I can honestly say that out of all of the 1980s movies to remake, “Road House” wasn’t among the first to come to mind. Yet here we are, a couple months away from a new “Road House” movie. It’s said to be a remake that tells a similar story but with a modern twist. It comes from director Doug Liman and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a former UFC fighter who finds work at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys.
The film is set to release March 21st on Prime Video. In anticipation of its upcoming trailer drop, Amazon MGM Studios has released a new poster. Check it out below and tell me what you think.
Early this morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their highly anticipated nominees for this year’s Oscars. As is always the case, the morning had its share of surprises and head-scratching snubs. But in their defense the Academy also got a lot of things right. Either way, I have plenty on my mind about this year’s batch. So here are a few Random Thoughts on the 2024 Academy Award nominations.
It was a huge morning for “Oppenheimer” which led the way with a whopping 13 nominations. It’s shaping up to (finally) be the year that Christopher Nolan fully gets his due on Oscar night.
Not only did “Oppenheimer” mop the floor in the technical categories, but it also received nominations in Picture, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. Who knows how it will turn out, but things are trending up for Nolan’s brilliant awards-worthy latest.
Only two behind “Oppenheimer” was “Poor Things” which once again revealed the soft spot (and the mind-boggling leniency) the Academy has for Yorgos Lanthimos. The film was an overindulgent mess yet here it sits with 11 nominations.
We have a pretty good selection of Best Picture nominees this year with only two that I would toss out in a heartbeat. But it’s hard for me to gripe. My top three movies of 2023 are all in the group and I like most of the choices.
Could it be that the Academy isn’t as enamored with “Barbie” as other awards shows (which I would applaud them for)? The box office smash hit but incredibly flawed film still earned 8 nominations. But it missed out on a couple of pretty big categories.
Sticking with “Barbie”, one of the more face-palm moments came with the nomination of America Ferrera in Supporting Actress. It’s essentially a nomination for a speech which stands out even more by the fact that the film’s lead, Margot Robbie didn’t get a nod. There were far more deserving supporting performances from actresses such as Rachel McAdams, Penélope Cruz, or Julianne Moore. Whatever, it’s Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s to win.
As for that Lead Actress category, Robbie’s omission is a bit of a stunner. Again, I’m no fan of “Barbie”, but Robbie was pretty great. It’s especially perplexing considering Annette Bening was nominated for the so-so at best “Nyad”. Robbie deserved a spot.
The far more egregious snubs in the Lead Actress category was Greta Lee for “Past Lives” and Natalie Portman for “May December”. I would put both in over any nominee not named Lily Gladstone. C’mon Academy!
Last thing on “Barbie” – outlets are already expressing shock and crying foul on Greta Gerwig not being nominated for Best Director. I’m sorry, but but it was a good choice especially if it meant Jonathan Glazer getting in for his masterful “The Zone of Interest”. The biggest bummer in Directing was Lanthimos. Replace him with Celine Song (“Past Lives”) and the category would be nearly perfect.
Martin Scorsese’s brilliant “Killers of the Flower Moon” racked up an amazing and well-deserved 10 nominations. Sadly there’s a big possibility it follows in the footsteps of Scorsese’s “The Irishman”. That 2019 film received 10 nominations but won nothing. Lily Gladstone should keep “Killers” from going home empty-handed, but it will have a tough time winning much else.
Speaking of “Killers”, being left out for Adapted Screenplay is terrible especially in light of what else was nominated. The screenplay was the biggest problem with “Barbie” and with “Poor Things” it was a scattershot mess. Yet both get nominated.
One of the great joys of the morning was seeing “The Zone of Interest” getting five nominations. I was especially excited that it was included for Best Picture and Best Director. For those who have yet to see it, make every effort to catch it. It’s easily one of 2023’s very best movies.
“The Zone of Interest” looks like it may be the front-runner for Best International Feature. I love it. This is a wild category made interesting by its notable omissions, namely “Anatomy of a Fall” and “Society of the Snow”. Am I missing something?
John Williams received his 54th (!!!) Oscar nomination for his score in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”. Did it deserve a nomination? Maybe not. But I’m never going to gripe when I see this living legend get recognition.
Absolutely nothing for “The Iron Claw”. I realize it was a longshot, but I held out hope that the film might receive some kind of recognition. It certainly deserved it.
Sterling K. Brown surprised with his Supporting Actor nomination for “American Fiction”. It’s a good performance and I’m guessing his inclusion knocked out Charles Melton (“May December”).
Aside from Mark Ruffalo, the Supporting Actor choices are pretty strong. Brown is a nice addition, Robert De Niro is getting a lot of nominations but no wins, and Gosling has the fan love but I’m not sure how much else. That leaves Robert Downey Jr. who is (by a pretty large margin) the most deserving. Hopefully he’ll finally get his statue.
Just a quick plug for Donnie Yen in “John Wick: Chapter 4”. I’d put him ahead of Ruffalo, Brown, and even Gosling for Supporting Actor. Alas…
Among the most competitive categories heading into Oscar night will be Best Actor. It looks to be a one-on-one showdown between Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”). They were my two favorite Lead Actor performances of the year so it’s good to see. That said, I’m rooting for Murphy.
Despite getting recognition from the Golden Globes and BAFTA, “Saltburn” was completely ignored by the Academy and you won’t see me shedding any tears. “Saltburn” was one of the more frustrating movies of last year and apparently the Academy saw through it.
It wasn’t a particularly good morning for “The Color Purple”. Outside of Danielle Brooks for Supporting Actress, the musical remake didn’t make a dent. I can understand why. The first half of the film was some of the best cinema I saw in 2023. The second half was messy and rushed.
I like the sound of Oscar-nominated “Godzilla: Minus One”.
Among the other big names not nominated this morning was Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor and Bradley Cooper for Best Director. Both seemed to be on the bubble and now they’ve both fallen short.
Here is a Full List of This Year’s Nominees…
Best Picture
American Fiction Anatomy of a Fall Barbie The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Oppenheimer Past Lives Poor Things The Zone of Interest
Best Director
Justine Triet – Anatomy of a Fall Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest
Best Actress
Annette Bening – Nyad Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall Carey Mulligan – Maestro Emma Stone – Poor Things
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper – Maestro Colman Domingo – Rustin Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple America Ferrera – Barbie Jodie Foster – Nyad Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer Ryan Gosling – Barbie Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
Best Original Screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall The Holdovers Maestro May December Past Lives
Best Adapted Screenplay
American Fiction Barbie Oppenheimer Poor Things The Zone of Interest
Best International Feature
Io Capitano Perfect Days Society of the Snow The Teachers’ Lounge The Zone of Interest
Best Animated Feature
The Boy and the Heron Elemental Nimona Robot Dreams Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Cinematography
El Conde Killers of the Flower Moon Maestro Oppenheimer Poor Things
Best Original Score
American Fiction Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer Poor Things
Best Original Song
“The Fire Inside,” Flamin’ Hot “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie “It Never Went Away,” American Symphony “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” Killers of the Flower Moon “What Was I Made For?” Barbie
Best Editing
Anatomy of a Fall The Holdovers Killers of the Flower Moon Oppenheimer Poor Things
Best Production Design
Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Napoleon Oppenheimer Poor Things
Best Costume Design
Barbie Killers of the Flower Moon Napoleon Oppenheimer Poor Things
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Golda Maestro Oppenheimer Poor Things Society of the Snow
Best Sound
The Creator Maestro Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Oppenheimer The Zone of Interest
Best Visual Effects
The Creator Godzilla Minus One Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Napoleon
Best Animated Short
Letter to a Pig Ninety-Five Senses Our Uniform Pachyderme War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
Best Live-Action Short
The After Invincible Knight of Fortune Red, White and Blue The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Best Documentary Feature
Bobi Wine: The People’s President The Eternal Memory Four Daughters To Kill a Tiger 20 Days in Mariupol
Best Documentary Short
The ABCs of Book Banning The Barber of Little Rock Island in Between The Last Repair Shop Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó
Now here’s an unusual pairing – cerebral space drama with Adam Sandler. Those aren’t things I ever expected to say in the same breath. Yet that looks to be what we’re getting in “Spaceman”, the upcoming film streaming exclusively on Netflix. The film is based on the 2017 novel “Spaceman of Bohemia” by Jaroslav Kalfař. This good-looking adaptation was written by Colby Day and directed by Johan Renck, the Emmy winner for the acclaimed miniseries “Chernobyl”.
The first trailer is interesting to say the least. Sandler plays an astronaut named Jakub Procházka who is sent on a solo mission to the edge of the solar system. But back home his life has been crumbling. The most exciting piece is Carey Mulligan playing Jakub’s pregnant wife, Lenka who provides glimpses into their troubled marriage. Struggling to cope on his own, Jakub finds help where he least expects it – from a strange creature (voiced by Paul Dano) lurking in his ship. I have no idea how Sandler is going to do in this, but I love the premise and I’m excited to see if he can pull it off.
“Spaceman” streams March 1st on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
The 2024 El Dorado Film Festival makes its highly anticipated return from hiatus next month, opening Thursday, February 8th and going through Sunday the 11th. The event will be held at the South Arkansas Arts Center (110 East 5th St. in El Dorado, Arkansas). Tickets are available to be purchased now at the Arts Center box office and online.
Established in 2014, the EDFF offers a curated selection of independent cinema, narrative and documentary features as well as short films from around the world. The festival recently announced this year’s exciting slate of regional, national, and international feature length and short films.
Read the official press release below…
EL DORADO, Jan. 9, 2023 — The El Dorado Film Festival (EDFF) has announced its 2024 line-up for this year’s event taking place on Feb. 8-11, 2024, at the South Arkansas Arts Center (SAAC), located at 110 East 5th St. in El Dorado, Arkansas. This year’s festival includes films starring Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Billy Zane (Titanic) and Anthony Rapp (RENT). Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online or at the SAAC box office.
“The El Dorado Film Festival has spawned so many great conversations, collaborations and relationships in previous iterations,” said Executive Director Alexander Jeffery. “We are thrilled to bring this event back to South Arkansas after a three-year hiatus. What’s wonderful about these films is they are all created by truly independent filmmakers who had to get incredibly creative to get their work made and seen. No big studios, no big theatrical releases, you as the audience get to discover these gems and help the filmmakers spread the word about their achievement.”
The 2024 El Dorado Film Festival line-up includes:
(Tapawingo)
The Special Presentation Feature Film, Tapawingo, directed by Dylan K Narang, starring Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Billy Zane (Titanic), and Gina Gershon (Brooklyn Nine-Nine). The film is the story of an oddball who becomes the bodyguard for a misfit teenager and finds himself in the crosshairs of the town’s family of bullies.
(Shudderbugs)
The Arkansas Premiere of Shudderbugs, directed by Johanna Putnam. In the film, a woman unravels in the wake of her mother’s mysterious death, following her suspicions to dangerous ends. Shudderbugs has been widely recognized across the film festival circuit with over 16 awards and nominations.
(Scrap)
Feature Film Scrap, directed by Vivian Kerr. EDFF originally screened the short film of Scrap in 2019 and now Kerr is back with the feature film. Directed by Kerr, Scrap stars Anthony Rapp from the Broadway sensation RENT.
EDFF is also connecting with filmmakers south of the state line with a block of seven films from the Louisiana Film Prize Founders Circle. These films are: “The Candy Lady” (winner), “The Capitalist,” “Clownfish” (directed by Smackover native Clayton Henderson), “Caught on Tape” (co-directed by Alexander Jeffery), “Dead Flesh,” “Off-Sides” and “Pink Suit, Black Suit.”
Tamra Corley Davis, chair of the film committee, believes a cross-borders partnership is a fantastic way to grow the film industry regionally.
“Beyond being excited to be a part of bringing back the EDFF, I am proud that we are able to partner with the Louisiana Film Prize to bring some of the 2023 award winning Prize films,” she said. “Over the years I have realized the film community is really small like a family. And no doubt over the weekend in February at the EDFF, new friendships will be made and collaborations formed that you will see for years to come at future festivals like ours and the Prize.”
The Arkansas made or connected films include:
“Criterion” by Jeremy Enis
“Pretty Canoe” by Nicholas Holland
“The Book Club” by Jonnie Brannon
“Banana Triangle Six” by Marc E Crandall
“Mama Love” by Mary McDade
“Arkansas Maternal Health” by Ringo Jones
“How Do I Tell You This” by Lara Hill
“The Hill We Climb” by Raeden Greer
New West by Jordan Mears
EDFF also features national and international films such as: “Break,” “Wheel,” “Beer Club,” “Smoke,” “Credit,” “They Grow Up So Fast,” “Purgy’s,” “Music for a While,” “Florence in Customer Care,” “Outpost,” “The Last Thing Lost,” “The Bathtub” (Spain) and “Chairs” (United Kingdom).
French director Benoît Delhomme (“At Eternity’s Gate”, “The Theory of Everything”) is joined by two Academy Award winning actresses in his remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse’s 2018 psychological thriller “Mothers’ Instinct”. The film stars Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, a duo who immediately makes this a must-watch movie. The film’s newly released first trailer only confirms it.
The story is an adaptation of Barbara Abel’s 2012 novel “Derrière la haine”. In it Chastain and Hathaway play two 1960s housewives, mothers, neighbors, and close friends. The relationship begins to crumble following an unspeakable tragedy. Jealousy, suspicions, perhaps even something more sinister – it’s all teased in the impressively well done trailer. I can’t wait to see how this story uncoils and both Chastain and Hathaway look to be perfectly cast.
“Mothers’ Instinct” has been picked up by NEON and is coming soon. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Today I’m wrapping up my look back at the best performances of 2023 with what may be the strongest category of the bunch – Lead Actor. It’s a group filled with exciting contenders, and (once again) it was a tough one to narrow down to only five. But that’s how these silly lists work so let’s get to it. Here are my five favorite Lead Actor performances along with some worthy honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions:
Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Benicio del Toro (“Reptile”), Adam Driver (“Ferrari”), Denzel Washington (“The Equalizer 3”), Michael Fassbender (“The Killer”), Zac Efron (“The Iron Claw”), Jason Schwartzman (“Asteroid City”), Joel Edgerton (“Master Gardener”), Jorma Tommila (“Sisu”), Keanu Reeves (“John Wick: Chapter 4”), Willem Dafoe (“Inside”), Tony Leung (“Hidden Blade”), Anthony Hopkins (“Freud’s Last Session”), Enzo Vogrincic Roldán (“Society of the Snow”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Napoleon”), David Strathairn (“A Little Prayer”), Tom Cruise (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”), Nicolas Cage (“Dream Scenario”)
#5 – Callum Turner (“The Boys in the Boat”)
One of the most surprising performances of the year came in one of the most surprising movies of the year – Callum Turner in George Clooney’s “The Boys in the Boat”. For my money not enough people are talking about his strong and inspiring lead turn. It’s a breakout performance that sees Turner working at another level, bringing both grit and heart to the film’s remarkable true story. I was really drawn to this movie and Turner is a key reason for it.
#4 – Jeffery Wright (“American Fiction”)
It’s great seeing more people talking about Jeffrey Wright. It’s something that should’ve been happening for a while but is now unavoidable thanks to his outstanding performance in “American Fiction”. He’s the glue that holds this smart but at times frustrating film together. As cliche as it is to say, Wright tends to make every movie he’s in better. His latest is yet another testament to that truth. Please give him more meaty roles like this.
#3 – Mads Mikkelsen (“The Promised Land”)
It’s quite possible that Mads Mikkelsen is the sturdiest and most consistent actor working today. He’s always good which is why it’s no surprise that he again delivers in the terrific period epic “The Promised Land”. This is a tough character to portray yet it seems like a role custom-made for Mikkelsen’s many strengths. He’s steely and stoic and few can say as much through an ice cold, granite-hard stare as the 58-year-old Dane.
#2 – Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”)
Now here’s a performance that was an instant “Best of the Year” contender. Paul Giamatti is an actor whose brilliance is too often overlooked. Hopefully people are realizing that after seeing him in Alexander Payne’s fantastic “The Holdovers”. He gives us a character who can be interesting, funny, infuriating, and sympathetic, sometimes at the same time. Giamatti fits so perfectly into the role and he deserves all the accolades he has received so far.
#1 – Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”)
If there ever was an actor who deserved a starring role as rich and meaty as this it’s Cillian Murphy. He gets the material of a lifetime in “Oppenheimer”, the spellbinding latest film from Christopher Nolan. The acclaimed filmmaker certainly picked the right guy to play the theoretical physicist who oversaw The Manhattan Project. Murphy is magnetic, capturing the brilliance and complexity of J. Robert Oppenheimer with startling clarity. It’s a masterclass performance and my very favorite of the year.
And that wraps up another celebration the best performances of the year. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear what would have made your list in the comments section below.
Keith & the Movies