My Oscars Predictions

Yes, I know the Oscars already happened but my Wifi was down so I wasn’t able to post my predictions. So I’m sharing them now, and you can have the benefit of passing judgment on past-pessimistic me.

I am referring of course to my belief that the Academy would go with the relatively safe pick of 1917 for both best picture and best director, while they instead went with Parasite, one of my two favorite twisted Korean dramas about conning the rich while struggling to avoid their creepy basements (check out Handmaiden). This makes Parasite the first foreign language film to win best picture.

I guess I should have had more faith in the Academy. Hard to believe this is the same voting body that gave the award to -Green Book- last year.

A Decade of Films: 2013

This is a short list, in large part because I’ve missed a large number of films from 2013.

But I did enjoy…

• From Up on Poppy Hill: It’s a cute anime!
• Blackfish: A devastating documentary about what captivity does to orcas!
• The Conjuring:  A great modern horror film that has since created an expanded universe of lesser modern horror films. Excepting Annabelle: Creation. That sh*! was nasty.
• Her: Joaquin Phoenix falls for disembodied AI Scarlett Johansson. Relatable.

I have not yet seen (but do intend to see): Room 237, In the House, The Hunt, Fruitvale Station, Inside Llewyn Davis, 12 Years a Slave, Oldboy, and The Past.

Most Anticipated Film Releases 2018

I’m back in France (landed yesterday morning) but still thinking about films. Some things never change.

• The Post: They’ve asked tons screen this at the White House which I find very interesting given 1) the content and 2) the presence of the very-overrated Meryl Streep.
• A Fantastic Woman
• Loveless
• Winchester: This doesn’t actually look good but I love creepy house films and I could be wrong.
• Red Sparrow: Ballerina Jennifer Lawrence becomes Russian Intelligence agent. Could be good. Could be Atomic Blonde 2, Atomic Redhead.
• Isle of Dogs: Wes Anderson!
• Lean on Pete: Horses!
• You Were Never Really Here: Joaquin Phoenix and guns!
• Solo: A Star Wars Story: There’s been a lot of behind the scenes drama with this project. I hope it turns out well because I will never not love a good Star Wars. And I’ll be sad if they besmirch the Harrison Ford/Han Solo legacy.
• Deadpool 2: Of course.
• Ocean’s 8: I was questioning this on a kind of Ghostbusters remake basis but the trailer looks excellent and has assuaged most of my fears. Love that the heist is set at the Met Gala.
• The Incredibles 2: Edna’s coming back!
• Mulan: Live action Mulan. I’m torn. I don’t believe there’s a need but if one is coming I might be here for it.
• Bohemian Rhapsody: Another film with a lot of behind the scenes drama, but I’m excited. Queen is cool.
• Creed 2: It didn’t need a sequel but I did like the first Creed quite a bit.

You’ll notice that the list os largely big Hollywood films, as these are the ones that tend to schedule their release dates far into the future (as opposed to the smaller independent films I tend to prefer).