Silver Screen Surprises

The 92nd Annual Academy Awards: Results and Reactions

2020-02-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

Did a Parasite Make a Joker of 1917?

By Chris Sabga

Another year, another Oscars...

Before the Show

No Host (Again)

For the second year in a row, there will be no one hosting the Academy Awards. Last year's ceremony moved at a much quicker pace because of it. Let's hope that holds true this year too.

Any Potential Surprises?

"1917" seems like the safe bet to win Best Picture, but last-minute buzz is pegging a historic upset victory for "Parasite," which would make it the first foreign language film ever to emerge victorious in the top category. We'll see...

The Wall Street Journal is betting big on Scarlett Johansson to win Best Actress for "Marriage Story," but very few people are buying any stock in "ScarJo" – every other pundit considers Renée Zellweger a lock for "Judy."

Full results are listed at the end.

The Oscar Ceremony

Best Oscar Speeches: Taika Waititi's tribute to his mother after winning Best Adapted Screenplay for "Jojo Rabbit" was sincere, heartfelt, and funny.

I loved the speech for "Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)." It started with Frank Capra and ended with words of encouragement.

Laura Dern: "They say never meet your heroes, but if you're blessed, you get them as your parents." Beautifully stated! (Her mom and dad are, famously, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern.)

Best Presenters: It was nice to see Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen from the wonderful – and snubbed – "The Peanut Butter Falcon" presenting the award for Best Live Action Short.

Best Moments: Give Steve Martin and Chris Rock their own comedy special! They landed some great but acidic jokes about Jeff Bezos' wealth and (the lack of) black nominees.

It was awesome to see Chrissy Metz – Kate from "This Is Us" – performing "I’m Standing With You" from her powerful film "Breakthrough." Toby was obviously too busy doing CrossFit to be there!

Best Dressed: Rebel Wilson and James Corden stole the show dressed as cats from – what else? – the notorious cinematic flop "Cats."

Biggest Surprise: According to my Oscar pool, "Ford v Ferrari" racing past "1917" in the Sound Editing category was a surprise – to me.

But "Parasite's" Bong Joo Ho upsetting "1917's" Sam Mendes for Best Director was the biggest surprise of the night...

...until "Parasite" won for Best Picture.

Overall: "1917" was considered the favorite, but in a truly stunning turn of events, "Parasite" scored massive upsets in the Best Director and Best Picture categories. It now stands as the first foreign language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Full Results

Best Picture: Parasite

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Renée Zellweger, Judy

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Best Director: Bong Joo Ho, Parasite

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 4

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit

Best Original Screenplay: Parasite

Best Foreign Language Film: Parasite (South Korea)

Best Documentary Feature: American Factory

Best Original Song: "(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again," Rocketman

Best Original Score: Joker

Best Cinematography: 1917

Film Editing: Ford v Ferrari

Costume Design: Little Women

Makeup and Hairstyling: Bombshell

Production Design: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Sound Editing: Ford v Ferrari

Sound Mixing: 1917

Visual Effects: 1917

Best Documentary Short: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)

Best Animated Short: Hair Love

Best Live Action Short: The Neighbors’ Window

The 92nd Annual Academy Awards: Nominations, Surprises, Snubs

2020-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Joker's (Not So) Wild as #OscarsSoStale

By Chris Sabga

As I've done for the past seven years, I will list the nominations, snubs, and "Silver Screen Surprises" for all of the major categories.

And the Oscar goes to...

Best Picture

Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite

Surprises: I'm both surprised and not surprised that Netflix's "Two Popes" – a Golden Globes nominee – was snubbed by Oscar. It is represented in both male acting categories and for Best Adapted Screenplay though.

Globes nominees "Knives Out," "Rocketman," and "Dolemite Is My Name" being snubbed here in favor of "Little Women" might be considered mildly surprising, but I can't say I'm exactly shocked by any of it.

Lead Actor

Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Surprises: There was talk of Eddie Murphy getting an Oscar nomination for "Dolemite Is His Name," but that obviously didn't happen. It's no surprise that #OscarsSoWhite is trending again on Twitter as I write this. As others have no doubt already pointed out, the only black acting nominee this year – Cynthia Erivo for "Harriet" – played a slave.

Lead Actress

Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renée Zellweger, Judy

Surprises: The only surprise would be if someone other than Renée Zellweger wins.

Supporting Actor

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Surprises: I guess poor Robert De Niro being shut out of the "Irishman" party in this category qualifies as a mild surprise.

Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Surprises: Am I the only one who wishes Florence Pugh had been nominated for "Fighting with My Family" instead? Yeah, probably. But the movie was great, and she was great in it!

Director

Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Todd Phillips, Joker
Sam Mendes, 1917
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joo Ho, Parasite

Surprises: Another Globes repeat in what is shaping up to be one of the least surprising Oscar races ever.

Anyone expecting Greta Gerwig to get nominated for "Little Women" after being snubbed for "Lady Bird" two years ago clearly no longer pays attention to the Oscars or how they work. In other words, most of the world. Every year, I tell myself I'm going to stop writing about the boring, stale, stuck in the past Academy Awards. And yet – here we are. Maybe I'll stick to that New Year's Resolution next year.

Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Surprises: Finally, a genuine surprise! "Klaus" was unfairly snubbed by the Golden Globes but rightfully represented here. It's a delightful movie, and artistically beautiful. The same can be said for shocking Globes winner "Missing Link." Can that repeat its success here? I am expecting both to lose to "Toy Story 4," but this race is far from a sure thing.

Original Screenplay

Knives Out
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite

Adapted Screenplay

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes

Surprises: I guess I'm surprised to see "Joker" recognized in a writing category. Comic book fans finally have their day in the sun, as they've insisted for years that comic books have stories just as rich and layered as anything in literature. Oh, who am I kidding? No comic book fan is actually watching this show – "Joker" or not.
_____

Other thoughts: A dear friend of mine summed it up perfectly: "BLERG!"

I had another paragraph or two written, but I just erased all of it. "BLERG!" really is the best way to describe this geriatric snoozefest.
_____

The rest of the categories and nominees are:

Best Documentary Feature

American Factory
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland

Animated Short

Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister

Cinematography

The Irishman
Joker
The Lighthouse
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Documentary Short Subject

In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha

Best Live Action Short Film

Brotherhood
Nefta Football Club
The Neighbors’ Window
Saria
A Sister

Best Foreign Language Film

Corpus Christi (Poland)
Honeyland (North Macedonia)
Les Misérables (France)
Pain and Glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)

Film Editing

Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Parasite

Sound Editing

Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Sound Mixing

Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Production Design

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite

Original Score

Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Original Song

"I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away," Toy Story 4
"(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again," Rocketman
"I’m Standing With You," Breakthrough
"Into the Unknown," Frozen 2
"Stand Up," Harriet

Makeup and Hair

Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917

Costume Design

Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Irishman
Joker
Little Women

Visual Effects

Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon

2019-09-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Feel-Good Film of the Year

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: August 23, 2019 – U.S. • Rating: PG-13 • Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama • Running Time: 97 minutes • Directors: Tyler Nilson, Mike Schwartz • Writers: Tyler Nilson, Mike Schwartz • Cast: Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Thomas Haden Church, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal, Yelawolf, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley

"The Peanut Butter Falcon" is a story about hopes and dreams; about the bonds of brotherhood and choosing who becomes family; about living your own life and not letting other people decide for you what you can and can't do or who you can and can't be.

Zak (Zack Gottsagen) is a young man with Down Syndrome who has no family and lives in a nursing home for the elderly because there's nowhere else to send him. His best friend there is Carl (Bruce Dern), who is his roommate and several decades older. Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) works at the home and genuinely cares for Zak, despite the bureaucracy and negligence she puts up with from her boss, Glen (Lee Spencer).

Zak worships a professional wrestler known as The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church) and constantly watches and re-watches a worn out VHS tape featuring old wrestling matches and an advertisement for The Salt Water Redneck's wrestling school. With Carl's help, using the old tried and true method of soaping your body to squeeze through heavy metal bars, Zak plots his escape from the home to chase his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.

Along the way, Zak hides in the boat of a crab fisherman, Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), who is on the run. Their relationship at first is uneasy, but it soon blossoms into friendship, and friendship soon blossoms into brotherhood.

Tyler is down on his luck, struggling to make ends meet, and grieving the loss of his older brother (played by Jon Bernthal). He is being chased by two bad guys, Duncan and Ratboy (John Hawkes and Yelawolf), who make even The Salt Water Redneck's most villainous opponents seem tame by comparison. On top of that, he has to figure out how to navigate both the waters and the unexpected stowaway on his boat, Zak, who knows where he wants to go – The Salt Water Redneck's wrestling school – but needs a little guidance to get there.

Do they make it to the wrestling school? Does a blind man – helpfully named Blind Jasper John (Wayne Dehart) – baptize them in a lake? If you answered yes to both questions, you'd be correct – sort of. All of that is beside the point anyway. The heart and soul of this movie is in the relationship formed between Zak and Tyler. The most powerful parts of the film aren't in the dialogue, action, or conflict; they're in the quiet unspoken moments – a look of pride or concern, a brotherly embrace – shared between them.

It's a hell of a feature film debut for Zack Gottsagen, who proves that the only limitations are the ones we create ourselves, and it's quite possibly Shia LaBeouf's finest hour as an actor. LaBeouf's immense talent has been underrated and underappreciated over the years, but make no mistake about it, he is extraordinarily exceptional at his craft – and he showcases it yet again in "The Peanut Butter Falcon."

Thomas Haden Church is the last person I would've ever thought to cast as a wrestler, but he pulls it off beautifully – perfectly embodying the persona of a grizzled veteran whose best years in the ring may be long in the past but a spark still exists inside him. Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Mick Foley, two bona fide wrestling legends who appear in the film, know more than a thing or two about that!

Dakota Johnson also shines in a very sweet and tender but determined performance as someone who fights ferociously for Zak's best interests but doesn't always necessarily know how.

"The Peanut Butter Falcon" is a profound joy to watch – even if you don't like peanut butter, falcons, or professional wrestling.

Review: Fighting with My Family

2019-03-07T11:57:00.001-08:00

The Strange but Charming True Story of a Professional Wrestling Family from England

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: February 22, 2019 – U.S. • Rating: PG-13 • Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama • Running Time: 108 minutes • Director: Stephen Merchant • Writer: Stephen Merchant • Cast: Florence Pugh, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne Johnson

Based on the documentary of the same name, "Fighting with My Family" tells the stranger-than-fiction true story of professional wrestling's "Knight" family. (Like almost everything else in wrestling, "Knight" isn't their real name – "Bevis" doesn't sound quite as catchy though.) They're a ragtag group of misfits that run a small independent wrestling organization in Norwich, England called World Association of Wrestling (WAW). It is literally a mom-and-pop shop. The parents, Ricky and Julia (Nick Frost and Lena Headey), are the promoters and wrestlers. Their son Zak (Jack Lowden) also wrestles. (Another son, Roy, is a wrestler too – but he's in prison for most of the film.) Saraya (Florence Pugh) joins the family business at the ridiculously young age of 13. She would eventually attain worldwide fame as Paige in WWE, but before that, she wrestled as a child under the name Britani Knight. To show just how deeply passionate – and obsessed – wrestlers can be, Saraya was actually named after her mum's in-ring character, Sweet Saraya.

Eventually, both Saraya and Zak are invited to attend a WWE tryout. There, they memorably run into The Rock (Dwayne Johnson). Did this really happen? As The Rock might say, IT DOESN'T MATTER if it really happened! Whether the scene is factual or fabricated, it gives Johnson an excuse to cut a classic Rock promo. That's a good enough reason for me! (The Rock was instrumental in getting in this movie made and released.)

The tryout is coached by a former wrestler named Hutch (Vince Vaughn, playing a slightly gentler version of his drill sergeant character from "Hacksaw Ridge"). Hutch was created for the movie but serves as a stand-in for various real-life coaches and wrestlers. His backstory suspiciously resembles Mick Foley, who famously threw himself off the roof of the "Hell in a Cell" cage. However, unlike Hutch, Foley actually became a star. More likely, the Hutch character is meant to represent journeymen dreamers like Jimmy Jacobs and B.J. Whitmer – who almost killed themselves in an insane cage match at a show called "Supercard of Honor II" in front of a few hundred people (I was there, and it was one of the damnedest things I've ever seen) – and many others like them.

As wrestling fans already know, Saraya is chosen and Zak is not. This leads to resentment and a downward spiral for Zak, while Saraya deals with the culture shock of moving from England to America – specifically from drab, grey Norwich to bright, sunny Florida. At the WWE training camp, the newly christened Paige – named after her favorite character from the TV show "Charmed" – feels like a "freak" next to the other female trainees, all of whom are "Barbie doll" models and cheerleaders. While the women in the movie are fictionalized, they accurately represent WWE's hiring practices at the time.

Even though some characters and elements are fictionalized, and some aspects of what actually happened are shifted around or combined to tell a cleaner story, "Fighting with My Family" is the rare biopic that is almost entirely factual.

Florence Pugh is so good in her role that I often forgot I wasn't watching the real Paige. Jack Lowden excels at the difficult task of conveying Zak's disappointment, bitterness, and broken dreams. He's "the heavy" of the film in the way, and not always likable, but he never loses his humanity. Nick Frost and Lena Headey are precious as their parents, especially Frost, who talks about his character's prison time in such a casual, matter-of-fact way – as if it's no different or less ordinary than toasting bread for breakfast. Also look for writer-director Stephen Merchant in a small but priceless role (Julia Davis, who plays his wife, is also a standout). Thea Trinidad (WWE's Zelina Vega) plays AJ Lee in the film's climactic scene, and eagle-eyed wrestling fans will enjoy spotting other blink-and-you'll-miss-it wrestler cameos. Rest assured that no wrestling knowledge is required to enjoy this film. (After all, did you know anything about Jamaican bobsleds before or after watching "Cool Runnings"?) Silver Screen Sister, who doesn't know Hulk Hogan from the Incredible Hulk, absolutely adored watching this. So did I. Paige's journey is a great underdog story, period.

"Fighting with My Family" is funny, quirky, sweet, and heartfelt. It will end up being one of the year's best films.

The 91st Annual Academy Awards: Results and Reactions

2019-02-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Black, Green, Queen, or Queens?

By Chris Sabga

Without a host, will the Academy Awards finally be less than 4+ hours?

Spoiler: Yes! (About 3 hours and 20 minutes.)

Before the Show

What Didn't Go Wrong on the Road to the Red Carpet?

A pandering Popular Movies category was introduced, only to be scrapped after massive backlash.

Four categories – Cinematography, Film Editing, Live Action Short, and Makeup and Hairstyling – were going to be taken off the live show and handed out during commercial breaks. This demeaning development was met with predictable disdain from both inside and outside the film industry.

There was a host – until there wasn't. Kevin Hart was set to do the honors before old homophobic comments from a "comedy" routine resurfaced. He stepped down after initial backlash, later tried to resume the mantle again (with the endorsement of LGBTQ+ icon Ellen DeGeneres, no less), and finally bowed out for good after his rambling half-apologies were met with even more criticism.

Any Potential Surprises?

Rumor has it that Whoopi Goldberg will secretly be hosting tonight's ceremony. We'll find out.

Many predictions are citing "Roma" as the likeliest candidate for Best Picture. As much as I loved this quietly poignant and beautifully shot film about a year in the life of a maid and the family she works for in early-1970s Mexico, it doesn't feel like a sure thing to me. If it wins, it would the first foreign-language film ever to do so – and a major victory for Netflix and streaming services in general ("Roma's" theatrical distribution was limited – most viewers saw it through Netflix).

"Green Book" is also being talked about as a strong voting contender, but there has been backlash from the family of Dr. Don Shirley (played by Mahershala Ali in the film) as well as controversies surrounding director Peter Farrelly and writer Nick Vallelonga (son of Tony "Lip" Vallengona, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in the movie). Could that then pave the way for "BlacKkKlansman," "Black Panther," or even "The Favourite" pull ahead in the polls and win the big gold? "A Star is Born" – once thought of as a heavy favorite – is now considered a longshot. "Vice" winning seems about as likely as its subject matter ever becoming President.

If "Roma" doesn't score the predicted Best Picture victory for whatever reason (voters might deem it too long, too slow, too foreign, too black and white, consider Netflix a threat to movie theaters, etc.), "BlacKkKlansman" is my outside-the-box guess. It hasn't been attacked from all sides like the divisive "Green Book" and doesn't carry a stigma with the snooty Academy of being a comic book movie like "Black Panther" – all while containing many of the same powerful themes and messages both of those films have been applauded for.

This is easily one of the most unpredictable Best Picture races in years.

Glenn Close has become the front-runner for "The Wife" in the Best Actress category after a touching speech at the Golden Globes. She has six previous nominations and zero victories. Will this be lucky #7? Academy members may be rooting for her to finally win the big one. But could Olivia Colman emerge instead as the favorite for "The Favourite"?

Full results are listed at the end.

The Oscar Ceremony

The Host: The Whoopi rumor wasn't true after all. There really isn't a host.

Best Oscar Speeches: Regina King's speech after winning Best Supporting Actress for "If Beale Street Could Talk" was tearful and heartfelt. I don't know a single person who wasn't rooting for her.

Becky Neiman-Cobb of the animated short film "Bao" delivered a touching speech on making a movie about motherhood just as she was becoming a mother herself.

Rami Malek's speech was pure class. As someone who enjoyed his work and recognized his talent on the TV show "The War at Home" a decade before it seemed like anyone else knew who he was, I'm happy to see him go as far as he has.

"The Favourite" Best Actress winner Olivia Colman was precious, blowing kisses at fellow nominee Lady Gaga.

Best Presenters: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph kicked off the ceremony by skewering the lack of a host and other Oscar mishaps (see above) before presenting the award for Best Supporting Actress.

Helen Mirren and Jason Momoa were funny talking about their "matching" pink outfits, which they swear they didn't discuss with each other beforehand.

Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry coming out in outrageous outfits while cracking about the subtlety of a good costume design was an amusing visual gag.

I liked what Michelle Yeoh and Pharrell Williams said about "putting away childish things" before pointing out that we don't have to thanks to these nominees for Best Animated Feature.

I love Awkwafina and John Mulaney.

Best Moments: The "Wayne's World" reunion with Dana Carvey and Mike Myers was nice.

The sheer adoration "A Star is Born" actors Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga showed for each other during their musical performance was infectious.

Best Dressed: You're on the wrong site for that, but here's a quote from Silver Screen Sister: "Even if Regina King doesn't win (I think she might), her dress already has!" And Gemma Chan's dress "looks like an upside down hot pink cupcake, but she pulls it off. She's so delicate looking." Okay, then...

Biggest Surprise: Olivia Colman winning Best Actress instead of Glenn Close wasn't entirely unexpected – I did suggest the possibility above – but it still qualifies as a major surprise and massive upset.

"Green Book" was at least somewhat of a surprise for "Best Picture." It's a very nice movie. I liked it and I can understand why it would be a sentimental favorite, but I personally would've voted for "Roma" or "BlacKkKlansman" instead.

Overall: While this wasn't the most dynamic ceremony over, I can forgive that because it moved along at a (relatively) speedy pace. If losing the host means shortening the length of the Oscars, I hope the show never has a host again. In future years, the Academy can focus on making the ceremony less dry. For now, I consider this a success.

Full Results

Best Picture: "Green Book"

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"

Best Animated Feature: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

Best Adapted Screenplay: "BlacKkKlansman"

Best Original Screenplay: "Green Book"

Best Foreign Language Film: "Roma" (Mexico)

Best Documentary Feature: "Free Solo"

Best Original Song: "A Star is Born"

Best Original Score: "Black Panther"

Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"

Film Editing: "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Costume Design: "Black Panther"

Makeup and Hairstyling: "Vice"

Production Design: "Black Panther"

Sound Editing: "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Sound Mixing: "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Visual Effects: "First Man"

Best Documentary Short: "Period. End of Sentence."

Best Animated Short: "Bao"

Best Live Action Short: "Skin"

The 91st Annual Academy Awards: Nominations, Surprises, Snubs

2019-01-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Crazy Rich Snubs

By Chris Sabga

As I've done for the past several years, I will go through the nominees and then analyze what I feel are the "Silver Screen Surprises" for each of the main categories.

Which nominations – and snubs – surprised me?

And the Oscar goes to...

Best Picture

"Black Panther"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"The Favourite"
"Green Book"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"
"Vice"

Surprises: I expected "Crazy Rich Asians" to be nominated for Best Picture, but not only did it fail to make an appearance in this category, it was completely shut out of the Oscars in general. What happened?

There was minor intrigue about whether "Black Panther" would actually get a Best Picture nomination after a "Most Popular Movie" Oscar was briefly considered – seemingly for this movie – only to be scrapped after massive backlash.

Will this be a three-way contest between "Black Panther," "BlacKkKlansman," and "Green Book" – or will "Roma" sweep in and spoil their chances?

"Roma's" inclusion is a huge victory for Netflix – and streaming in general – as the film received only a tiny theatrical release and was seen by most viewers at home. Theater owners have reason to be worried.

Lead Actor

Christian Bale, "Vice"
Bradley Cooper, "A Star Is Born"
Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity's Gate"
Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Viggo Mortensen, "Green Book"

Surprises: This is possibly the least surprising of all the categories, but the actual winner might be a surprise in what is sure to be a tightly-contested race.

There was no chance in hell of Steve Carell scoring a nomination for "Welcome to Marwen" – a movie disliked by both viewers and critics (except me) – but he did the impossible and turned a very strange character into a sympathetic one. I think history will judge his performance kindly.

Lead Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, "Roma"
Glenn Close, "The Wife"
Lady Gaga, "A Star Is Born"
Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"
Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

Surprises: Not that I expected it, but Elsie Fisher was superb in "Eighth Grade" and more than deserved a nomination. Then again, I can understand the hang-up about not wanting to ruin a child actor's life by giving her too much too soon. That would be even worse than middle school.

Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Adam Driver, "BlackKKlansman"
Sam Elliott, "A Star Is Born"
Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me"
Sam Rockwell, "Vice"

Surprises: Sam Elliott wasn't expecting to be nominated, so I wasn't expecting it either.

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, "Vice"
Marina de Tavira, "Roma"
Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Emma Stone, "The Favourite"
Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"

Surprises: Meryl Streep wasn't nominated for "Mary Poppins Returns." She's always nominated. Okay, I'm only kidding – somewhat!

As I mentioned above, "Crazy Rich Asians" is nowhere to be found this year. At the very least, Michelle Yeoh should have had this category sewn up.

Director

Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
Pawel Pawlikowski, "Cold War"
Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite"
Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"
Adam McKay, "Vice"

Surprises: Bradley Cooper was widely expected to be among the nominees in this category for "A Star is Born," but I guess a star wasn't born in this case.

Animated Feature

"Incredibles 2"
"Isle of Dogs"
"Mirai"
"Ralph Breaks the Internet"
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"

Surprises: Don't be surprised when "Spider-Man" wins.

I'm not sure "Welcome to Marwen" would even be eligible for this category considering that it has live action sequences too, but I personally found the animation impressive.

Original Screenplay

"First Reformed"
"Green Book"
"Roma"
"The Favourite"
"Vice"

Surprises: Bo Burnham was robbed – I guess the writing in "Eighth Grade" wasn't "flashy" enough for the Academy?

Best Documentary Feature

"Free Solo"
"Hale County This Morning, This Evening"
"Minding the Gap"
"Of Fathers and Sons"
"RBG"

Surprises: It's not a good day in the neighborhood, as the Mr. Rogers documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" was surprisingly snubbed.
_____

Other thoughts: Kevin Hart was originally scheduled to host the ceremony, until he stepped down after old homophobic jokes of his surfaced. No one replaced him. Why? Probably because it's a thankless job with very little upside, especially with the way ratings have steadily declined over the years. The show is a slog to watch at the best of times, so how will it work without a host to break up the monotony? Kevin Hart would have done a good job, but he botched his "apology" tour with a series of clumsy foot-in-mouth non-apologies and justifications. Not even Ellen's endorsement could save him. The question now becomes, who will save us from four-and-a-half hours of self-congratulatory mind-numbing boredom.
_____

The rest of the categories and nominees are:

Adapted Screenplay

"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"A Star Is Born"

Animated Short

"Animal Behaviour"
"Bao"
"Late Afternoon"
"One Small Step"
"Weekends"

Cinematography

"Cold War"
"The Favourite"
"Never Look Away"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"

Best Documentary Short Subject

"Black Sheep"
"End Game"
"Lifeboat"
"A Night at the Garden"
"Period. End of Sentence."

Best Live Action Short Film

"Detainment"
"Fauve"
"Marguerite"
"Mother"
"Skin"

Best Foreign Language Film

"Capernaum"
"Cold War"
"Never Look Away"
"Roma"
"Shoplifters"

Film Editing

"BlacKkKlansman"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"Green Book"
"The Favourite"
"Vice"

Sound Editing

"A Quiet Place"
"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"
"Roma"

Sound Mixing

"Black Panther"
"Bohemian Rhapsody"
"First Man"
"Roma"
"A Star Is Born"

Production Design

"Black Panther"
"The Favourite"
"First Man"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
"Roma"

Original Score

"Black Panther"
"BlacKkKlansman"
"If Beale Street Could Talk"
"Isle of Dogs"
"Mary Poppins Returns"

Original Song

"All The Stars" from "Black Panther"
"I'll Fight" from "RBG"
"Shallow" from "A Star Is Born
"The Place Where Lost Things Go" from "Mary Poppins Returns"
"When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" from "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"

Makeup and Hair

"Border"
"Mary Queen of Scots"
"Vice"

Costume Design

"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
"Black Panther"
"The Favourite"
"Mary Poppins Returns"
"Mary Queen of Scots"

Visual Effects

"Avengers: Infinity War"
"Christopher Robin"
"First Man"
"Ready Player One"
"Solo: A Star Wars Story"

Review: Welcome to Marwen

2019-01-07T13:10:00.001-08:00

The (Second) Life and Art of Mark Hogencamp

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: December 21st, 2018 – U.S. • Rating: PG-13 • Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama • Running Time: 116 minutes • Director: Robert Zemeckis • Writers: Robert Zemeckis, Caroline Thompson • Cast: Steve Carell, Merritt Wever, Leslie Mann, Falk Hentschel, Matt O'Leary, Patrick Roccas, Alexander Lowe, Eiza González, Leslie Zemeckis, Gwendoline Christie, Stefanie von Pfetten, Janelle Monáe, Neil Jackson

"I decided I'm not going to lie in my second life. I always tell the truth and tell people who I am, because why should I be afraid to tell you who I am?"

– Mark Hogencamp (from his book Welcome to Marwencol)

"Welcome to Marwen" is a weird movie. Not just original (which it certainly is) and not just unique (although it also is), but weird. But then, art is often weird, and so too are artists.

Mark Hogencamp was a cross-dressing alcoholic nearly killed outside a bar for talking about wearing women's shoes and left brain-damaged and amnesiac after the attack. It's a role that could possibly have only been played by Steve Carell. In almost any other actor's hands, Hogencamp's odd/unique/weird/fill-in-the-blank personality traits would have dominated the performance – but Carell focuses on the humanity and sweetness inherent in the real-life Hogencamp.

As the movie begins, the viewer is thrust into the middle of a World War II dogfight. However, it quickly becomes apparent that something is amiss. It's clearly Carell flying the plane, but he looks like a doll! And the aircraft looks like something from a model kit. The background seems kind of artificial as well.

Welcome to Marwen.

Marwen is a fictional WWII-era town in Belgium comprised solely of dolls and the miniature locations built to host them. It's the brainchild of artist and photographer Mark Hogencamp and the home of the heroic Hogie – the doll that serves as his alter-ego. Also residing there are several Nazi soldiers who are repeatedly killed and come back to life like characters respawning in a video game, the Women of Marwen who oppose them every step of the way, and the enigmatic Deja Thoris – the Belgian Witch of Marwen.

Are you still reading this?

Yeah, it's easy to see why "Welcome to Marwen" sharply divided critics and didn't light up the box office, but certain viewers will certainly find a lot to like here. I was one of them, for reasons I'll get into later in this review.

In actuality, Hogencamp's visual art and storytelling are conveyed through stunning still photographs of the dolls he customizes and the models and sets he painstakingly builds. In the film, they're brought to life through a series of ambitious animated sequences. Interspersed throughout are scenes of Hogencamp's bleaker reality, where it becomes clear that every character in Marwen is based on someone he knows (Janelle Monáe of "Hidden Figures" appears in one such dual role, and his real-life attackers take the form of Nazi officers in Marwen).

Roberta (Merritt Wever) is the owner of the hobby shop in town Mark uses to build Marwen. She has clearly taken an interest in him, but the feeling is either not noticed or mutual. Then a new neighbor moves across the street – Nicol "without the e" (Leslie Mann) – who Hogencamp is instantly smitten with. It isn't long before she becomes Marwen's newest resident.

Readers of the book Welcome to Marwencol and viewers of the documentary "Marwencol" will notice several major changes typical of a "based on a true story" Hollywood production, but I was able experience "Welcome to Marwen" on its own terms because I saw the film first and read the book after.

Director Robert Zemeckis (probably best known for "Back to the Future" and "Forrest Gump") does an outstanding job of portraying Mark Hogencamp's fictional world through animation, just as Hogencamp himself does through his artistic photography. Creative types will tell you that there's a whole world living inside their heads – which only comes out through their writing, drawing, painting, photography, or whatever their preferred art form happens to be. "Welcome to Marwen" brings that process to life. It's not a perfect movie or one I could ever blindly recommend, but if you consider yourself a creative person, "Marwen" will probably speak to you.

Marwencol.com: The Art of Mark Hogencamp

Review: The Samuel Project

2018-11-16T12:09:00.001-08:00

Art. History. Life.

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: October 5th, 2018 – U.S. • Rating: PG-13 • Genre: Drama • Running Time: 93 minutes • Director: Marc Fusco • Writers: Marc Fusco, Chris Neighbors, Steve Weinberger • Cast: Hal Linden, Ryan Ochoa, Michael B. Silver, Mateo Arias, Philippe Bowgen, Catherine Siggins, Callie Gilbert, Pia Thrasher, Trina Kaplan, Dylan James Weinberger, Malina Moye, Liza Lapira

"You're a lucky kid."

That's what Samuel Bergman (the great Hal Linden of "Barney Miller" fame) tells his 17-year-old grandson, Eli (Ryan Ochoa).

The teenager retorts that "old people" – "adults," he quickly corrects himself – always say that.

In this case, it's true. But Grandpa isn't talking.

A surprise letter leads to an unexpected meeting between Samuel and a dear old friend of his named Uma (Trina Kaplan).

Eli is full of questions:

– Who is this woman?

– How does Samuel know German?

– What is the story behind the teenage girl and the bandaged boy in the photograph Eli saw?

Questions without answers, because Grandpa still isn't talking.

It would end up being Samuel's last meeting with Uma.

Not even Matzo Ball Soup – courtesy of a surprise nighttime visit from Eli – is enough to get the old man to open up. Some things are too tough to talk about.

The reason for the soup and the visit: Samuel doesn't show up for work that morning. He runs a successful dry-cleaning business in San Diego. One of Samuel's employees has been there eight years and says his boss has never missed a day of work in all that time. Samuel is the best in town, according to his customers – even if he can't ever seem to remove a stain from the butcher's apron. The butcher's name is Vartan (Ken Davitian), and he comes around to the store not only to have his clothes cleaned, but also to exchange constant verbal jabs with Samuel and continue their seemingly never-ending chess game on a board set up behind the counter.

Meanwhile, Eli wants to be an artist – much to the chagrin of his father, Robert (Michael B. Silver), who is still struggling to pay the bills even with a "real job." Robert's advice: go to community college, get a degree in a stable profession, and be an artist on the weekend. But Eli has to be an artist now because he has been assigned a "historia" project in Mr. Turner's (Philippe Bowgen) media class. The winning entry gets a scholarship to art school, which Eli desperately needs because he doesn't have his father's support – financial or otherwise. Samuel doesn't quite understand his grandson's "doodles" either, but he's fascinated that people can actually make a living doing that.

For the project, Eli pairs up with Kasim (Mateo Arias), a brooding musician who is being pressured into working at his father's butcher shop. (Free Matzo Ball soup to anyone who can figure out which character Kasim is related to.) Even Eli – reflecting his own father's dream-crushing negativity – thinks Kasim's future is as a butcher. (Another free bowl of Matzo Ball Soup if you can figure out what – and who – Eli and Kassim's project will be about.)

The way to a man's heart is usually through his stomach, but as we saw with Eli's offer of Matzo Ball Soup, that doesn't work with Samuel. In this case, the way to a man's heart is through is through free employment. Eli offers to work at the dry-cleaning store before and after school without pay if Samuel will open up to him. That story – about a young boy whose entire family was torn away from him in the blink of an eye by the Nazis, the teenage girl who rescued him from a gunshot wound inflicted by her own father, and his eventual journey to America all alone – becomes the basis for both Eli's project and the movie itself.

"The Samuel Project" works because all of the characters come across as real people. Their interactions feel natural. There's a certain "lived-in" quality to everything we see in the movie. Much of that has to be credited to masterful veteran actor Hal Linden, whose "Barney Miller" is still considered one of the most realistic cop characters and shows ever put to film – but his Samuel Bergman is a worthy successor several decades later. Young Ryan Ochoa is every bit as good as his experienced co-star and has a bright future ahead of him if this movie is any indication. The teacher, Mr. Turner, is played nicely by Philippe Bowgen – with the sharp, sarcastic edge of a jaded instructor who still cares about and encourages the students willing to put in the time and effort. Ken Davitian, as the butcher, is an entertaining presence who adds just the right touch of lightness to his scenes. Mateo Arias does the same as Eli's project partner, Kasim.

There are no major surprises in "The Samuel Project," but there don't need to be. It shines because it shows all of those little moments that come with living a life.

Review: Crazy Rich Asians

2018-09-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

A Crazy Rich Cinematic Experience

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: August 15th, 2018 – U.S. • Rating: PG-13 • Genre: Comedy, Romance • Running Time: 121 minutes • Director: Jon M. Chu • Writers: Peter Chiarelli (screenplay), Adele Lim (screenplay), Kevin Kwan (novel) • Cast: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Harry Shum Jr., Ken Jeong, Michelle Yeoh

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy takes girl to Singapore meet his parents and attend a wedding. Boy neglects to tell girl he's from one of the richest and most famous families in all of Asia. (Boy uses girl's Netflix password instead of having his own account, so how could she possibly know?)

That's the tantalizing premise behind "Crazy Rich Asians."

Much has been made of the fact that this is the first American film since "The Joy Luck Club" in 1993 to feature an all-Asian cast. It's a historic and long overdue development. But let's face it: anything historic doesn't always sound like very much fun. Rest assured, that isn't a problem here. This movie is a pure joy to watch from beginning to end.

Rachel Chu (Constance Wu, "Fresh Off the Boat") has no idea what she's in for when her boyfriend, Nick Young (newcomer Henry Golding in his first film role), invites her to Singapore. Nick Young is a household name in Singapore. Before he even finishes telling his mother he's bringing Rachel with him, everyone in the family – and everyone in Singapore – knows her name too. That's how much status the Young family has.

As Rachel experiences for the first time the overwhelming opulence and extreme extravagance the Youngs are accustomed to, so too does the audience. Watching "Crazy Rich Asians" is like going on an all-expenses-paid vacation to Singapore that you could otherwise never afford. You'll meet memorable characters, in breathtaking locales, wearing gorgeous outfits, eating mouth-watering food – be sure to grab a bite before the film, or you'll be ravenously hungry long before the credits roll! The Royal Wedding seems humble compared to the Young Wedding.

But if I'm making "Crazy Rich Asians" sound like a glorified travel program or reality show, nothing could be further from the truth. The movie wouldn't work if it was only a surface-level look at the glitz, glamour, and excesses of a wealthy and well-known family.

One of the main themes in the film is the perceived differences between people who are Chinese from those who are Chinese-American. Children of immigrants from any country or culture can relate.

There are also differences between the "old money" Youngs and other families in Singapore. While the Goh clan is presented as wacky and played for laughs, they are also unapologetically themselves and instantly warm, inviting, and accepting of Rachel and everyone else they meet. (Awkwafina – whose over-the-top character is described in the movie as an "Asian Ellen" – and "The Hangover's" Mr. Chow, Ken Jeong, play two members of the outrageous Goh family.)

Meanwhile, the matriarch of the Young family, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh, in an Oscar-worthy performance), is cold, distant, and critical of her "chosen one" son's American girlfriend. And she is far from the only one at the wedding who is unhappy about Rachel's presence.

However, not everyone shares those views. Astrid (Gemma Chan) and Oliver ("Superstore's" Nico Santos) are happy for Nick and Rachel. Astrid is a particularly fascinating character, as she'll think nothing of dropping over a million dollars on ridiculous pearl earrings, yet isn't presented as a spoiled snob.

Also interesting and perhaps unexpected: the Youngs are a Christian family – there's an early scene of a Bible Club meeting, and the wedding takes place inside a church – which is notable, because Chinese characters are usually depicted as followers of more traditionally-Eastern religions. (However, it should be noted that the characters in the Amy Tan book The Joy Luck Club are also Christian – they attend a Chinese-Baptist Church. I'm not sure if this carries over to the film adaptation, which I haven't seen.)

But none of that would matter if we didn't care about these people – and we do, thanks to stellar performances by all involved. Constance Wu admirably anchors the movie, serving as the audience's proxy into this unimaginable other world of loud luxury. Henry Golding is incredibly impressive in his first film role – no doubt an instant star-making performance. And if there's any justice in the world, Michelle Yeoh's name will be on the Oscar ballot.

Beneath a flashy veneer, "Crazy Rich Asians" expertly explores issues of family, culture, finance, and happiness. But it's still a whole lotta fun! This is one of the most thoroughly enjoyable films of the year.

Review: 350 Days

2018-07-13T13:42:00.003-07:00

Pro Wrestling from Every Angle

By Chris Sabga

"350 Days" refers to the amount of time the average professional wrestler spent on the road and away from his family. Driving many miles, working through multiple injuries, and combating loneliness, fatigue, and problems at home, they wrestled every night of the week and "twice on Sundays." The highlight of their day was often those few minutes inside the ring. But that wasn't the only thing they had to look forward to! After the matches, they had instant access to drugs, alcohol, and willing women known as "ring rats."

This documentary assembles a who's who of great names to discuss the professional wrestling lifestyle from every perspective:

Tito Santana • "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff • Greg "The Hammer" Valentine • Bret "The Hitman" Hart • Wendi Richter • George "The Animal" Steele • Don Fargo • "Superstar" Billy Graham • Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka • Bruce Allen (Promoter) • JJ Dillon • Ox Baker • The Masked Superstar (Bill Eadie) • Lanny Poffo • Abdullah the Butcher • "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase • Gangrel • Angelo "King Kong" Mosca • Farmer Pete • The Wolfman (Willie Farkas) • Howard Jerome • "Butcher" Paul Vachon • Angelo Savoldi • Stan Hansen • Gino Caruso • Ricky Johnson • Doink the Clown (Ray Apollo) • Lex Luger • Paul Lazenby • Slick (Ken Johnson) • Davey O'Hannon • "Pretty Boy" Larry Sharpe • Ric Drasin • "Cowboy" Johnny Mantell • "Bushwhacker" Luke Williams • Gene LeBell • Don Leo Jonathan • Marty Jannetty • Nikolai Volkoff

Filmed over five years, a staggering number of wrestlers were interviewed for "350 Days." Several of them are no longer with us.

The movie often switches from the silly to the surreal to the sublime, sometimes in the same scene.

One of the highlights: footage featuring the "crazed" Ox Baker preparing a meal in his own kitchen. Was it entirely necessary to include five full minutes of this? Possibly not. But I can't lie: I wouldn't have been in the least bit disappointed if the rest of the film consisted of cooking lessons from Ox Baker.

Here's a picture of Ox Baker, in case you need a visual aid:

This alone would have make Ox Baker a star again – it's a shame he didn't live to see it.

On the other end of the emotional spectrum, there's a touching segment with "Superstar" Billy Graham (not the preacher) discussing his health issues. Known for his outrageous catchphrases, such as "the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour," Graham puts aside the bluster of his bombastic character to discuss his battles with Hepatitis C and the young lady who died, which allowed him to live by receiving her liver.

However, Abdullah the Butcher has been accused of infecting other wrestlers with Hepatitis C (not Graham) by using an old razor blade to draw blood in matches – a common, if barbaric, practice in wrestling – but the movie completely ignores his irresponsible, reckless, negligent, and potentially murderous actions. A similar blind eye is also turned to "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, who allegedly beat his girlfriend to death in 1983. (He was arrested and indicted in 2015, 32 years later. He died in 2017.)

At first, I was distracted by these omissions. The endearing scene of a loving, nurturing "Superfly" feeding and petting adorable farm animals takes on an almost dreamlike quality. People are complicated! But I can also partly understand why the filmmakers decided to shy away from spotlighting such shocking stories. The darker side of these wrestlers' personal live might have overshadowed the rest of the film and obscured the overall purpose of the documentary.

Despite that, there is still plenty of bad behavior to go around.

Bret "The Hitman" Hart spent his entire career portraying a virtuous "Canadian hero." The revelations in "350 Days" won't be surprising to anyone who read his voluminous almost-600-page tome, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling. But for the average fan, this film will definitely expose a different side of "The Hitman." Anyone who has listened to any recent Bret Hart interviews will already know that he's honest to a fault (potentially the result of a stroke he suffered in 2002). Here, his "Canadian hero" persona is laid bare. In one startling speech, he practically endorses cocaine by fondly reminiscing about the drug while going out of his way to point out that it did not impair him. He claimed to retain everything he ever learned from veteran wrestlers during those powdery bonding sessions. Later, he concedes that drug testing has been good for the industry. "The Hitman" also makes no apologies – and has no regrets – for indulging in extramarital affairs during his career. He said he made many friendships that way. Wrestling is indeed a hard life – as this documentary points out – but coming from the mouth of Bret Hart, you would think he was a combat veteran who served in two World Wars. Then again, "The Hitman" has always taken himself very seriously – as demonstrated in another excellent wrestling documentary, 1998's "Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows."

What makes the movie so fascinating is the often contradictory opinions expressed by different wrestlers on a wide variety of topics. For example, one common belief expressed in the film is that the wrestling business ruins marriages. Lanny Poffo, however, is quick to dispel that notion.

"350 Days" is a revealing look at the human beings behind the wrestling personas. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff expresses regrets about placing wrestling and money ahead of his family and laments that he can barely move his arm after years of abusing his body in the wrestling ring. "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka somehow come across as calm, clear, and coherent – a far cry from one of his wild "Superfly" wrestling promos that were nearly impossible to decipher – while "Rocker" Marty Jannetty is sadly almost unintelligible.

The sheer breadth of wrestlers interviewed in "350 Days" is ultimately what gives this documentary its considerable depth.

Review: Bipolar Rock 'N' Roller

2018-06-01T14:45:00.001-07:00

How Mauro Ranallo Became the Most Trusted Voice in Wrestling, Boxing, and MMA

By Chris Sabga

"Mamma Mia!"

That is Mauro Ranallo's catchphrase and rallying cry. When he unleashes it in the middle of a heated wrestling match, you know he's excited about the action in the ring. He's bouncing with energy, and taking the fans right along with him.

Listening to Mauro's creative commentary and infectious enthusiasm, it would be easy to mistake him for a happy-go-lucky guy who is always smiling and full of joy. In reality, every day is an exhausting mental and emotional struggle for Mauro Ranallo.

Showtime's "Bipolar Rock 'N' Roller" takes a hard look at Mauro's battle with bipolar disorder. The documentary's depiction of the disease is as raw and real as it gets. No attempt is made to ease the audience into it or smooth out the rough edges. The film is intentionally uncomfortable.

We've all heard stories about people drifting aimlessly through their 20s. Mauro Ranallo's circumstances during those years were far more serious and dire. He spent his entire 20s in and out of mental institutions. His first breaking point came after the sudden shock of his best friend's death at the all-too-young age of 19. For Mauro, it was like losing a brother.

Among the tragedies, there are also many triumphs. Early footage of a teenage Mauro as a heel (bad guy) motormouth for a local wrestling show in Vancouver is great fun to watch. In general, combat sports – pro wrestling, boxing, and mixed martial arts – would become a safe haven for Mauro Ranallo.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor was a "dream match" between a boxer and an MMA fighter that fans of both sports clamored for and debated endlessly. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa was a slow-burning, smoldering, bitter rivalry between former tag team partners that diehard wrestling fan couldn't wait to see. Mauro Ranallo was the voice of both.

Mauro Ranallo's bombastic commentary style is often the subject of discussion. His love of language and steady stream of pop culture references are two of his unmistakable trademarks. The reason: merely "calling the fight" is anathema to Mauro, as we see in one scene where he berates himself for doing too much paint-by-numbers play-by-play during one event. His goal, he explains, is always to be a storyteller and entertainer. Through tireless research and copious notes, he constantly strives to be as creative as possible.

Bipolar disorder used to be referred to as manic depression, and it's obvious that the "manic" side aids his commentary at times. WWE released footage of Mauro's "priceless reactions" during the Gargano-Ciampa match. He can barely sit still.

Treatment for bipolar disorder is covered at length in the documentary, including – surprisingly – marijuana, which Mauro freely admits is his medication of choice. His reasoning make sense: When he would ask doctors how or why certain pills, doses, and combinations worked, they were often unsure. Because he had no way of knowing exactly what he was putting into his body or what it would do to him, he felt more comfortable treating his mental illness with marijuana.

Some would say that Mauro Ranallo succeeded despite bipolar disorder, while others would argue that his greatest successes may very well be because of the disease. Both are true and neither are true. It's more complicated than that. What cannot be debated, however, is the common denominator in both of those statements: his success. Because "Bipolar Rock 'N Roller" never sugarcoats Mauro Ranallo's struggles or minimizes the realities of mental illness, his success story ultimately serves as a message of hope.

Review: I Can Only Imagine

2018-03-30T13:38:00.001-07:00

The True Story of the Man Behind the Music

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: March 16th, 2018 – U.S.

Rating: PG

Genre: Drama, Family, Biography

Running Time: 110 minutes

Directors: Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin

Writers: Alex Cramer (story),

Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle

Cast: J. Michael Finley, Brody Rose,

Madeline Carroll, Trace Adkins,

Cloris Leachman, Dennis Quaid

"I Can Only Imagine" by Bart Millard and his band MercyMe is the bestselling Christian song of all-time. It attained Triple Platinum status, with over 2.5 million in sales, and became a massive crossover hit that reached secular audiences as well.

The film of the same name tells the true story of Bart Millard and how the song came to be.

Growing up, Millard (played as a boy by Brody Rose, in a heartbreaking performance) is abused by his dad, Arthur (Dennis Quaid), whose only facial expression is a deep scowl of disapproval and discontent. He actively discourages his son from following his musical dreams. "Dreams don't pay the bills," he lectures. "Nothing good comes from them. All it does is keeping you from knowing what is real."

His mother, Adele (Tanya Clarke), and his "Memaw" (Cloris Leachman) try their best to look out for him. Adele sends her son to a week-long Christian camp, where he meets Shannon (Taegen Burns), who has been harboring a secret crush on him. It's the best week of his life. But everything changes for the worse when he comes back home.

Left alone to fend for himself, Bart (J. Michael Finley) eventually abandons his music to play football – because it's the only thing he and his father can find common ground on. An injury leads Bart to the one extracurricular activity in school that's still open: Glee Club. There, he meets a teacher (Priscilla C. Shirer) who encourages and nurtures his musical talent.

Through it all, Shannon (now played by Madeline Carroll, who you may remember from "Swing Vote" and "Flipped") has remained by his side.

After high school, he leaves town and forms a band – MercyMe – whose name comes from an expression his "Memaw" used. To get their big break, they need to impress Brickell (the always solid Trace Adkins). Bart is full of himself but Brickell brings him back down to earth. "I don't think you found your song, found your soul," he cautions. Until Bart can tap into something's real, he advises, MercyMe will never truly succeed.

Bart's troubles – with his music and girlfriend – send him on a soul-searching journey back home, back to the father who abused him. But his dad is no longer the same man. There's now a Bible by his bedside and a ticking clock on his lifespan.

Through those trials and tribulations, Bart puts pen to paper and writes "I Can Only Imagine." It eventually reaches the hands of beloved Christian singer Amy Grant (Nicole DuPort), whose angelic voice lifted Bart up during some very tough times in his life. What happens next is probably unheard of in both the music and entertainment industries at large.

Because of Bart Millard's beliefs, "I Can Only Imagine" is considered a Christian movie. But it doesn't make the same mistakes most religious films do. 99% of movies that call themselves "Christian" focus first and foremost on religion, at the expense of story and character. They're heavy-handed, preachy, unrealistic, and intelligence-insulting. They don't operate in the real world. "I Can Only Imagine" works because it's about people who are Christian instead of being a blunt manifesto on Christianity itself. Like the song that inspired it, the film version of "I Can Only Imagine" will be able to cross over and appeal to audiences from all walks of life. Many Christian films are too narrow in scope to be enjoyed by anyone other than priests, nuns, and pastors – and even they're probably secretly rolling their eyes at the majority of the genre. I can only imagine most of them used a few unholy words to describe what cockamamie drivel "God's Not Dead" was. (I'm a fan of David A.R. White, who produces and acts in those movies, but he can do so much better.) If their ultimate goal is to reach more people with their message, they're failing miserably by playing only to their own base and no one else. "I Can Only Imagine" avoids the same pitfalls.

Bart Millard claims it took him only ten minutes to write the song that would launch his career, but as the movie says and shows, it really took him a lifetime. Whether it was "God's hand," life's random but always unpredictable circumstances, or both, the process that led to the creation of "I Can Only Imagine" is a fascinating one to watch unfold onscreen.

The 90th Annual Academy Awards: Results and Reactions

2018-03-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

"The Shape of Water" vs. "Three Billboards" – or Will They Have to Get Out for "Get Out"?

By Chris Sabga

Nothing was going to top the chaos and buzz of last year's Oscars, but the 90th annual Academy Awards felt like its age.
Before the Show

Jimmy, Warren, Faye, and That Mix-Up!

A year ago, I wrote:

To Jimmy Kimmel's credit, the lengthy ceremony raced by. This may be the most fun I've had watching the Oscars in years."

Part of that was because of last year's shocking "twisting ending," which became the "water cooler moment" of the broadcast.

"La La Land" was announced as Best Picture – and then it wasn't. In a stunning faux pas by presenters and "Bonnie and Clyde" stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, it turns out the wrong movie was named. (They were somehow mistakenly handed the envelope for Best Actress, which went to Emma Stone for "La La Land.") Their error was acknowledged – as the world collectively held their breath and gasped – and then the actual winner was announced: "Moonlight" scored Best Picture in one of the most surprising upsets in Oscar history.

Jimmy is back this year, and so are Warren and Faye – but I don't expect lightning to strike twice. If anything, I'm anticipating an even more by-the-books and controlled ceremony than usual, and that's really saying something considering how stuffy and rigid the Oscars normally are.

Any Potential Surprises?

The "safe money" seems to be on "The Shape of Water" or "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." But will the entrenched "business-as-usual older Oscar voters split the vote between the two projected front-runners, paving the way for another film entirely to reap the big reward? Could the Academy's efforts to recruit a younger and more diverse voting base end up "playing spoiler" and pushing ahead a movie like the wonderfully creative and buzz-worthy "Get Out" instead?

Full results are listed at the end.

The Oscar Ceremony

The Host: The opening monologue was more serious than usual. Only a few clever jokes broke up the unusually heavy atmosphere.

Between Parkland, #MeToo, and #TimesUp, there's not much to laugh about these days. As Kimmel said later on, "reality can be depressing."

Still, Jimmy is a natural and can easily do this for another ten years like Billy Crystal and Bob Hope before him.

Best Oscar Speeches: The speech by the winners of "Coco" about representation – people of all races, colors, and creeds needing to see themselves on screen – was possibly the first great one of the night.

Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton using sign language during their entire speech for "The Silent Child" was amazing – and quite fitting considering both the subject matter and star of their movie.

I loved Jordan Peele's speech for Best Original Screenplay. He talked about wanting to give up 20 times because he didn't think anyone would ever actually agree to let him bring "Get Out" to the screen. I'm glad he kept writing, because not only did he get to make his movie, he won the Oscar for it.

Frances McDormand – long overdue for an Oscar – made an impassioned plea for women's rights and equality. She mentioned the term "inclusion rider" in her speech. What does that mean? According to The Hollywood Reporter, she's asking for "requirements in contracts that provide for gender and racial diversity." I expect that to be the most talked about issue brought up at the Academy Awards, both within the industry and by the moviegoing public at large.

Best Presenters: Eva Marie Saint – who admitted she's older than Oscar – did such a classy job of recapping her career and presenting the award for Costume Design.

Taraji P. Henson positively beamed when she revealed that Mary J. Blige is the first person ever nominated for both Best Song and Best Supporting Actress in the same year.

Lupita Nyong'o and Kumail Nanjiani – two names people "have trouble pronouncing" – were funny, charming, and inspiring. They recounted their journey to the film industry as immigrants from Kenya (Lupita Nyong'o) and "Pakistan and Iowa (Kumail Nanjiani) – two places people in Hollywood can't find on a map."

Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph were hilarious. I love Tiffany Haddish!

Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway made the most of their second chance. Their presentation was short but sweet.

I was hoping they would announce a winner that wasn't even nominated – a terrific punchline to last year's monumental mistake – but no one was willing to be that daring this year, much to the show's detriment.

Best Moments: Jimmy Kimmel announced that speeches wouldn't be interrupted by music this year. Instead, Lakeith Stanfield ran out and re-enacted a scene from "Get Out." Oscar winners whose speeches are too long, Kimmel said, will have to "get out." Cute!

The "Price is Right"- like jet ski contest for shortest speech – which was won by Costume Designer Mark Bridges.

Best Dressed: I don't usually care about this, but the timeless Rita Moreno was in the same dress tonight that she wore 55 years ago when she won the Oscar for "West Side Story" in 1962 – and she pulled it off spectacularly!

Biggest Surprise: None in the major categories. Both Documentary awards and the Live Action Short Film winners went against general projections. Otherwise, this was the most predictable Academy Awards in years.

Overall: There were a few good lines, and Kimmel is a comforting presence, but this year's ceremony felt too safe and stuffy. After last year's fiasco, it seemed everyone went out of their way to avoid making any mistakes at all. There were a few good zingers and moments, but almost everything was too buttoned up and restrained. The winners were predictable, and with an overabundance of musical acts, video tributes, and skits, the show was too long.

Full Results

Best Picture: "The Shape of Water"

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Sam Rockwell, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"

Best Director: Guillermo del Toro, "The Shape of Water"

Best Animated Feature: "Coco" – Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson

Best Adapted Screenplay: "Call Me by Your Name" – James Ivory

Best Original Screenplay: "Get Out" – Jordan Peele

Best Foreign Language Film: "A Fantastic Woman" (Chile)

Best Documentary Feature: "Icarus" – Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan

Best Original Song: "Remember Me" from "Coco" – Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

Best Original Score: "The Shape of Water" – Alexandre Desplat

Best Cinematography: "Blade Runner 2049" – Roger Deakins

Film Editing: "Dunkirk" – Lee Smith

Costume Design: "Phantom Thread" – Mark Bridges

Makeup and Hairstyling: "Darkest Hour" – Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick

Production Design: "The Shape of Water" – Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Sound Editing: "Dunkirk" – Alex Gibson, Richard King

Sound Mixing: "Dunkirk" – Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo

Visual Effects: "Blade Runner 2049" – John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer

Best Documentary Short: "Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405" – Frank Stiefel

Best Animated Short: "Dear Basketball" – Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant

Best Live Action Short: "The Silent Child" – Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton

Review: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

2018-02-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

A Hilarious Love Letter to Video Games

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: December 20th, 2017 – U.S.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy

Running Time: 119 minutes

Director: Jake Kasdan

Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers,

Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner

Cast: The Rock, Kevin Hart,

Jack Black, Karen Gillan,

Rhys Darby, Bobby Cannavale,

Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Ser'Darius Blain,

Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner,

Missi Pyle, Marc Evan Jackson

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is an unapologetic love letter to video games that left me laughing almost nonstop.

The film begins with four high school kids getting detention: shy nerd Spencer (Alex Wolff), stocky football star Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain, whose character seems like an obvious nod to NFL player William "The Refrigerator" Perry), socially-awkward loner Martha (Morgan Turner), and vapid teen queen Instagram addict Bethany (Madison Iseman).

There are a couple of fun adult cameos, with Marc Evan Jackson as the principal (he's perhaps best known for his role as Shaun from "The Good Place," playing the same type of dryly entertaining character here) and Missi Pyle ("Dodgeball") as the coach.

As punishment, the children are forced to clean the school basement. There, they discover a dusty old video game system. The cartridge included is, of course, "Jumanji." As soon as they press "Start" on the controller, they're suddenly inside the game, where they literally turn into the characters they just selected.

Geeky Spencer becomes musclebound action hero Dr. Smolder Bravestone (The Rock).
Imposing football star Fridge shrinks into a mini-refrigerator, embodying the much shorter and scrawnier form of zoologist Franklin "Mouse" Finbar (Kevin Hart).
Bookish outcast Martha morphs into buxom Lara Croft wannabe Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), complete with a tight top and overly short pants that could work nowhere else but in an over-the-top action movie or video game like "Jumanji." (Luckily for them – and us – "Welcome to the Jungle" is both.)
And – most hilariously of all – phone-addicted queen bee Bethany transforms into Professor Shelly Oberon (Jack Black), not realizing until it's too late that Shelly is actually short for Sheldon.

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" smartly spends several minutes allowing the kids to explore their new bodies, characters, and abilities. It's hysterically funny watching them to react to such an unimaginable situation.

But the real fun comes from the way "Jumanji" inhabits the world of a video game, with amusing nods to all of the quirks and idiosyncrasies gamers take for granted that are bizarre in any other context.

Almost every video game has a "life bar." So, too, does this one – in the form of disappearing tattoos on the characters' wrists. There are also pop-up menus in most games that display important information. In the world of "Jumanji," a character can press on his or her pec like a button to bring up a list of skills, strengths, and weaknesses – the funniest of which are cake (weakness) and dance fighting (strength). Naturally, death is never final in any game – unless you're down to your last life. Like many video games, dying in "Jumanji" takes the form of a quick explosion – poof! they're gone – and then the character falls down from the sky to play again. Real-word logic and physics don't apply here, just as they don't in many games. There are also "NPCs" – non-player characters – who repeat the same scripted, stilted dialogue whether appropriate or not. The most amusing of these is their tour guide, Nigel (Rhys Darby).

All of this will seem like a foreign language to anyone who has never picked up a video game controller, but any gamer reading this will smile in recognition.

The Rock, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black do an incredible job of portraying confused, scared kids who are stuck in new bodies and trapped inside a video game. They may be adults in the world of "Jumanji" but they're still really children. That has its benefits too, though, because Spencer can use his gaming skills to progress from "level" to "level" with the goal of getting everyone back home to the real world. As much as I love The Rock and Kevin Hart (I hope they do 20 more movies together), and as great as Karen Gillan is here, the underrated Jack Black steals the show as a shallow teenage girl who now has to contend with being a fat middle-aged man.

As the fearful foursome progresses, they eventually run into two other major characters. Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough (Nick Jonas) seems like a heroic fighter pilot but he's really another kid named Alex who is also stuck in the game. He's down to his last "life" and afraid to move forward because a tough "level" has claimed his previous" lives." They all have to contend with the villainous Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale), who is the "final boss" – another video game staple.

"Welcome to the Jungle" comes 22 years after 1995's "Jumanji." but it's a standalone "sequel" that requires no knowledge of the original. However, there is one reference to Robin Williams' character, Alan Parrish, from the first film. There are also nods to The Rock's other career – as a professional wrestler. In an action scene, we see The Rock's finishing move, the Rock Bottom, and his character refers to himself in the third person at one point like The Rock always did in the WWE. All of that is right in line with the clever winks provided throughout.

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is the rare example of an action-comedy that's smartly written, has clever characterization, and is actually funny. It's the perfect movie to see when you need to take your mind off your problems and simply laugh in the dark for two hours.

The 90th Annual Academy Awards: Nominations and Notes

2018-01-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

The Oscars Turn 90 – Here are the Silver Screen Surprises of This Year's Nominations

By Chris Sabga

Just as I did last year, I will list the nominees and then examine the "Silver Screen Surprises" for each of the main categories.

Which films and performers was I surprised to see on the list?

Were there any surprising omissions?

And the Oscar goes to...

Best Picture

"Call Me by Your Name"

"Darkest Hour"

"Dunkirk"

"Get Out"

"Lady Bird"

"Phantom Thread"

"The Post"

"The Shape of Water"

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Surprises: With all of the hoopla surrounding "Wonder Woman," I really expected it to the lead the pack – and maybe even win. Instead, it has been completely shut out. That's somewhat surprising in the year of #MeToo and #TimesUp where women are rising up and exposing widespread systemic sexual abuse, unfair gender wage gaps, skewed power dynamics, and many other major problems both in and out of Hollywood. It's long overdue. If there was ever a movie I assumed the Academy would choose as a "symbol" of everything that's happened, it was this one. In the past, phony Tinseltown has shamelessly attached itself and certain movies to major issues going on in the world in a futile attempt to "look progressive." While this omission is sure to upset many, perhaps it's a sign that everyone in Hollywood finally realizes that these women aren't going anywhere – nor should they – and a token nomination or award isn't going to be enough this time to solve all of the very real problems plaguing the film industry.

However, in the battle of "superhero movies," my heart was with the surprisingly powerful and poignant "Logan" – which stripped the iconic X-Men characters of most of their powers and instead explored their humanity and fragility. Alas, it too was completely omitted from most of the major categories.

Another major omission, for me, is the wonderful "The Big Sick." It takes real artistry to turn a movie about a girl in a medically-induced coma into one of the funniest and most heartwarming films of the year. Combining comedy and drama is never easy, and this movie does it effortlessly.

Of the current nominations, none of them are even remotely shocking to me. They're the same movies I've seen in other awards ceremonies and on various prediction lists for the past several weeks.

Lead Actor

Timothée Chalamet, "Call Me by Your Name"

Daniel Day-Lewis, "Phantom Thread"

Daniel Kaluuya, "Get Out"

Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"

Denzel Washington, "Roman J. Israel, Esq."

Surprises: "Roman J. Israel, Esq." has been plagued by critical scorn and audience indifference, so I wasn't necessarily expecting Denzel to show up here. He is always solid though.

James Franco was predicted to be the front-runner at one point for "The Disaster Artist," but allegations of sexual misconduct may have put the deep freeze on his Oscar chances – and his career in general. A far cry from just one year ago where Casey Affleck faced similar accusations and sailed away with the Academy Award anyway. #TimesUp indeed.

I loved Kumail Nanjiani's semi-autobiographical performance in "The Big Sick," and while expected, I'm still sad to see him left off this list.

Lead Actress

Sally Hawkins, "The Shape of Water"

Frances McDormand, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"

Saoirse Ronan, "Lady Bird"

Meryl Streep, "The Post"

Surprises: Meryl Streep gets an unexpected nomination. Oh, who am I kidding? There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Meryl Streep getting nominated for an Academy Award.

Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe, "The Florida Project"

Woody Harrelson, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Richard Jenkins, "The Shape of Water"

Christopher Plummer, "All the Money in the World"

Sam Rockwell, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Surprises: I'm not sure I was expecting both supporting actors to be nominated for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," but you can never go wrong with Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell.

Patrick Stewart's heartbreaking turn in "Logan" as an elderly superhero who can no longer control his powers was unjustly overlooked by the Academy. Surely, we could've had one billboard outside Ebbing, Missouri in this category to make room for the former Captain Picard.

Speaking of former TV actors, Ray Romano's kicked puppy dog performance in "The Big Sick" was quietly powerful – and unfortunately nowhere to be found in this category.

Supporting Actress

Mary J. Blige, "Mudbound"

Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"

Lesley Manville, "Phantom Thread"

Laurie Metcalf, "Lady Bird"

Octavia Spencer, "The Shape of Water"

Surprises: No real surprises here. Octavia Spencer has become the new Meryl Streep with all of the nominations she's racked up over the years – not that I'm complaining, because she's terrific. It's also nice to see Laurie Metcalf too.

Director

Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk"

Jordan Peele, "Get Out"

Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"

Paul Thomas Anderson, "Phantom Thread"

Guillermo del Toro, "The Shape of Water"

Surprises: With "Wonder Woman" not in the Best Picture race, its director Patty Jenkins isn't here either. Neither is James Mangold for "Logan."

Animated Feature

"The Boss Baby" – Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito

"The Breadwinner" – Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo

"Coco" – Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson

"Ferdinand" – Carlos Saldanha

"Loving Vincent" – Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Surprises: I never expected "Loving Vincent" to be recognized. Look for a review soon!

Adapted Screenplay

"Call Me by Your Name" – James Ivory

"The Disaster Artist" – Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber

"Logan" – Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green

"Molly’s Game" – Aaron Sorkin

"Mudbound" – Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Surprises: "Logan" gets something at least – this is its one and only nomination – but can it win?

Original Screenplay

"The Big Sick" – Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani

"Get Out" – Jordan Peele

"Lady Bird" – Greta Gerwig

"The Shape of Water" – Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" – Martin McDonagh

Surprises: No real surprises, but I'm happy to see "The Big Sick" here. This is its lone nomination.

_____

Other thoughts: This is the first Oscars of the post-Weinstein era. In addition to being a horrible monster accused of multiple counts of sexual assault and misconduct, he also used his considerable power and influence to shift the awards advantage to movies under his own banner. Ask any regular person why they stopped taking the Oscars seriously and they'll likely point to the year "Shakespeare in Love" upended "Saving Private Ryan." Now, "Shakespeare" was a nice little trifle of a movie – I enjoyed it well enough – but nothing in it comes close to the staggering open scene of "Ryan." Let's hope for a purer and fairer Academy Awards this year.

Note from Silver Screen Lawyer: Please automatically assume "alleged" or "allegedly" are attached to every sentence written here about famous and powerful men accused of sexual abuse and misconduct, whether the words are actually present or not – even if they aren't grammatically correct or otherwise appropriate to include. Also, add "Mr. [Fill-in-the-Monster-Here] unequivocally denies any allegations of non-consensual sex."

_____

The rest of the categories and nominees are:

Animated Short

"Dear Basketball" – Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant

"Garden Party" – Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon

"Lou" – Dave Mullins, Dana Murray

"Negative Space" – Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata

"Revolting Rhymes" – Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Cinematography

"Blade Runner 2049" – Roger Deakins

"Darkest Hour" – Bruno Delbonnel

"Dunkirk" – Hoyte van Hoytema

"Mudbound" – Rachel Morrison

"The Shape of Water" – Dan Laustsen

Best Documentary Feature

"Abacus: Small Enough to Jail" – Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman

"Faces Places" – JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda

"Icarus" – Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan

"Last Men in Aleppo" – Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen

"Strong Island" – Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best Documentary Short Subject

"Edith+Eddie" – Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright

"Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405" – Frank Stiefel

"Heroin(e)" – Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon

"Knife Skills" – Thomas Lennon

"Traffic Stop" – Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best Live Action Short Film

"DeKalb Elementary" – Reed Van Dyk

"The Eleven O’Clock" – Derin Seale, Josh Lawson

"My Nephew Emmett" – Kevin Wilson, Jr.

"The Silent Child" – Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton

"Watu Wote/All of Us" – Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best Foreign Language Film

"A Fantastic Woman" (Chile)

"The Insult" (Lebanon)

"Loveless" (Russia)

"On Body and Soul (Hungary)

"The Square" (Sweden)

Film Editing

"Baby Driver" – Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss

"Dunkirk" – Lee Smith

"I, Tonya" – Tatiana S. Riegel

"The Shape of Water" – Sidney Wolinsky

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" – Jon Gregory

Sound Editing

"Baby Driver" – Julian Slater

"Blade Runner 2049" – Mark Mangini, Theo Green

"Dunkirk" – Alex Gibson, Richard King

"The Shape of Water" – Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" – Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound Mixing

"Baby Driver" – Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin

"Blade Runner 2049" – Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill

"Dunkirk" – Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo

"The Shape of Water" – Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" – Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production Design

"Beauty and the Beast" – Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer

"Blade Runner 2049" – Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola

"Darkest Hour" – Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer

"Dunkirk" – Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis

"The Shape of Water" – Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Original Score

"Dunkirk" – Hans Zimmer

"Phantom Thread" – Jonny Greenwood

"The Shape of Water" – Alexandre Desplat

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" – John Williams

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" – Carter Burwell

Original Song

"Mighty River" from "Mudbound" – Mary J. Blige

"Mystery of Love" from "Call Me by Your Name" – Sufjan Stevens

"Remember Me" from "Coco" – Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez

"Stand Up for Something" from "Marshall" – Diane Warren, Common

"This Is Me" from "The Greatest Showman" – Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and Hair

"Darkest Hour" – Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick

"Victoria and Abdul" – Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard

"Wonder" – Arjen Tuiten

Costume Design

"Beauty and the Beast" – Jacqueline Durran

"Darkest Hour" – Jacqueline Durran

"Phantom Thread" – Mark Bridges

"The Shape of Water" – Luis Sequeira

"Victoria and Abdul" – Consolata Boyle

Visual Effects

"Blade Runner 2049" – John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" – Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick

"Kong: Skull Island" – Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" – Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlon

"War for the Planet of the Apes" – Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

Movies I Missed: A Charlie Brown Christmas

2017-12-24T20:08:00.001-08:00

I'm Finally Watching the First Peanuts Special

By Chris Sabga

1965's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" has been a classic childhood holiday staple for over five decades.

Everyone's childhood except mine.

Whenever I'd tell people that I've never seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas," shock would take over their faces. Then their voices would lower. "You've never seen it?" they would whisper in hushed tones, clearly aghast by the mind-boggling information I've just given them. I could see it in their eyes and read their minds: To them, I lived the most deprived childhood possible.

Actually, my childhood was great! I spent it watching another Christmas classic: "Die Hard." Yippee Ki-yay...

My friend Neil from the YouTube channel "IWALVG" (I Will Always Love Video Games) found himself in the opposite situation. He had never seen "Die Hard." Of course, most 9-year-olds probably aren't going to be watching that like I was. Still, it's now decades later and we both had a gaping hole to fill in our respective pursuits of cinematic Christmastime cheer. He still hadn't seen "Die Hard" and I'd never seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Well, Neil lived up to his end of the bargain. Now it was my turn.

I found the movie in a double-feature DVD with "The Peanuts Movie" for $9 at Walmart. A $5 VUDU digital movie code knocked the price down even further in my mind. Other than a very lucky Goodwill find, it was never going to get any cheaper than this.

It was either now or never.

As soon as I pressed the "Play" button, I was instantly charmed by "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

It tells a very simple – but powerful – story. Charlie Brown has become depressed by the over-commercialization of Christmas. Lucy needs someone to direct the school's Christmas play. She recognizes that Charlie Brown needs a project to sink his teeth into. They agree to help each other out. Will Charlie Brown rediscover the joy of Christmas?

We all know the answer to that, of course.

One of Charlie Brown's tasks is finding the perfect Christmas tree for the play. Even people who have never seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas" – such as me, before now – know about "the Charlie Brown tree." It's famous outside the movie. It may be a tiny, wilted, shedding, pathetic little tree – but Charlie Brown sees something special in it that nobody else does. Will everyone else eventually see the tree the way Charlie Brown does?

Again, we all know the answer to that.

There's a scene with Linus reciting a Bible passage that he says demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas. Something like that would probably never be allowed today. Believe it or not, it was frowned upon for different reasons back then. According to the DVD extra "A Christmas Miracle: The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas," it was suggested to "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz that comic strips were "too crass" for Biblical verses. Schulz took offense, and rightfully so, because he was a tremendously gifted storyteller whose medium of choice just happened to be the unique art form of comic strips. There was nothing lowbrow about what he was doing with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and the gang.

The beauty of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is in its stark simplicity. In only 25 minutes, it tells a wonderful story and fills its viewers with the cozy warmth of Christmas.

It took almost three decades for Charlie Brown to finally appear in another Christmas special: 1992's "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown." The Peanuts gang's return to Christmas is entertaining enough, but it lacks the magic, powerful storytelling, and emotional wallop of the original. It tends to meander on a bit, unlike the more focused "A Charlie Brown Christmas." It works as a double feature with the original, but it's unlikely to stand the test of the time the way the 1965 classic has.

Review: Batman vs. Two-Face

2017-10-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Adam West vs. William Shatner

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: October 17th, 2017 – U.S.

Rating: PG

Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy

Running Time: 72 minutes

Director: Rick Morales

Writers: Michael Jelenic, James Tucker

Cast: Adam West, Burt Ward, William Shatner,

Julie Newmar, Jeff Bergman, Sirena Irwin,

Thomas Lennon, Lee Meriwether, William Salyers,

Lynne Marie Stewart, Jim Ward, Steven Weber,

Wally Wingert

In the 1960s, Adam West's Batman and William Shatner's Captain Kirk were two of the most iconic characters in all of television. In "Batman vs. Two-Face," a sequel to the wonderful "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders" set in the colorful "Whap! Pow! Bang!" universe of the 1960s "Batman" show, West and Shatner are together at last – terrible TV movies notwithstanding – as both best friends and archenemies. Thanks to the powers of animation, they haven't aged a day since the '60s.

At the beginning, we are introduced to Dr. Hugo Strange's latest invention: a device that sucks out and isolates the evil from Gotham's super-villains. What could possibly go wrong? With a quack like Strange at the helm, it doesn't take long to find out. Things go awry – because of course they do – and undefeated lawyer Harvey Dent (who bears a striking resemblance to a young William Shatner) is transformed against his will into the villainous Two-Face. I was not expecting that in the first five minutes of the film.

After rehabilitation and plastic surgery, Dent is allowed to practice law again. However, the former legal ace is now reduced to being the assistant to the assistant district attorney. It's quite a fall from grace – and a ready-made formula for a super-villain origin story. Or is it? When Two-Face (Shatner) inevitably resurfaces, Batman (West) refuses to believe his "old chum" Dent is the man behind the dual identity this time – despite the repeated protests of a jealous Robin (Burt Ward).

"Return of the Caped Crusaders" featured such a memorable rogues gallery of villains – The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, and Catwoman – that any sequel would be hard-pressed to top them. While Shatner's Two-Face is a more-than-worthy adversary, he's not the only one who makes an appearance. "Batman vs. Two-Face" dips deep into the lore of '60s Batman show and trots out a couple of suitably corny c-level baddies: the felonious pharaoh King Tut (Wally Wingert) and the literary lout The Bookworm (Jeff Bergman). If you didn't just smile, you've never seen the magical TV series all of this is based on.

(And if you're a fan of the other villains, don't worry: there are several cameos and a surprising deleted scene – hidden in plain sight on the Blu-ray – featuring arguably the most popular criminal adversary in Gotham City nowadays.)

Adam West and Burt Ward have never sounded better. Julie Newmar's Catwoman also returns in a reduced role (along with another cat-related surprise I won't spoil). Shatner is surprisingly restrained in his voicing of Two-Face – if you were expecting his usual long pauses and various Shatner-isms, they're not really there – but he does a nice job of making Dent and Two-Face sound distinctive from each other.

Like "Return of the Caped Crusaders" before it, "Batman vs. Two-Face" feels like an extended episode of the old show – and that's exactly how it should be.

Which movie is better? I slightly favor the first because I remember feeling so so giddy with glee watching a reunion unfold before my very eyes that I never thought would be possible. But I've heard from Bat-fans who prefer this one. Either way, you're going to have a great time.

In one of the extras, Burt Ward revealed that he and Adam West have been submitted to "The Guinness Book of World Records" as the only two actors who have worked together over the span of 50 years. "Batman vs. Two-Face" ended up being Adam West's final role before his death at the age of 88. The very end of the credits features a touching text tribute to the "Bright Knight" that is guaranteed to make even The Joker shed a tear or two. These are special films, and we're lucky to have them.

Review: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

Review: The Babysitter

2017-10-16T12:18:00.002-07:00

A Gory Good Time

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: October 13th, 2017 – U.S.

Rating: TV-MA

Genre: Horror, Comedy

Running Time: 85 minutes

Director: McG

Writer: Brian Duffield

Cast: Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell,

Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Emily Alyn Lind,

Andrew Bachelor, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino,

Samuel Gilbert, Zachary Alexander Rice, Doc Duhame,

Jean Claude Leuyer, Miles J. Harvey

"The Babysitter" is a fun movie. It won't change the world. It may not contend for any awards. It probably won't make any top ten lists (except maybe mine). But none of that matters – because when it comes to pure unbridled enjoyment, few films this year have been better.

This is the kind of movie where you know what the last line of dialogue will be before it even begins, but that doesn't matter either. There's comfort in its cliches. Even though "The Babysitter" sticks to the same basic framework we've seen countless times before in other horror movies, it's keenly aware of the tropes it's embodying and parodying.

It's a horror-comedy that's probably more comedy than horror, but blood gets shed here by the gallon; as exaggerated as the effect is, it's certainly not for the squeamish.

Cole (Judah Lewis) has to be the biggest baby on the block. He's the only kid in his class who still has a babysitter. But he has convinced himself to be okay with that, because his babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving), looks like a 1980s pin-up model with her long flowing blonde locks and thick pink lipstick. Why does he need a babysitter? I assume it's because he's seemingly afraid of everything. Cole asks his mother (the always welcome Leslie Bibb) if he's a coward – he uses a less PG word, of course, in a funny scene. Out of earshot, she agrees that he is. His list of fears include spiders, needles, bullies, even driving a car. I have no idea why his father (Ken Marino) is giving him driving lessons in the first place, though. That initially made me assume Cole must be close to 15 – really too old for a babysitter. As it turns out, he's only 12 – which is probably still slightly too old. Still, the scene does build to something later on. That's one of the strengths of the screenplay – all of the quieter early moments do eventually pay off in big and small ways.

On the school bus, Cole's best friend, Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind, of the prolific Alyn Lind family that's all over the place), convinces him to stay up past his bedtime to see what babysitters do after their little charges have been tucked in for the night. The naive boy googles an "adult" word he's just learned but he remains confused by the meaning. He doesn't know quite what to expect as he crouches down by the stairwell in his jammies to spy on his babysitter and her friends (played by Robbie Amell, Hana Mae Lee, Andrew Bachelor, and Bella Thorne). A game of Spin the Bottle leads to a few racy kisses and the other usual teenage shenanigans.

Then the murder, mayhem, and bloodshed begins!

Young Cole is traumatized by what he has just witnessed, but he knows he has to act fast. From this point on, "The Babysitter" becomes a chase movie, as the little boy is forced to outrun, evade, and somehow outsmart his suddenly twisted babysitter and her warped cadre of cronies.

The inevitable kills are gruesome but creative. The situations surrounding them are comical: Robbie Amell's murder-happy character is shirtless for most of the movie, for no apparent reason, while Bella Thorne's vapid cheerleader repeatedly laments losing a (presumably) surgically-enhanced breast during the melee.

All of this works because of the believable bond established between babysitter and boy. In a sweet early scene, they discuss who would be on their "Intergalactic Dream Team" composed of various science-fiction characters – such as Captain Kirk, Picard, and Jeff Goldbum from "Independence Day," among others. It's heartwarming to see Bee channel her inner geek to make Cole feel more at ease – she's clearly familiar with these shows and isn't just pretending to share a common bond with the kid for the sake of a paycheck. Therefore, despite her depraved desire to take the "blood of an innocent," she remains oddly likable throughout the film.

"The Babysitter" is over-the-top in its blood-soaked violence and wildly suggestive dialogue, but it also has an innate niceness about it that makes it a very enjoyable – and yes, pleasant – way to spend a dark, stormy night.

You can watch "The Babysitter" on Netflix.

Review: The Debt

2017-08-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Cost of History. The Price of Vengeance.

By Chris Sabga

Note: "The Debt" was released on this date seven years ago. Presented below are my thoughts from 2010, with only a few alterations made for clarity or to interject my current perspective.

Release Date: August 31, 2010 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Running Time: 113 minutes

Director: John Madden

Writers: Screenplay: Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman,

Peter Straughan.

Original Film ("Ha-Hov"): Assaf Bernstein,

Ido Rosenblum

Cast: Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Ciarán Hinds,

Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, Sam Worthington,

Jesper Christensen

"The Debt" details the legend of three young Israeli agents and the dangerous secret mission they risked their lives to complete – or did they?

Their names are Rachel Singer, Stephan Gold, and David Peretz. Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, and Ciaran Hinds play the older versions of these characters, while Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington ("Avatar") do the heavy lifting as their younger incarnations.

This movie presents an intriguing fictional take on real-life historical events. It begins in 1997 as a book is being presented about the trio's exploits. Back in 1966, they were sent to capture a Nazi – the Butcher of Birkenau – who experimented on Jews during World War II.

Mirren, Wilkinson, and Hinds are all fine in their parts, but the film really belongs to Chastain, Csokas, and Worthington. When "The Debt" was first released in 2010, I don't think I had ever seen Chastain or Csokas before. They do a tremendous job. I remember thinking that Chastain must have been an unknown foreign talent – that's how convincing she is in this role. Obviously, the California-born actress has since gone on to great success. Worthington has the least flashy part, but it's a good performance considering how different it is from the charismatic, tough soldier he played in "Avatar."

The dreaded Butcher (portrayed by Jesper Christensen) is downright chilling at times. At first, he lulls the audience in with a false sense of security despite his odious character. But from time to time, his true roots will surface out of the blue, and you won't believe some of the truly ugly things he says. Even after all these years, the Butcher remains one of the most detestable cinematic villains of the decade – because of the root of his evil comes from a very real and unfortunate place in human history.

Remade from the 1997 Israeli movie "Ha-Hov," "The Debt's" foreign roots are obvious right away from its feel and pacing alone. Hollywood generally doesn't make these types of films.

If you still haven't seen "The Debt," do yourself a favor and avoid reading or viewing anything about it. I went into the movie almost cold – aside from watching the trailer a few times – and that's definitely the best way to experience it.

"The Debt" isn't perfect – for example, I would've switched the roles Wilkinson and Hinds played – but it presents a number of interesting themes.

Does the burden of truth outweigh the legacy of history? Or as Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman so eloquently stated, "In a place that’s as haunted by history as Israel is, can a lie ever really serve to prop up a larger truth?"

Does the price of justice come at too high a cost?

And is it ever too late to seek revenge?

Remembering Martin Landau

2017-07-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

A Magical Career

By Chris Sabga

Martin Landau has always been one of my all-time favorite actors. His death at the age of 89 – on the same day as legendary horror director George A. Romero – was a 1-2 sucker punch.

But what a life Landau lived!

North By Northwest

After several television roles, Martin Landau's first appearance on the silver screen – as the menacing Leonard in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" – was quite possibly the greatest film debut anyone could ask for.

He took a big risk in the way he portrayed Leonard in the 1959 film: "I chose to play [him] as a homosexual – very subtly," Landau admitted in an interview – a taboo no-no for that time period.

Landau became an instant star.

Spock You

For the next two decades, he crisscrossed between film and TV appearances. His most notable work on the small screen was in "Mission: Impossible" and "Space: 1999." He turned down the role of Spock in "Star Trek." That iconic character, of course, went to Leonard Nimoy instead. Ironically, Nimoy ended up essentially replacing Landau on "Mission: Impossible."

The Ups and Downs of a Great Career

Among Landau's many film roles during this period, he played opposite Sidney Poitier in the unnecessary, contradictory, overrated mess of a sequel "They Call Me Mister Tibbs!" The first film featuring the groundbreaking Virgil Tibbs character, "In the Heat of the Night," remains an essential classic. "They Call Me Mister Tibbs" doesn't come close to its predecessor's greatness, but Landau was good in it.

In 1982, Landau appeared along with Jack Palance and Donald Pleasence in "Alone in the Dark" (not to be confused with the much-maligned version directed by Uwe Ball and starring Christian Slater and Tara Reid). The horror thriller is about a pair of mental patients (Landau and Palance) who break out of a hospital in order to torment their psychiatrist (Pleasence). I have to admit: I've never seen it – but I've always wanted to. Unfortunately, the DVD has been out of print for years and there's seemingly no Blu-ray or digital release on the horizon. While it surely can't match the expectations I've built up for it in my mind, it still sounds like nutty fun. There is (or was) a low-quality version on YouTube, but I can't bring myself to watch it that way. Eventually, I will get my hands on this holy grail!

After decades in Hollywood, Landau's greatest fame would arguably occur in the 1990s and beyond.

Karloff Does Not Deserve to Smell My Shit!

Bela Lugosi never uttered those words about Boris Karloff, but Martin Landau famously did when he played Lugosi in 1994's "Ed Wood." Tim Burton and Johnny Depp – the director and star of "Ed Wood," respectively – are generally "mood" people for me. In other words, I have to be in the mood for them – and I'm usually not. Yet, "Ed Wood" remains one of my favorite films ever – and Martin Landau is the main reason why. As the long-suffering and loyal Lugosi, his incredible performance is undeniably the heart and soul of the film. Landau was richly recognized for his work in "Wood" by winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in what has to be one of the most competitive categories I've ever seen: Samuel L. Jackson for "Pulp Fiction" and Gary Sinise for "Forrest Gump" were also nominated the same year. (He also nominated before in the same category two years in a row – but didn't win – for 1988's "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" and 1989's "Crimes and Misdemeanors.")

Sal Bandini – Wanna Wrestle!!!

What in the living holy hell was the great Martin Landau doing in a professional wrestling vanity project like 2000's "Ready to Rumble"? I still don't know! He did work with wrestler George "The Animal" Steele a few years earlier in "Ed Wood," so perhaps that had something to do with it? But whatever Landau's reasons were, like the old pro he was, he made the most of it.

This is what I wrote about his appearance and performance at the time (for IGN.com):

"As awful as some of the material is, there is one bright spot – the character of Sal (Martin Landau). His hilarious performance as King's 105-year-old trainer saves the movie from complete disaster. It is a shame that he isn't used more often, but he definitely steals the scenes he's in. He must be a huge wrestling fan. Either that or he needs money desperately. How else can anyone explain why such a distinguished and celebrated actor would agree to partake in such a dud?"

I've warmed up to "Ready to Rumble" in the years since. No, it's still not a good movie – or anything close to resembling one. Woefully inaccurate and mind-numbing in its dumbness, it displays an astounding lack of respect for wrestling – which makes no sense to me, because what other audience was this intended to attract? But Martin Landau – good old Martin Landau – is an absolute treat to watch.

The Magic of the Movies

At best, 2001's "The Majestic" was stylish but wildly uneven. At worst, it was artificial and sappy. Despite that, it contains one of my favorite performances and speeches ever. Of course, both came courtesy of the wonderful Martin Landau.

"Any man, woman, child could buy their ticket, walk right in. Here they'd be, here we'd be. 'Yes sir, yes ma'am. Enjoy the show.' And in they'd come entering a palace, like in a dream, like in heaven. Maybe you had worries and problems out there, but once you came through those doors, they didn't matter anymore. And you know why? Chaplin, that's why. And Keaton and Lloyd. Garbo, Gable, and Lombard, and Jimmy Stewart and Jimmy Cagney. Fred and Ginger. They were gods. And they lived up there. That was Olympus. Would you remember if I told you how lucky we felt just to be here? To have the privilege of watching them. I mean, this television thing. Why would you want to stay at home and watch a little box? Because it's convenient? Because you don't have to get dressed up, because you could just sit there? I mean, how can you call that entertainment, alone in your living room? Where's the other people? Where's the audience? Where's the magic? I'll tell you, in a place like this, the magic is all around you. The trick is to see it."

It's such a beautiful mission statement and rallying cry for why we all love going to the movies so much. Despite the rude patrons, bright cell phones, and numerous other drawbacks, there's still nothing else quite like the theatrical experience.

When Martin Landau was up on that screen, it was magic.

Coming to America: A Royal Anniversary Celebration

2017-06-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Coming to America Premiered on June 29, 1988 – and Became an Instant Classic

By Chris Sabga

Ready to feel old? "Coming to America" is almost 30. It premiered nearly three decades ago, on June 29, 1988. That makes it 29 years old, to be exact, in 2017.

It was an instant classic.

Everyone knows the story by now (and if you don't, see the movie ASAP!): Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is tired of living a lavish lifestyle of resplendent royalty – which includes being bathed by beautiful women and having his shoes tied for him. "I tied my own shoes once!" the domineering King Jaffe Joffer (the great James Earl Jones) confessed to his son. "It is an overrated experience." (I agree!)

But Akeem's problems go beyond baths and shoelaces.

Being the prince of Zumunda, Africa, also means submitting to an arranged marriage. "I want the woman to love me for who I am," Akeem insists, "not because of what I am." Therefore, the Prince of Zamunda declares that he's coming to America to find his bride. "But where," his servant and friend Semmi (Arsenio Hall) wonders, "can one find a woman with grace, elegance, taste, and culture? A woman suitable for a king." The answer, of course, is Queens.

Queens, New York, that is.

The prince immediately finds a job in America – as a janitor. He works at a fast food restaurant called McDowell's – not to be confused with McDonald's, you see. "Look, me and the McDonald's people got this little misunderstanding," his new boss, Cleo McDowell (John Amos, "Good Times"), explains. "See, they're McDonald's – I'm McDowell's. They got the Golden Arches, mine is the Golden Arcs. They got the Big Mac, I got the Big Mick. We both got two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions, but their buns have sesame seeds. My buns have no seeds." McDowell's, however, has something McDonald's never will: Lisa (Shari Headley), the boss's beautiful daughter.

As good as Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall are in this movie, especially together, James Earl Jones steals every scene as the bombastic King Jaffe Joffer. Madge Sinclair, who portrays Queen Aoleon, is every bit as superb – especially when she stands up to her overbearing but loving husband: "Put a sock in it, Jaffe," she chastises, "the boy is in love."

Indeed, it's love at first sight for Akeem.

And it was love at first sight for audiences when "Coming to America" premiered in 1988 – and in all the decades since. Not one single person I know dislikes the movie. It's remembered with such great warmth, fondness, and affection. The mere mention of it never fails to elicit a smile from a person's face. Even my own immediate family unanimously loves the film, and we're all very different people in every other way. That's because there's something for everyone in "Coming to America." The performances, characters, writing, and dialogue are all exceptional – and exceptionally hilarious.

In the 1980s, Eddie Murphy was known primarily for his wisecracking, blue collar, off-color roles in "Trading Places," "Beverly Hills Cop," and "48 Hrs." While those remain cherished classics, "Coming to America" stands out for one reason: its inherent sweetness. Yes, the movie certainly earns its "R" rating with several raunchy jokes and situations, but it's ultimately nice and innocent in a way the others aren't. That is the secret of its success.

Fun Facts:

Diehard fans of "Coming to America" already know that both Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall portray multiple characters. Their makeup by Rick Baker was nominated for an Oscar that year. Beetlejuice won, which I suppose is understandable, but my heart is with "Coming to America."
"Coming to America" was Cuba Gooding Jr.'s first film. He plays the boy in the barbershop.
Look for Samuel L. Jackson in a small role as the robber who holds-up McDowell's.
Future "E.R." standout Eric LaSalle shows up as Lisa's boyfriend.
Comedian and future "Family Feud" host Louie Anderson is behind the McDowell's counter as the fry cook.
Frankie Faison chomps cigars and chews scenery as Murphy and Hall's landlord/slumlord.
Akeem's fictional homeland of Zamunda in Africa was named after Bob Zmuda, who is best known for his association with Andy Kaufman.
"Coming to America" contains a great reference to "Star Wars" (Episode IV): King Jaffe Joffer commands: "Do not alert him to my presence. I will deal with him myself." In "Star Wars," Darth Vader orders: "No. Leave them to me. I will deal with them myself." James Earl Jones portrayed both characters. He played Jaffe and provided the voice of Darth Vader.
There is also a reference in "Coming to America" to Eddie Murphy's earlier film "Trading Places": Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche reprise their roles as Randolph and Mortimer – only this time, they're homeless and penniless. Akeem helps them out by handing them a sizable chunk of cash. Would Murphy's Billy Ray Valentine from "Trading Places" have been so generous? Probably not.

Small Screen: Why You Should Be Watching The Carmichael Show

2017-05-31T15:17:00.002-07:00

Influenced by Norman Lear and Unafraid to Tackle Bill Cosby, Jerrod Carmichael is Creating Must-See-TV

By Chris Sabga

In the 1970s, screenwriting and producing legend Norman Lear ruled the small screen – television – with groundbreaking programming that explored politics, religion, and life from all angles. Whether it was Archie and Meathead going back-and-forth about hot topics on "All in the Family" or a middle-aged woman having an abortion on "Maude," Lear's shows captured the gritty reality of America the way few others ever had – or ever have since.

However, instead of creating a trend that lasted through the '80s and beyond, Lear's blunt but nuanced vision of the world disappeared in favor of more wholesome and "family-friendly" shows like "The Cosby Show" (which I will get back to shortly), "Full House" and everything on ABC's "TGIF" block. While I certainly grew up loving those as well, there was nothing that could compare to Archie Bunker or "The Jeffersons."

In 2016, I read an article about a show I'd barely heard of, NBC's "The Carmichael Show," tackling a show we've all seen, "The Cosby Show." Everyone knows the shocking and sordid story of Cosby's downfall by now: Comedian Hannibal Buress made a "joke" about Cosby's holier-than-thou attitude toward the young African-American community, with the "punchline" being that Cosby is a rapist.

"Pull your pants up black people! I was on TV in the '80s," Buress mocked, imitating Cosby. "Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches."

From there, endless numbers of women came forward stating they'd been drugged and raped by the '80s sitcom "role model." Cosby went from being lauded a hero who could do no wrong – his sterling influence tenuously linked by "The New York Times" to the rise of America's first black President, Barack Obama – to an internationally reviled pariah who made the whole world feel disgusted and ashamed for ever liking him in the first place.

"The Carmichael Show" was going to go there. The Season 2 episode – titled "Fallen Heroes" – covered Bill Cosby from every angle, including the uncomfortable ones. In one conversation, the characters debated the guilt they felt for being fans of "The Cosby Show" back in the '80s and the unspoken lament that his actions had tainted their childhood memories. How do you reconcile the same man who brought such joy to so many people with the information we have now? Is it okay, the Carmichaels questioned, to still be entertained by a brilliant comedian who is so repulsive in his personal life? Every member of the family had their own wildly differing – and sometimes taboo – take on Bill Cosby and "The Cosby Show."

Norman Lear would have been proud. (Actually, he is!) The Cosby episode – and "The Carmichael Show" in general – is exactly the kind of television Lear would have been writing and producing in the 1970s. It stars comedian and actor Jerrod Carmichael – playing a character of the same name – with an incredible cast portraying his family: Loretta Devine and David Alan Grier as his parents, Amber Stevens West as his biracial girlfriend (a topic that comes up more than once during the course of the show), and LilRel Howery and Tiffany Haddish as his brother and ex-sister-in-law.

After reading about the Cosby episode, I knew I had to catch up and binge-watch "The Carmichael Show" from the beginning! "Fallen Heroes" is but one of the many thought-provoking topics "Carmichael" covers. In the first two seasons, the show has memorably debated gentrification ("Gentrifying Bobby"), depression ("The Blues"), gay and transgender issues ("Gender"), and various other trending topics.

Two of the most memorable episodes, for me, both took place in the second season:

In "The Funeral," the stoic but sometimes blustery patriarch of the Carmichael clan, Joe Carmichael, is tasked with planning his father's funeral. Joe's breakdown at the end and admission that his dad had abused him is powerful, heartbreaking, and absolutely gut-wrenching. It's one of the finest moments of David Alan Grier's long and distinguished acting career. (Bonus: Look for "Jeffersons" alum Marla Gibbs as Joe's mom.)

When "President Trump" aired, its episode title was both a jarring shock to the system and apparently ironic – portending an event that seemingly had no chance in hell of ever happening. At the time, Trump was just another candidate – albeit one who was steadfastly gaining momentum. Yet, here we are today: the episode "President Trump" and President Trump himself are now a reality.

Even though Jerrod Carmichael is the star of the show, he isn't afraid to take the unpopular position. Whether it's supporting controversial gentrification neighborhood overhauls or offensively trolling on social media, Carmichael's character is okay looking like "the bad guy." But he remains endearing – just as Archie Bunker always did, despite his blatant bigotry – because the show always sprinkles its tough issues with layers of warmth and tenderness.

No matter how heated the arguments get, "The Carmichael Show's" family dynamic is its biggest strength. The Carmichaels are real and relatable. They have a deep mutual love and respect for each other. That's why I love them back, even when they're making me mad!

The Carmichael Show airs on NBC. You can watch the first two seasons on Netflix.

Review: The Disappointments Room

2017-04-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well, The Name of the Movie Certainly Can't be Accused of False Advertising...

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: September 9th, 2016 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Horror, Drama, Thriller

Running Time: 85 minutes

Director: D.J. Caruso

Writers: D.J. Caruso, Wentworth Miller

Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Mel Raido,

Duncan Joiner, Lucas Till,

Gerald McRaney

In the olden days, well-to-do parents with disabled or deformed children sometimes locked them away and hid their existence from society. A less-than-perfect child was considered a source of "shame" and a "disappointment." They would be imprisoned in a tiny space – a "disappointments room" – with very little sunlight and no social interaction outside of parents and servants. Their lives were often – mercifully – brief.

If that tragic practice sounds like a terrific setup for a paint-by-numbers haunted house/ghost movie, congratulations, your name is D.J. Caruso or Wentworth Miller. (They wrote the screenplay.) Everyone else will lament the major missed opportunity to tell a compelling story about one of the darkest customs in American history.

Perhaps it's unfair of me to fault the movie for what it was never going to be – especially when I knew going in that it was a psychological horror thriller, not a historical drama – but the fascinating concept of a "disappointments room" has so much potential that's not realized.

Here's what we do get: The movie begins idyllically, with a seemingly happy family on a road trip – a wife, Dana (Kate Beckinsale), her husband, David (Mel Raido), and their little boy, Lucas (Duncan Joiner), buckled safely into his carseat – all singing "If You Want To Know Who We Are" by Gilbert and Sullivan. As they belt out the "We are gentlemen of Japan" portion of the song, the husband basks in the "American" experience they're enjoying. The wife points out that Gilbert and Sullivan are actually English. London-born Kate Beckinsale isn't though, at least not in this movie. That's always a disappointment to me, but she mastered her American accent to perfection back in 1999's "Brokedown Palace," so there's no need to shove her in a "disappointments room" for flexing her linguistic muscles and acting chops.

As it turns out, they're moving from a cramped apartment in the city to a giant house in the secluded countryside – never a good idea in this type of film – because Dana lost her infant daughter only three months after giving birth. Needless to say, she has been suffering psychological trauma since then. Before long, she discovers a mysterious room – a "disappointments room," of course – and starts to see the long-dead previous owner lurking around ("This Is Us's" Dr. K., Gerald McRaney, whose superb talents are completely wasted here in a throwaway role) and an ominous black dog reminiscent of "The Omen." There's also a handyman (played by the new "MacGyver," Lucas Till) who shows up to fix a roof leak. His presence seems to serve only one purpose, which I won't spoil.

I've spent so much time focusing on what "The Disappointments Room" isn't that I've given short thrift to what it is – a somewhat enjoyable psychological horror thriller with a decent little mystery driving it. I had a fair bit of fun watching it. There are certainly worse ways to spend a couple of hours.

The problem is, though, that the narrative never quite comes together in a completely satisfying manner. Spooky things happen, and then the movie is over.

What's real and what isn't? Ultimately, to the detriment of "The Disappointments Room," it never actually matters.

Review: Logan

2017-03-03T14:30:00.001-08:00

A Family Affair

By Chris Sabga

Release Date: March 3rd, 2017 – U.S.

Rating: R

Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

Running Time: 137 minutes

Director: James Mangold

Writers: James Mangold,

Scott Frank, Michael Green

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart,

Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook,

Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez,

Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle,

Elise Neal, Quincy Fouse

My cousin Mike Sabga (credited as Michael "3D Mike" Sabga) worked on "Logan," which is a hell of a cool thing. IMDb.com lists him as the film's Video and Computer Supervisor. One look at his IMDb page reveals that he's had an incredible career. His credits range from cinematic classics like "Catch Me If You Can," "Ocean's Eleven," and the wonderful "Mud" to television staples such as "CSI," "CSI" Miami," and "Brothers & Sisters" (among many others in both mediums). But "Logan" may represent the pinnacle of his numerous achievements in Hollywood. When I found out my cousin was involved, I couldn't help but feel immensely proud – and even more excited than ever to see the movie.

It is appropriate, then, that "Logan" is all about family.

James "Logan" Howlett (Hugh Jackman) is older now but not necessarily any wiser. The ravages of time have not been kind to the once mighty Wolverine. He has degenerated into a broken down alcoholic who drives a limo make ends meet. Mutants like him have become a dying breed. But they're not totally extinct just yet.

Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) is in even worse shape. He's now 90 years old and his health is failing. What's more dangerous than a mutant with full control of his capabilities? A mutant without any control at all. Seizures cause the former Professor X to unleash his powers randomly and recklessly. In their younger years, Xavier became like a father to Logan. The X-Men were their family. That is why Logan still tends to the old man – with the help of Caliban (a surprisingly touching Stephen Merchant), an "albino" allergic to sunlight. I get the sense that he, like Logan, has become another surrogate son.

Laura (newcomer Dafne Keen) is an 11-year-old girl in danger. Her caregiver (played by Elizabeth Rodriguez) begs Logan to protect them both. I don't think it's a spoiler to mention who Laura's father is. Her trademark claws make that obvious.

Mike Sabga - AKA "3D Mike"

All of the actors in "Logan" are top-notch, but it's Patrick Stewart, in particular, who delivers an Oscar-caliber performance. It's a shame these types of roles are generally shunned by the Academy.

This is a much rougher and grittier version of Wolverine. Harsh language, gratuitous violence, and graphic bloodshed dominate several scenes. The main characters spend most of the film bloody, bruised, and badly wounded. The kills look like something straight out of a seedy slasher flick. "Logan" is strictly for adults – and I love that!

But beneath its grimy exterior beats a big (bleeding) heart.

For a series all about mutants and powers, "Logan" may be the most human superhero story ever told. Logan and Charles are no longer saving the world – they can barely save themselves. Despite their gifts and heroic backgrounds, it's their failings and frailties that take center stage here. Even Wolverine and Professor X aren't immune to the realities of aging and the traumas of the past finally catching up to them.

Think about the countless superhero movies we've all seen over the years. The good ones have captured our imaginations, thrilled us to the very core, and introduced us to worlds and powers that are quite literally beyond belief. "Logan" has done something different and more: It caused me to shed a tear.

The 89th Annual Academy Awards: Results and Reactions

2017-02-26T21:37:00.002-08:00

The Most Shocking Ending in Oscar History?

By Chris Sabga

Oscar Sunday began with the shocking news of Bill Paxton's death at the young age of 61 after complications from surgery. He was one of my favorite actors and the highlight of too many classics to name, including "Weird Science," "Aliens," and my personal favorite of his, the incredible "Frailty."

There's only one way to begin writing about this year's Academy Awards, and that's at the end. "La La Land" was announced as Best Picture – and then it wasn't. In a stunning faux pas by presenters and "Bonnie and Clyde" stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, it turns out the wrong movie was named. (They were somehow mistakenly handed the envelope for Best Actress, which went to Emma Stone for "La La Land.") Their error was acknowledged – as the world collectively held their breath and gasped – and then the actual winner was announced: "Moonlight" scored Best Picture in one of the most surprising upsets in Oscar history.

Before the Show

I wrote (rather naively, in retrospect): "La La Land" is expected to sweep this year's votes. With fourteen nominations and thirteen potential wins (it's nominated twice for Best Original Song), it certainly has all the momentum going into tonight's ceremony. Will there be any surprises? (Oh yeah!)

Full results are listed at the end.

The Oscar Ceremony

The Host: Jimmy Kimmel was consistently funny and entertaining. The stunt with the tour bus passengers getting a surprise meet and greet at the Oscars was cute. His "feud" with Matt Damon also led to many hysterical moments, including a hilariously over-the-top tribute to "We Bought a Zoo." Kimmel may have been the best Oscar host in years. He was so good that I could see him comfortably assuming this role for the next 15 or 20 years.

Best Oscar Speech: Viola Davis with stirring words, so beautifully expressed, about lost dreams and living a life. "Viola's speeches," Silver Screen Sister gushed, "are as good as her acting."

Best Presenters: According to Silver Screen Sister, Mark Rylance's comment about women "opposing without hatred" was the best line of the night. I concur.

John Cho and Leslie Mann were also warm and witty in paying respect to film scientists and technologists – material that would have been dull in lesser hands.

Best Moments: The surprise appearance of the real-life Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician who was depicted by Taraji P. Henson in "Hidden Figures." Her ovation was heartwarming and well-deserved.

Another unexpected appearance came from Michael J. Fox as a presenter after Seth Rogen paid tribute to him and "Back to the Future." It was really nice to see him – and the famous DeLorean.

The winners of "White Helmets" led a rousing standing ovation in support of Syria.

Best Dressed: You're on the wrong site.

Biggest Surprise: Besides the unbelievable "twist ending"? "Hidden Figures" being shut out of every single category was a bit of an eyebrow-raiser.

Overall: To Jimmy Kimmel's credit, the lengthy ceremony raced by. This may be the most fun I've had watching the Oscars in years.

Full Results

Best Picture: ~~La La Land~~ Moonlight

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone, La La Land

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis, Fences

Best Directing: Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Best Animated Feature: Zootopia

Best Adapted Screenplay: Moonlight

Best Original Screenplay: Manchester by the Sea

Best Foreign Language Film: The Salesman (Iran)

Best Documentary Feature: O.J.: Made in America

Best Original Song: “City of Stars,” La La Land

Best Original Score: La La Land

Best Cinematography: La La Land

Film Editing: Hacksaw Ridge

Costume Design: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Makeup and Hairstyling: Suicide Squad

Production Design: La La Land

Sound Editing: Arrival

Sound Mixing: Hacksaw Ridge

Visual Effects: The Jungle Book

Best Documentary Short: The White Helmets

Best Animated Short: Piper

Best Live Action Short: Sing