How weird is it that I find myself just as intrigued by Sony’s hard-to-define SpiderVerse as I am Marvel’s huge sprawling MCU? And it isn’t really a SpiderVerse mainly because of Sony’s strict contractual obligations to Marvel. So it’s essentially SpiderVerse without a Spider-Man…I think.

Anyway, the newest addition looks to be “Morbius” which follows the immensely profitable “Venom”. The film looks to be telling the origin story of Dr. Michael Morbius, a conflicted villain soon turned antihero who ends up with vampiric superpowers. Jared Leto looks to be a great fit but it’s the surprising cameo at the end of the trailer that really excites me! It adds an entirely new twist to what Sony’s superhero universe may look like.

“Morbius” is set to hit theaters July 31st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

And here we are again. Another year gone and another fresh batch of Oscar nominations to talk about, stew on, and grumble over for the next several weeks. The Academy is notorious for giving us a handful of surprises, even more frustrations, and some picks that simply defy reason. The Golden Globes did a superb job with the nominations (and eventual winners). Will the Oscars follow suit? As I’m prone to do, here are a few random thoughts on this morning’s Academy Award nominations. 

• Overall 2020’s Oscar nominations were really exciting. Unlike in recent years I can honestly say nearly every major nominee deserves its spot.
• That doesn’t mean there weren’t disappointments. “The Farewell” was completely shut out. Nothing for Lulu Wang. Nothing for Awkwafina. Not even a Best International Film nod. The movie didn’t crack my Top 10, but I do wish it had gotten something.
• Who had the biggest morning of all? Netflix! Get this, the streaming services had a grand total of 24 nominations! 24! Sorry Mr. Spielberg.
• For me the most egregious omission all awards season has been “A Hidden Life”. I didn’t expect the Academy to right these wrongs, but it would have been a nice surprise. Unfortunately it got nothing.
• “Joker” led the way with a total of 11 Oscar nominations. It was great to see. I don’t see it winning even half of those, but the recognition itself was exciting to see and well-deserved.

• “Ford v Ferrari” gets a Best Picture nomination? Not sure anyone really saw that one sneaking in. Good film, but Best Picture? I can think of several better choices.
• The Best Actress category is a weird one. Cynthia Erivo was a surprise and I liked Charlize Theron’s performance (didn’t love it). Personally I would put Lupita N’yongo, Alfre Woodard, or Awkwafina ahead of both.
• So what about “Us”? Remember us? I certainly remember “Us”. Apparently the Academy forgot all about “Us”.
• No nominations for Dick Poop.
• The Best Director category is absolutely stacked. Five superb choices from a wide variety of movies and all of them REALLY good. Fine job Academy.
• Many are already venting about the lack of women among in this year’s group of directors. I wouldn’t at all be upset to see Greta Gerwig nominated. But good arguments could be made for every single director the Academy chose. It ends up being another case of the Academy taking heat that the studios should be getting.
• Speaking of venting, I know a lot of people are saying Jennifer Lopez was the biggest snub of the morning. She gave a good performance in a very mediocre movie and I would personally have her ahead of Margot Robbie. But for me Thomasin McKenzie,  Zhao Shuzhen, and Rebecca Ferguson are much bigger misses.
• Florence Pugh does get nominated for Best Supporting Actress as she should. Without question Pugh is one the most talented young actresses working today and this should be the first of many Oscar nods.
• What a fantastic showing for “Parasite”. This stellar film breaks through the Foreign Language barriers with a whopping six nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Bravo.
• As alluded to early, the Foreign Language category is now called International Feature Film and it has several good picks. Les Miserables, Honeyland, and (of course) “Parasite” are good movies. Haven’t seen “Corpus Christi” but again, no “The Farewell” kinda stinks.

• Greta Gerwig getting nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay was good to see. With only two films under her belt she has already shown herself to be a terrific filmmaker and storyteller.
• And “Little Women” getting a Best Picture nomination – fantastic! Saoirse Ronan for Best Actress – delightful!
• Loved seeing “Honeyland” nominated for Best Documentary. But no “Apollo 11”? Seriously? Wow! That may be the biggest snub of the entire morning.
• Six nominations for “Jojo Rabbit”! It was great to see. For some reason I thought it might be one to fall between the cracks. I truly love the movie and it’s great seeing it get so much recognition.
• What a morning for Scarlett Johansson. TWO nominations: Best Actress for “Marriage Story” and Supporting Actress for “Jojo Rabbit”. Some people may complain but she was great in both.
• Many people feel Adam Sandler was snubbed for “Uncut Gems”. I don’t agree. This was a good Sandler performance but basically a more serious version of his usual man-baby role. And when put up against several better performances, his absence makes sense.
• Actually “Uncut Gems” was shut out entirely. Again, I respect the many who love the movie, but I think the Academy got this right.
• I’m not well versed on this year’s batch of Animated features, but isn’t “Frozen 2” being left out a surprise?
• No Best Actor nod for Taron Egerton. Following his Golden Globe win I felt he was assured at least a nomination. Hate to sound like a broken record, but once again the Academy got this right.
• If I counted right “Rocketman” only managed one lone nomination.
• “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” racked up 10 Oscar nominations this morning. And following big Best Picture wins at the Golden Globes and last night’s Critic’s Choice Awards, I think it is safe to say this is the Best Picture frontrunner to beat.
• Speaking of “Once Upon a Time” and frontrunners, can anyone beat Brad Pitt in the Best Supporting Actor category? I hope not. He was fantastic in what was a great year for the 56-year-old ageless star.

• Rian Johnson being nominated for Best Original Screenplay was one of those announcements that just naturally makes you smile. “Knives Out” is such a fun and entertaining ride. Great to see the Academy recognizing it.
• Speaking of Netflix, “The Irishman” earned a total of 10 nominations despite Robert De Niro still being left out of the Best Actor race. The Martin Scorsese gangster epic didn’t do well at the Golden Globes. Will Oscar be any different?
• “Ad Astra” gets one lone nomination completing its dry run this awards season. I think it has been one of the biggest misses of the season. But again, no “A Hidden Life” so….
• The cinematography category is also stacked. Loved Lawrence Sher’s work on “Joker” but the always superb Roger Deakins is going to be really hard to beat. Anyone who has seen “1917” knows why.
• Great to see a Best Score nomination for 87-year-old John Williams (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”). The man’s consistent brilliance is astonishing and here he is still doing award-worthy work.
• Speaking of Best Score, the frontrunner has to be Hildur Gudnadottir. Her amazing work in “Joker” is so pivotal to the film’s tone and atmosphere. I’m rooting for her all the way.
• “1917” will be a force to reckon with. It also raked in 10 nominations and is coming off Best Picture – Drama and Best Director wins at the Golden Globes. Sam Mendes also won Best Director (in a tie) at the Critics Choice Awards.
• I don’t know ANY of the tunes nominated for Original Song, and yes I am ashamed.
• Some nice tips of the hat to “The Two Popes”. It won’t win any of its nominations but it’s a good film driven by two terrific central performances.

And there are a few Random Thoughts on this morning’s Academy Awards nominations. What did you think of this year’s crop. Let me know in the comments section below. And in case you missed it, here is the full list of the big announcements.

Best Picture

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

Actress in a Leading Role

• Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
• Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
• Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
• Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
• Renee Zellweger, “Judy”

Actor in a Leading Role

• 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”

Best Director

• Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
• Todd Phillips, “Joker”
• Sam Mendes, “1917”
• Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
• Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite”

Actor in a Supporting Role

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

Actress in a Supporting Role

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

Adapted Screenplay

• Taika Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”
• Steve Zaillian, “The Irishman”
• Anthony McCarten, “The Two Popes”
• Greta Gerwig, “Little Women”
• Todd Phillips and Scott Silver, “Joker”

Original Screenplay

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

Cinematography

• “The Irishman”
• “Joker”
• “The Lighthouse”
• “1917”
• “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Costume Design

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

Film Editing

• “Ford V. Ferrari”
• “The Irishman”
• “Jojo Rabbit”
• “Joker”
• “Parasite”

Original Score

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

Animated Short Film

• “Dcera (Daughter)”
• “Hair Love”
• “Kitbull”
• “Memorable”
• “Sister”

Live Action Short Film

• “Brotherhood”
• “Nefta Football Club”
• “The Neighbor’s Window”
• “Saria”
• “A Sister”

Sound Mixing

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

Sound Editing

• “Ford v Ferrari”
• “Joker”
• “1917”
• “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
• “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”

International Feature Film

• “Corpus Christi”
• “Honeyland”
• “Les Miserables”
• “Pain and Glory”
• “Parasite”

Documentary Short

• “In the Absence”
• “Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone If You’re a Girl”
• “Life Overtakes Me”
• “St. Louis Superman”
• “Walk Run Cha-Cha”

Documentary Feature

• “American Factory”
• “The Cave”
• “The Edge of Democracy”
• “For Sama”
• “Honeyland”

Production Design

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

Visual Effects

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

Animated Feature Film

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

Makeup and Hairstyling

• “Bombshell”
• “Joker”
• “Judy”
• “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
• “1917”

This is the time of year where we celebrate the best films and best performances from the year that was. This post is not that. Instead today I’m taking time to give 2019’s biggest stinkers their moment to…..shine. While it ended up being a good year for movies it wasn’t without its blemishes. Here are the five worst films *I SAW* in 2018.

#5 – “Isn’t it Romantic”

Tell me if you’ve heard this before: a character bumps their noggin, wakes up to some wacky side effects, has a life-changing epiphany, and then all is right in the world. Well, “Isn’t it Romantic” is another one of those. It’s main comedy conceit is that Rebel Wilson is caught in a romcom. But in the process of satirizing the genre, it becomes the very thing it’s spoofing (and not a very good one).

#4 – “The Fanatic”

To say it has been a rocky time for John Travolta’s career may be the understatement of the century. This 2019 disaster is an uncomfortably ugly and seemingly pointless look at celebrity obsession. Along the way the film dabbles in some toothless black humor (I think), fails to generate an ounce of tension, and features a cringe-worthy portrayal of autism/mental health. Not sure how this movie got off the ground but it sure landed with a thud.

#3 – “Booksmart”

After hearing so much buzz I went into this film with high hopes. I left feeling I had sat through yet another galling, unoriginal raunchy teen comedy dependent on the same tired cliches and full of recycled stock characters, many of them dialed up to 10. There are a couple of emotionally strong moments, but they’re lost within a mire of teen movie tropes, rehashed raunch, and boring caricatures. I know, I know, “Booksmart” is loved by many. I saw it as a sloppy Superbad 2.0 wannabe, and a poor one at that.

#2 – “Polar”

This movie had all the pieces in place to be something really, really cool (no pun intended). But as its presence on this list indicates, “Polar” wasn’t cool. It wasn’t fun. In fact it was barely watchable. How can you get the terrific Mads Mikkelsen onboard playing a patch-wearing ex-assassin yet still botch this movie so badly. Far too much time was wasted on mindless, gratuitous, and trashy nonsense and in the end no amount of stylized action or slick camera work could make up for it.

#1 – “The Haunting of Sharon Tate”

Nothing sounded right about this movie from the very start. Taking the horrific real-life murder of Sharon Tate and four others by the Manson family and infusing it with fictional nonsense about premonitions and supernatural mumbo-jumbo seemed to be in bad taste. It turned out to be even worse – exploitative, soulless, and without an ounce a shame. And even if you could look past its offense, the shoddy performances, vapid dialogue, and complete lack of tension would be enough to earn it a spot on this list.

In case someone was under the impression that comic book movies were on the decline (and who on earth would actually think that) the 20th Century Fox division of Disney’s Marvel movies has a new one right around the corner. “The New Mutants” was first pitched back in 2014 but has had a pretty drastic change of direction since. That said, it was never a movie on my radar.

“The New Mutants” moved from being a simple X-Men spin-off picture to a superhero horror movie, something that makes its potentially dull concept at least a little interesting. A new batch of young mutants are discovering their powers but instead of finding the compassionate Charles Xavier and his school for the gifted they find themselves being held in a secret test facility ran by people who (obviously) don’t have their best intentions in mind.

The new trailer is now out in the wild and shows a mix of teen horror and mutant discovery. We’ve seen them both before but never together like this. I can’t say I’m all that excited but let’s see where it goes. The film hits theaters April 3rd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Last night saw the Hollywood Foreign Press rev up the awards season intrigue with the 77th Golden Globes. It was a show that did something I certainly wasn’t expecting – It got almost all of its movie categories right! I found myself actually cheering throughout and now I’m even more excited than usual for next month’s Academy Awards. Of course there were a few surprises, some…peculiar speeches, and (once again) Ricky Gervais. Here are a few Random Thoughts.

• Let’s get the big surprise out of the way first – NOTHING for Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”. I have to admit I was pretty surprised and I’m not sure anyone saw that coming.
• Nothing for Pesci. Nothing for Pacino. Nothing for Steven Zaillian’s incredible screenplay. NOTHING.
• I pretty much zoned out during the television stuff. Turns out this is yet another year where I haven’t seen a single nominated TV series. I know, it really is pathetic. That’s why I’m sticking to the movies.
• Ricky Gervais was in full “look at what a bad boy of comedy I am” mode. The opening monologue was scathing, but he was stuck in his schtick all night and it got old by the end. That said there were a few real zingers in there and this morning’s headlines show that a few egos were bruised.
• “1917” had one heck of a night. The film won one of the night’s biggest prize, Best Picture – Drama. That’s really exciting because the movie looks tremendous. Sadly the majority of us haven’t been able to see it. But that changes Thursday night!
• The other big prize went to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” which thrilled me. I really like “Jojo Rabbit” and “Knives Out”. But let’s be honest, Tarantino’s latest was the film to beat.
• Sam Mendes took home Best Director for “1917” in a category that was absolutely stacked. Every single nominated director deserves their spot on the list. Scorsese, Tarantino, Mendes, Phillips, Bong. What a group!
• I actually felt Mendes and Phillips were long shots to win. Scorsese and Tarantino eat up a lot of the conversation. But it was great seeing Phillips and Bong nominated. Again, they deserved it.
• Jason Momoa being Jason Momoa and I love it. I mean who needs a tux?

• While I loved the majority of the winners, I stand by my position that “Little Women” should have had a bigger presence. Hopefully Oscar will get that right.
• Renée Zellweger wins Best Actress – Drama. While she wasn’t my first choice, I have no problems with her win. She was extraordinary.
• Best Actress – Musical or Comedy went to Awkwafina for her incredible dramatic turn in “The Farewell”. Her performance was truly eye-opening and seeing her win was delightful.
• Speaking of Awkwafina, her acceptance speech was one of my favorites of the night. How could not root for someone so genuinely surprised and grateful. Those are the speeches I love.
• Then you have the other type of speech such as the one Michelle Williams gave. It’s 100% their right to spend their time saying whatever they want. But I often tune out the overtly rehearsed attention-grabbing political stuff. And there were several instances of it last night.
• Man I loved seeing Hildur Guðnadóttir win Best Original Score for “Joker”. Her brilliant arrangements were essential to that film’s menacing and unsettling tone and atmosphere.
• Did everyone else notice there was no Lupita N’yongo? Yes, I know she wasn’t nominated. This is just my gratuitous reminder that she should have been for her stellar work in “Us”.
• “Missing Link” wins Best Animated Feature Film? I’m not well versed in this year’s batch of of animated movies but even I know “Missing Link” was one of those head-scratching moments.
• It still makes me grumpy to think about “A Hidden Life” and “Ad Astra” both completely shutout of the show. No nominations, mentions, nothing. Such a shame.
• Two of the best moments of the night literally made me shout for joy. Brad Pitt winning Best Supporting Actor for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was fantastic. He was absolutely the right choice and his speech was great as well.

• The second moment was when Joaquin Phoenix was announced the Best Actor – Drama winner. I would have been fine with Adam Driver, but Phoenix delivers a real stand-out performance unlike anything I’ve seen this year. Bravo.
• But then we get his speech, eccentric and disjointed, kinda what you would expect from Phoenix. But there was also a striking bit of humanity to it. That didn’t make it any easier to follow, but it did make for a truly authentic moment. Too bad we couldn’t hear half of it because of his needless potty mouth.
• Laura Dern winning for “Marriage Story” was great. She was terrific not just in that film but also “Little Women”. Go ahead and give her the Oscar.
• Speaking of “Marriage Story”, despite leading the way with six nominations Dern’s win was the only statute Noah Baumbach’s movie would take home. That’s both surprising and disappointing.
• Think about this, the four Netflix movies combined for 17 total nominations but only took home one lone win. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but could this have anything to do with the industry’s reluctance to embrace Netflix? Asking for a friend.
• “Parasite” wins Best Foreign Language Film to no one’s surprise. I loved “The Farewell” and enjoyed “Les Miserables”. But let’s be honest, no one was ever going to beat “Parasite”, right?
• In accepting the award for “Parasite”, writer-director Bong Joon-Ho gave one of my favorite lines of the night. “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” Amen!
• What the heck was Gwyneth Paltrow wearing? It looked like it was cut from a set of curtains out of a 1970’s hippie’s home. Wasn’t a fan.
• For me the only real misfire was Taron Egerton winning Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for “Rocketman”. Egerton was fine but literally my last choice from that list. And him winning says more about the fascination with these music biopic roles come awards time.

Overall I thought the Hollywood Foreign Press picked some great winners which is something I haven’t been able to say in recent years. Now we march towards to the Oscars. What were your thoughts on last night’s big show? 

2018’s “A Quiet Place” was an out-of-the-blue $350 million hit for Paramount Pictures. John Krasinski directed, co-wrote, and co-starred in the modestly budgeted sci-fi horror film that also featured his real-life wife, the always good Emily Blunt. It brilliantly exuded edge-of-your-seat tension while telling a genuinely moving and heartfelt family story. I loved it.

The inevitable but welcomed sequel was teased a couple of weeks ago and now we finally get the first full trailer. It opens with an exhilarating perspective shot in the back seat of a car. It’s clearly teasing a flashback to when the aliens first attacked. But then it shifts to the Abbott family trying to survive outside the confines of their once relatively safe farmhouse. Krasinski is back in the director’s chair while Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe all return. Cillian Murphy and Dijimon Hounsou add some intriguing new faces.

I can’t wait for March 20th which is when the film is set to hit theaters. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.