Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as former Texas Rangers hot on the heels of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde? I’m all in! Netflix continues to put out interesting projects and this one is right up my alley.

Set in 1934 during America’s gangster era, Bonnie and Clyde had become celebrities – seen more as glamorized legends than cold-blooded killers. Costner and Harrelson are commissioned to stop the famed duo’s spree of robbery and murder.

I have to admit, I’m pretty giddy for this one and we won’t have to wait long. “The Highwaymen” debuts on Netflix March 29th. Watch the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

For movie fans it has been hard to miss the buzz surrounding Steven Spielberg and his crusade to keep streaming movies, most notably Netflix, out of consideration for the Oscars. Spielberg hasn’t spoken publicly since the announcement of his upcoming meeting with fellow members of the Academy’s board of governors, but past comments more than reveal his position.

Spielberg wants to preserve the movie theater experience, something I completely understand. I love going to the theater. It’s one of my favorite forms of entertainment and it allows me to see movies on the best screen and in the best setting. I can get behind filmmakers working to hold onto what many of us believe is the ideal way to view a movie.

But that’s about as far as I can go in defending Spielberg’s crusade. As well-intended as he may be, he seems to be overlooking the realities of the current movie watching landscape. It may hurt to admit it, but fewer and fewer people have or are developing the same deep affection for the theater experience that many of us have. But the benefits to having Netflix around go beyond that.

Filmmakers, specifically those who make independent movies, have been vocal in expressing how difficult it can be not only to get their films made but to get them to an audience. Netflix not only provides them creative freedoms and in some cases financial support. It also provides them a platform to reach people who otherwise would have a tough time seeing their movie. Obviously this isn’t a huge deal for the big budget pictures that Spielberg is known for.

But this isn’t just good for the filmmakers. Spielberg should know that not everyone lives in a big market. Not everyone has a slew of movie theater options. Personally speaking, I live in a state that either has to wait months before certain movies arrive or misses out on these films altogether. This is particularly true for indies and foreign films which eventually are made available on (ironically) streaming platforms.

There are several points where Spielberg’s position falls apart. Take this shot he took at Netflix: “I don’t believe that films that are given token qualifications, in a couple of theaters for less than a week, should qualify for Academy Award nominations“. This is funny considering how many movies pop up for a week on select big city screens at the end of year just to qualify for the Oscars.

Also, you would be tempted to think Spielberg judges movies by the size of the screen they appear on rather than the actual quality of the film. Obviously this is problematic for him. Let’s say a movie premieres at a festival and is picked up by A24. Everyone is fine. There is no outcry that the film should be disqualified from the Academy Awards. Now let’s say Netflix outbids A24 and lands the very same movie. Suddenly it’s treated as a different film simply because of the screen it’s viewed on.

Again, Spielberg has a genuine concern and preserving the movie theater experience is something many of us care about. At the same time you have to be realistic and forward-thinking. And as more celebrated filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Alfonso Cuaron tap into the benefits of Netflix, guys like Spielberg can either be open-minded or die fighting on that hill. And as I’ve said elsewhere, wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall when Spielberg tells Cuaron (“Roma”) or Scorsese (“The Irishman”) that their movies belong at the Emmys and not the Oscars?

As for the Academy, if they want to find a way to be even more irrelevant as some already perceive them to be, just ram through Spielberg’s proposal and tell filmmakers and viewers they aren’t making or watching Oscar-worthy movies. Watching the backlash would be far more entertaining than any Academy Awards broadcast of the last decade.

I would love to see these efforts put towards coexisting instead of separating. My biggest hope is that we can find a way to preserve the big screen experience while embracing the opportunities Netflix provides filmmakers and movie lovers. Sounds great doesn’t it? But is it even remotely realistic? I guess we’ll find out.

Haley Lu Richardson is one of the most exciting young actresses making movies today. Her stand-out work in “Columbus”, “Support the Girls”, and “The Edge of Seventeen” is only the tip of the iceberg for this immensely talented 23-year-old. She has two movies set for 2019, one being the romantic drama “Five Feet Apart”.

The movie follows Stella and Will who are both battling cystic fibrosis. They meet in the hospital during their treatments and develop a touching friendship. Judging by the trailer “Five Feet Apart” could be a real tearjerker. Here’s hoping director Justin Baldoni does it justice.

“Five Feet Apart” hits theaters March 15th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or skipping it.

Vincent D’Onofrio is bringing us a new variation the classic Billy the Kid story with “The Kid”. The title is a bit of a trick as the movie is more focused on a young boy named Rio (Jake Schur) who crosses paths with both Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) and the infamous Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) while attempting to save his sister from his brutish uncle (Chris Pratt).

I’m not high on DeHaan but Hawke and Pratt are certainly eye-catching. The trailer dropped a few days ago and it looks as though D’Onofrio has a good story to tell. We won’t have to wait long. “The Kid” comes out March 8th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

Over the past few days we looked at the trailers for “Ma” and “Greta”. Here is the third 2019 movie featuring a unexpected actor/actress playing a creepy terrorizing nutcase. This time it’s Dennis Quaid who plays the psychopath. In this eerie looking psychological thriller a young couple buys a country home only to find the past owner (Quaid) hasn’t quite let it go.

The first trailer has a pretty twisted vibe to it and it’s a hoot watching the freaky wild-eyed Quaid come unhinged. Let’s hope this effective trailer translates to an even more effective feature length film.

“The Intruder” hits theaters May 3rd. Check out the trailer below and let me know you will be seeing it or giving it a pass.

I’m pretty sure I said the same thing last year – I do love Oscar season. But my excitement for this year’s big Hollywood bash was as low as it has been for years. Last year it was due to the absolute predictability of every major category. The lack of suspense proved to be a killer.

This year’s s actually offered up some genuine intrigue. The problem I had was with the Academy’s glaring snubs and ludicrous omissions. And the batch of Best Picture nominations were far from great (only one of the films made my top 20). Still, I’m a sucker for the show and I went in with my fingers crossed. Could Oscar overcome the series of goof-ups leading up to this year’s broadcast? To be honest, it wasn’t terrible. Here are a few random thoughts.

• Turns out the ‘No Host’ approach wasn’t too bad. In fact, I would MUCH rather jam out to Queen and Adam Lambert than sit through another aggressively mediocre stand-up routine.
• Actually I think the Academy showed you could do a show without a host. And it definitely seemed to make it go by quicker.
• I’m still trying to figure out how “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” didn’t even get a documentary nomination! I guess cramming Fred Rogers into that opening montage was supposed to suffice?
• “Green Book” took home Best Picture setting many on social media ablaze. Personally I’m fine with it winning especially considering the so-so batch of movies the Academy nominated this year (with the exception of “Roma”).
• Speaking of “Roma”, I think it is by far the best film of the eight Best Picture nominees. But I put this out several times leading up to the show – would “Roma” winning Best Foreign Language Film cut into its votes for Best Picture? It’s seems a possibility.
• Or are Academy voters simply not ready to give a Netflix movie its biggest prize? 🤔
• “Green Book” is the first film since “Argo” to win Best Picture while not being nominated for Best Director. It’s only the fifth time it has happened in the Academy’s 90-year history.

• Alfonso Cuarón (“Roma”) won well deserved Oscars for Best Director and Best Cinematography. The Academy definitely got these categories right (sorry Spike).
• I know some people don’t care for the In Memoriam segments but I do. This year’s featured some toughies – Reynolds, Finney, Marshall, Lee, etc.
• Jason Momoa and Helen Mirren presenting together. Simply epic!
• I loved Regina King’s win for Supporting Actress and her acceptance speech was amazing. You have to love pure, genuine, heartfelt emotion.
• “Vice” wins for Best Makeup, the one and only category that it remotely deserved to be nominated for.
• By the way, someone may want to check. The makeup winners may still be trying to read that piece of paper they had.
• “Black Panther” gets big wins in Costume Design and Production Design. No arguments here.
• Mahershala Ali is now a two-time Oscar winner. I’m okay with him winning for Supporting Actor, but I still see him as a co-lead in “Green Book”.
• “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” wins Best Animated Feature. It’s a good movie but hardly a great one. I would have went with “Isle of Dogs”.
• “First Man” won for Special Effects. It deserved so much more but I guess we’ll take what we can get. Not sure why the film didn’t resonate with the Academy. I adore it.
• Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga absolutely crushed it with “Shallow”. It was utterly heart-melting and one of the best Oscar night performances I’ve seen.
• How many times did ABC go to commercial breaks saying “And coming up Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing Shallow live”? Can’t really blame them. If you’re starved for viewers you want to hold your mainstream attraction as long as you can. Still, its obviousness was pretty funny.
• And of course “Shallow” won for Best Original Song. I mean who in their right mind would have voted against it?

• I do love that When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings was nominated. I don’t like country music but that song was such a perfect fit for that “Buster Scruggs” scene. I’m not sure if the live performance translated that well though.
• I don’t even remember the score from “Black Panther” yet it wins for Best Original Score. I’m still chapped that “First Man” wasn’t even nominated despite some big (and deserved) wins leading up.
• It seems Spike Lee wasn’t much into humility or sportsmanship. It started in a pre-show interview where he went on about how he should have already won an Oscar. And apparently he threw a little fit in the theater when his film lost Best Picture to “Green Book”.
• Ever the complainer, Lee continued in the Oscar press room by saying “Every time somebody’s driving somebody, I lose,” and “I thought I was court-side at the Garden and the ref made a bad call.” 🙄 Give it a rest Spike.
• Olivia Colman gets the surprise Best Actress win for “The Favourite”. It’s a nice performance but nothing that especially stands out. Her acceptance speech though – funny, sweet, and full of surprise and joy.
• Speaking of “The Favourite”, it went in as one of the most nominated films but left with the one lone statue. I’m okay with that. Not a big fan.
• I thought Glenn Close had Best Actress in the bag. But to be honest, I felt what Lady Gaga did in “A Star is Born” was more impressive than either Close or Colman.
• Willem Dafoe was so much fun to listen to in the pre-shows. We all knew he wouldn’t win but I’m so glad he was there. Genuine appreciation and enthusiasm.
• How could you not laugh at Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry. Definitely the right choices for presenting Costume Design. Those bunnies….

• I have to admit to being happy that “Vice” fell short on screenplay, editing, director, and Best Picture. How it was even nominated ahead of so many far more deserving films still blows my mind.
• Who else loved Mike Myers and Dana Carvey introducing “Bohemian Rhapsody”? It was the “Wayne’s World” reunion I never thought I needed.
• Rami Malek took home Best Actor, another win that sent social media in a tizzy. I actually didn’t mind Malek’s performance. But let’s be honest, he was the least deserving out of the nominees. I would pair him with Bale, but Dafoe, Mortensen, and Cooper were all considerably better.
• I don’t claim to be a fashion aficionado, but some of the style from last night…nope.
• It’s kinda funny watching so much outrage over who won and who lost. It’s not as if the Oscars have the best record when it comes to picking winners. The best thing to do is just enjoy the focus on movies, root when you have a favorite nominated, and don’t be surprised when another movie wins. Oscar night is a lot more fun that way.

So that does it for another Oscar ceremony and another awards season. So what did you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Let’s do it again next year.