and since both movies were shot back-to-back, I can see why not a lot of Academy members felt the need to reward last year's winners with a new shiny Oscar for the same work they already got recognized for (specifically, last year "Wicked" won Best Costume Design and Best Production Design out of its 10 nominations).
I'll be honest, I didn't particularly enjoy "Wicked: For Good". I thought it was too long and boring at times. It's not the movie's fault—I think the second half of the original musical this is taken from is weaker than the first act anyway. I think they did the best they could here. Not my cup of tea.
Film 2332 - Wicked
Film 2425 - Wicked: For Good
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Colman Domingo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum.
Box Office: $533.7 million
Worth a watch?: Just for fans of the previous movie, Cynthia/Ariana, or "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" lore.
Awards: 2 BAFTA nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Make Up & Hair. 5 Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, and Best Original Song (for both "No Place Like Home" and "The Girl in the Bubble").
Key word: Lies.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2424 - Pillion

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Intro: It took me a while to get to this review. I had the template ready for about 10 days, but couldn’t find the time, energy, or just the willingness to sit down and write it. Yeah, the peak of award season just ended, but to be fair, it was mainly because this is the last movie I watched with Yegor before our breakup and, possibly, part of me wasn’t ready to let go.
The list of new movies to review is getting longer, though, so off we go.

Film 2424: "Pillion" (2025), Harry Lighton
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi, Yegor
Thoughts: Not the gay romance I was expecting, "Pillion" was definitely an interesting watch. To me, BDSM, dom and sub—it’s all a world I don’t know much about, and it’s not a kink I have, so watching this movie was almost like analyzing a case study.
I think Alexander Skarsgård is perfectly cast and gives off the right vibe for his character, Ray. Harry Melling is a great protagonist and shows his potential here as a leading man, regardless of the genre, but I can’t deny it was a bit strange to see Harry Potter’s cousin’s ass on the big screen (Melling plays Dudley Dursley in the "Harry Potter" franchise). Anyway, the two together are the gay couple you didn’t know you needed. They make a great screen pair.
Overall, "Pillion" is bold and provocative and shines a light on a community that is rarely the subject of a movie (let alone one produced by the BBC). Not necessarily my gay romance fantasy, but I found it interesting and definitely refreshing.
Cast: Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jake Shears.
Box Office: $5.9 million
Worth a watch?: "Pillion" isn't for everybody, but if it's premise interests you ("A directionless man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.", from IMDb), then it's definitely worth a watch.
Awards: 3 BAFTA nominations (Outstanding British Film, Outstanding British Debut, and Adapted Screenplay). The movie won Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 in the Un Certain Regard section.
Key word: Day off.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2423 - Hellraiser

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:28:00 +0000

Intro: Yegor and I watched a lot of "Dragula" together and this franchise is referenced a lot in the show, so we decided to watch the original movie together.

Film 2423: "Hellraiser" (1987), Clive Barker
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Yegor
Thoughts: I did enjoy it, but as it's often the case when you watch a film that came out almost 40 years ago, you can tell it's that old. I don't mean in in a bad way, I actually quite enjoyed some of the practical special effects, they're extremely creative and showcase the craftmenship that is behind this art. This said, some of them are leff effective.
To me, the story is a bit scattered and not always cohesive in tone and pace. There's a lot of S&M references when the world of hell is summoned, but it kind of goes nowhere? For a film that is called "Hellraiser", I was definitely expecting a bit more of the titular character and less of the second wife's sexual adventures. Also I find Ashley Laurence's performance as the daughter to be a little too over the top for my liking, but that's just me.
All in all, not my favourite horror movie but the idea behind the story feels fresh and I see why this movie is considered a cult classic.
Cast: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Oliver Smith, Doug Bradley.
Box Office: $30 million
Worth a watch?: It has an iconic appeal to it and, if you like horror movies, it's definitely worth givining it a go. Not my favourite, but I don't regret watching it.
Awards: /
Key word: Cube.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2422 - Frankenstein

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:19:00 +0000

Intro: When it came out on Netflix, everybody was talking about it and the reviews were good, so I was curious to give this movie a try.

Film 2422: "Frankenstein" (2025), Guillermo del Toro
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Yegor
Thoughts: Much ado about nothing? It's not bad, but I'm not sure where all the fuss is coming from, to be honest.
Maybe my expectations were too high, as usual, but I was genuinely expecting something way more epic from this film. Mainly I didn't like how much green screen was used and how evident it was. I don't expect the production to move to Antarctica to shoot the scene in the icy water, but I was surprised by how fake the whole environment felt and looked, considering this movie cost $120 million to produce.
And I'll be even more honest here: is Jacob Elordi's performance so memorable that it deserves all the accolades it's getting? I'm not sure. Is it a bad performance? Absolutely not, but an Oscar nomination for it? Uhm.
All in all, "Frankenstein" is an entertaining enough movie. The costumes are breathtaking and we get the chance to see Mia Goth play two roles (one of which with... eyebrows!), but to be completely honest I didn't care much for Victor Frankenstein's story, and while watching the movie I kept thinking how much I would have preferred to be watching "Young Frankenstein" instead.
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, David Bradley, Charles Dance, Ralph Ineson, Christoph Waltz.
Box Office: $480,678
Worth a watch?: Considering the amount of awards and public discussion this movie has earned and generated, it's not a bad idea to give it a go and check what all the fuss is about (especially considering the Oscars are next weekend and "Frankenstein" is definitely going to win at least one or two of the technical categories). Personally, though, it's a movie I wouldn't rewatch.
Awards: Nominated for 9 Oscars (best Picture, Supporting Actor for Elordi, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Score, and Sound). 3 BAFTA wins (Best Production Design, Costumes, and Makeup and Hair) over 8 nominations (Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Elordi, Cinematography, Score, Sound, and Visual Effects). 5 Golden Globe nominations (Best Motion Picture – Drama, Actor for Isaac, Supporting Actor for Elordi, Director, and Score). 3 nominations at the Actor Awards (Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Elordi), Cast in a Motion Picture, and Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture).
Key word: Syphilis.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2421 - Ocean's Eight

noreply@blogger.com (HollywoodCiak) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:58:00 +0000

Intro: One (late) morning we were all at home, looking for something to watch together while having breakfast. Netflix's catalogue suggested this one.

Film 2421: "Ocean's Eight" (2018), Gary Ross
Watched: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Yegor, Gigi
Thoughts: I think "Ocean's Eight" is a fun watch. I love the cast, the story is engaging, and the heist is elaborate enough to be entertaining and a real spectacle.
The chemistry between all the protagonists is great, the fashion is on point, and this movie positions itself perfectly within the "Ocean's" franchise as a solid reboot for the series and sequel in general.
More on-screen banter between Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett in the future would be greatly appreciated by yours truly.
Film 1647 - Ocean's Eight
Film 1800 - Ocean's 8
Film 2421 - Ocean's Eight
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard Armitage, James Corden, Dakota Fanning.
Box Office: $297.8 million
Worth a watch?: A fun watch, "Ocean's Eight" delivers both easy entertainment and amazing cast chemistry between all the talented actresses. It should have been even more successful than it ended up being.
Awards: /
Key word: Necklace.
Trailer
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Bengi