Godzilla Film Review: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (dir by Masaaki Tezuka)

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Godzilla gets a brand new backstory in 2002’s Godzilla against Mechagodzilla!

That’s not a surprise. At the start of the 21st century, when Toho was still trying to figure out how their biggest star would function in a new world, nearly every Godzilla film was a reboot that pretty much ignored all of the films that came before it, with the exception of the original Gojira. Godzilla against Mechagodzilla opens with Japan being attacked by Godzilla but it’s not the same Godzilla from the original film. That Godzilla actually did die as a result of the Oxygen destroyer. However, its relatives are still out there and occasionally, one will pop up and attack Japan. Japan has gotten a reputation for being cursed.

However, a discovery has been made that could change everything. The skeleton of the original Godzilla has been discovered and it has been used to create a cyborg Godzilla. The cyborg Godzilla is called Kiryu but, in appearance, it’s pretty much just Mechagodzilla all over again. Kiryu is able to defeat the new Godzilla but the battle triggers memories of its former life and soon, it’s going on a rampage of its own. Eventually, being a cyborg, it runs out of power but it’s obvious that Kiryu will need the guiding hand of a human. How about Lt. Akane Yushiro (Yukimo Shaku), who is undeniably talented but whose previous battle against the latest version of Godzilla has left her haunted by guilt and also caused others to doubt her abilities? Can she pilot Kiryu and save Japan from future Godzilla attacks?

Fortunately, Godzilla against Mechagodzilla know what its mission is. It understands that the majority of its audience is watching because they want to see Godzilla use his radioactive breath to destroy things and they want to see Mechagodzilla shoot lasers beams out of his eyes. The movie delivers both of those things, often in spectacular fashion. The special effects are certainly better than the special effects from Godzilla’s earlier Toho films but they still look primitive enough to retain the franchise’s B-movie charm. The film’s battle scenes are truly impressive and live up to the Godzilla name. As for the “human” story, Yumiko Shaku gives a strong performance and is likable as Akane and you actually do want her to get her chance to prove herself. While this film isn’t quite as enjoyably weird as some of the other entries, it’s still an above-average Godzilla film and a worthy chapter in the series. In fact, Godzilla against Mechagodzilla worked so well that the next entry in the series was not a reboot but a direct sequel! We’ll check that out next week.

Previous Godzilla Reviews:

Film Review: Woyzeck (dir by Werner Herzog)

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

First released in 1979 and directed by the great Werner Herzog, Woyzeck takes place in a small German town in the 19th century. It’s the type of town where everyone knows everyone else and not much happens. As is mentioned towards the end of the film, it’s been a while since the town has seen a “real murder.”

Franz Woyzeck (Klaus Kinski) is a soldier who lives in the town. He’s had a son with Marie (Eva Mattes), despite not being married to her. For that, Woyzeck’s Captain (Wolfgang Reichmann) continually tells him that he is immoral. Woyzeck replies that the poor cannot afford morals. To make extra money, Woyzeck does odd jobs for the Captain and he’s agreed to serve as an experimental test subject for the Doctor (Willy Semmelrogge). The Doctor, who looks down on Woyzeck, has put Woyzeck on a diet of only peas. He’s curious to see what this does to Woyzeck’s physical well-being but he has no interest in the fact that Woyzeck is obviously going mad.

Woyzeck, who, at the start of the film, is already hearing voices and talking about his apocalyptic visions, comes to suspect that Marie is cheating on him with a handsome Drum Major (Josef Bierbichler). While the film does make it clear that the Drum Major is interested in Marie, whether or not she’s actually cheating is left ambiguous. Woyzeck may believe that she is but Woyzeck also believes that he’s having visions of the end of the world so who knows whether one should trust his opinion. Eventually, Woyzeck’s madness leads to tragedy and another ambiguous ending. (The ambiguity reflects not only Werner Herzog’s customary aesthetic but also the fact that the film is based on a fragment of an unfinished play.)

What drives Woyzeck mad? Was he born mad or was he driven mad by his jealousy over the Drum Major? Does he truly love Marie or, as someone who has very little to his name, does he just want to possess her? Is he driven crazy by the inequality all around him or is he just looking for an excuse to justify his own disturbed thoughts? Herzog does not provide a definitive answer. Why Woyzeck goes mad is less important than the fact that the community around him is thoroughly and totally indifferent to the fact that he’s obviously losing his mind. The Captain lectures him as him as if he’s merely a teenager who needs to grow up. The Doctor only cares about Woyzeck as a test subject. Even Marie seems to be indifferent to his instability.

With each scene shot in one take and featuring a largely stationary camera, Woyzeck captures the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in one’s circumstances. Woyzeck is desperate to escape both his circumstances and his madness but Herzog makes it clear that Woyzeck has nowhere to go. He’s trapped in his life and his fate feels almost pre-ordained. This film is dark, even by the standards of Werner Herzog, However, it also features one of Klaus Kinski’s rare sympathetic roles. It’s not surprising that Kinski is convincing as a madman as Kinski is often said to have been a bit mad in real life as well. What stands out is just how good a job Kinski does at playing the rather meek and subservient side of Woyzeck. Woyzeck features one of Klaus Kinski’s best performances.

In My Best Fiend, Herzog said (one hopes jokingly) that he was often tempted to have Kinski killed. Woyzeck shows us why we should be happy that he didn’t.

Film Review: Starcrash (dir by Luigi Cozzi)

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Is there a better movie than Starcrash?

First released in 1978, Starcrash takes place in a galaxy that is probably far, far away. The evil Count Zath Arn (Joe Spinell) is attempting to overthrow the benevolent Emperor (Christopher Plummer). Zath Arn has built a weapon that is so large and so powerful that it can only be hidden inside of another planet. (“Like a Death Star?” you say. Hush, don’t go there….) The Emperor’s son, Prince Simon (David Hasselhoff), led an expedition in search of the weapon but a surprise attack of glowing red lights led to his ship crashing on the unknown planet. Simon is missing and Zath Arn’s power is growing.

Two legendary smugglers — Stella Starr (Caroline Munro) and the enigmatic Akton (Marjoe Gortner) — are released from prison and tasked with tracking down both the weapon and Simon. (Stella was already in the process of escaping when she got the news of her release.) Accompanied by the duplicitous Thor (Robert Tessier) and the loyal Elle (Judd Hamilton), a robot with a thick Southern accent, Stella and Akton set out to explore the haunted stars.

It’s a journey that leads them to …. well, actually, it only leads them to three planets. It turns out that the weapon wasn’t that well-hidden after all. Still, one planet is populated by Amazons and protected by a giant, tin robot. Another planet is populated by cannibals who wear stone masks. And then there’s an ice planet where the clouds race across the sky while Stella and Elle try to make it back to their ship without freezing to death. And if that’s not enough to make things exciting, this film also features David Hasselhoff with a light saber!

There’s no point in denying that Starcrash would never have been made if not for the success of the first Star Wars. Indeed, the film even begins with an opening crawl and features a shot that is almost a recreation of the first scene in Star Wars. However, director Luigi Cozzi doesn’t limit himself to just mining Star Wars for inspiration. The giant tin robot owes a huge debt to the creations of Ray Harryhausen. The judge that sentences Stella and Akton to prison is the same talking head that appeared in Invaders From Mars. A scene in which Stella explores an abandoned spaceship owes more than a little to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even Akton, with his telepathic powers, seems like he could have stepped out of an episode of Star Trek.

Starcrash makes no secret of its influences but it’s such an energetic and good-natured film that all of the borrowing feels like like a rip-off and more like a very affectionate homage. It’s obvious that director Luigi Cozzi loved the films from which he borrowed and that love is present in every frame of Starcrash. Starcrash is a fast-paced space adventure and it’s a lot of fun. It’s certainly more fun than any of the recent entries in the Star Wars franchise. Working with a low-budget, an energetic cast, and some surprisingly creative special effects, Cozzi crafts a genuinely entertaining movie. Marjoe Gortner was never better than he was in Starcrash. Christopher Plummer, to his credit, brings a truly noble bearing to the role of the Emperor. Joe Spinell obviously understood that his role didn’t require subtlety and he delivers all of his lines like a villain in an old time serial. As for David Hasselhoff …. he’s the Hoff and he brings his trademark earnestness to the role of Simon. Starcrash is the best film that Cozzi ever directed.

A good deal of the success of Starcrash is due to Caroline Munro, who gives such a committed and likable performance as Stella Starr that it’s hard not to mourn the fact that Cozzi was never able to make any more films about the character. As played by Munro, Stella Starr is a smart, confident, and strong. Stella loves doing what she does and it’s impossible not share her joy when she announces she’s taking the ship into “hyperspace.” Even though Stella spends the majority of the film running around in a leather bikini, Munro brings a definite touch of class to the role. No one is going to push Stella Starr around and certainly, no one is going to destroy the Galaxy on her watch. Thank to Caroline Munro’s fearless performance, Starcrash is one of the most empowering science fictions ever made.

Starcrash ends with hints of a possible sequel but sadly, there never came to be. (Not surprisingly, there was an unrelated film that was advertised as being a sequel but which was actually just a softcore science fiction version of Lady Chatterley’s Lover.) It’s a shame. Stella Starr definitely deserved to have many more adventures.

6 Things That I’m Looking Forward To In January

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s January!

Traditionally, as far as pop culture goes, January doesn’t get much respect. If a studio has a film that they knew isn’t going to be a hit with critics or audiences, January is where they usually dump it with the full knowledge that, as bad as it is, everyone will have forgotten about it by the time summer rolls around. The same can often be said of publishers. With everyone busy getting caught up on what they missed during the last few months of the previous year, chances are that they won’t notice a few bombs dropped on the cultural landscape. That’s the theory anyways.

But, you know me! I’m an optimist. And I remain convinced that, even in January, there are things to which we can look forward, And here’s six of those things!

(Why six? Because Lisa Marie doesn’t do odd numbers!)

The Oscars

Yes, it’s that time of year! The Oscar nominations are going to be announced on January 17th! That’s two and a half weeks from now! Obviously, I’ve got quite a bit that I still need to watch. Wish me luck!

2. Sundance Film Festival

The first big film festival of the year opens on January 23rd. Which films will emerge as Oscar contenders from this year’s festival? It’s also possible that this year’s Sundance could be the last to be held in the snowy mountains of Utah. If Sundance does move to either Boulder or Cincinnati, this year’s festival will indeed be the end of an era. (Quite frankly, it’s hard for me to imagine a Sundance Film Festival without snow.)

3. Wolf Man

Directed by Leigh Whannell, the latest version of the Wolf Man will be released on January 17th. Will this Wolf Man be as full of self-pity as Lon Chaney Jr’s version was? We’ll find out!

4, Presence

As a filmmaker, Steven Soderbergh can be hit-or-miss. He’s directed some truly brilliant films. He’s also directed some rather pretentious dreck. His latest film, Presence, appears to be a horror film but, knowing Soderbergh, there will probably be some twist that will annoy me to no end. That said, the film stars Lucy Liu and she’s someone who definitely deserves to make a comeback. The film is due to be released on the 24th and I’m hoping for the best!

5. Screamboat

This is apparently a horror version of Steamboat Willie. This movie is probably going to suck but I’m just curious to see whether it’s going to be merely forgettable or a full-on disaster. Screamboat is destined to ruin some childhood memories on January 24th. Normally, I’d assign Case to check this out for us but I don’t think he’s forgiven me for making him watch Escape From Tomorrow.

6. Back In Action

Cameron Diaz came out of retirement to star in this action comedy. The script must have been really amazing, right? Uhmm….right? We’ll find out when the film is released on January 17th.

What are you looking forward to in January? Let us know in the comments!

Lisa Marie’s First Review of 2025: Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (dir by Irwin Allen)

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On New Year’s Eve in 1972, a tragedy struck in the Aegean Sea. Just as the clock hit midnight and its passengers wished each other a happy new year, the cruise ship Poseidon was capsized by a tidal wave. The majority of the ship’s crew and passengers were killed in the disaster but a small group managed to climb up through the wreckage and make their way to the ship’s hull, where they were rescued. Gene Hackman sacrificed his life so that Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, Jack Albertson, Carol Lynley, and Pamela Sue Martin could all survive.

We all know the story of The Poseidon Adventure and some of us have even been goaded by our sisters into singing There’s Got To Be A Morning After for karaoke night at Grandpa Tony’s. (Grandpa Tony’s has since shut down but, for a while, it was the best place in Dallas for nachos and karaoke.) But do you know the story of what happened after that initial group of survivors was rescued from the ship? Have you gone Beyond The Poseidon Adventure?

First released in 1979, Beyond The Poseidon Adventure picks up directly from where the first film ended. Mere minutes after the rescue helicopter flies off, a tugboat pulls up alongside the still capsized wreck of the Poseidon. Needing money to pay off his debts, Captain Mike Turner (Michael Caine) has decided to declare salvage rights and claim all of the cash and jewelry that he can find in the wreckage. Accompanying him is his mentor Dead Meat (Karl Malden) and his protegee, Annoying and Cutesy (Sally Field). Actually, Dead Meat is named Wilbur but, as soon as Karl Malden starts to dramatically grab at his chest, viewers will know that he’s destined to heroically sacrifice himself. Annoying and Cutesy’s real name is Celeste. Sally Field gives perhaps the worst performance of her career as the almost always perky Celeste. This movie came out the same year that Sally Field appeared in the film for which she won her first Oscar, Norma Rae. I have to imagine that Field was happy to win that Oscar because it meant she would never have to do another film like Beyond The Poseidon Adventure.

Before the tugboat crew can begin to explore the Poseidon, another boat shows up. This boat is captained by Stefan Svevo (Telly Savalas), who claims to be a doctor who is responding to an S.O.S. from the capsized ship. Svevo and his crew insist on accompanying the tugboat crew into the Poseidon. It’s obvious from the start that Svevo is not actually a benevolent doctor. For one thing, the men accompanying him are armed. For another thing, he’s played by veteran screen villain Telly Savalas.

The two crews finally enter the ship and …. hey, there’s even more people on the boat! At the end of The Poseidon Adventure, we were told that only six people had survived the disaster but apparently, that was just a damn lie. The ship is literally crawling with people who still haven’t gotten out. (Why didn’t the people who rescued the first batch of survivors check to make sure that they had gotten everyone?) There’s Tex (Slim Pickens), who says he’s from “Big D” and talks about how he owns an oil well (as we all do in Big D). There’s Frank Mazzetti (Peter Boyle, basically playing the same loudmouth that Ernest Borgnine played in the first film) and his daughter Theresa (Angela Cartwright) and Theresa’s new boyfriend, Larry (Mark Harmon). There’s a nurse (Shirley Jones) and a blind man (Jack Warden) and his wife (Shirley Knight). There’s Susanne (Veronica Hamel), the cool femme fatale who has a connection to Svevo.

While Svevo searches for a crate of plutonium (what the Hell was that doing on the Poseidon?), Mike tries to get the survivors to safety. That means once again climbing up to the hull while the ship shakes and the engines continue to explode. Both the first film and the sequel feature the exact same footage of the engines exploding. At this rate, I guess the Poseidon might finally sink sometime this year.

Directed by Irwin Allen (who produced the first film), Beyond The Poseidon Adventure is about as bad as a film could be. The first film had plenty of silly moments but it also had the entertaining spectacle of Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine competing to see who could yell the loudest. Beyond the Poseidon Adventure has Michael Caine and Telly Savalas both looking bored while Peter Boyle complains, “That was the worst New Year’s Party I’ve ever been to!” and Sally Field says stuff like, “I’ve been to Anzio! It’s the pits!” At one point, Slim Pickens says that he’s as phony as a three dollar bill. The same could be said of this film. Beyond The Poseidon Adventure looks and feels cheap and generates none of the suspense of the first film.

As Beyond The Poseidon Adventure ended, I found myself worrying that there might be other passengers still stuck on the ship. I mean, apparently, it’s very easy to not only survive on a capsized cruise ship but also to be overlooked by professional rescue crews. Unfortunately, there was not another sequel so those folks were just out of luck.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special New Year’s Edition

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Happy New Year’s Day! Did you have as wonderful a celebration as the characters featured in today’s special edition of 4 Shots From 4 Films?

4 Shots From 4 Films

The Poseidon Adventure (1972, dir by Ronald Neame, DP: Harold E. Stine)

The Godfather Part II (1974, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

New Year’s Evil (1980, dir by Emmett Alston, DP: Edward Thomas)

Once Upon A Time In America (1984, dir by Sergio Leone, DP: Tonino Delli Colli)

Scenes That I Love: A New Year In Strange Days

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Strange Days (1995, dir by Kathryn Bigelow, DP: Matthew F. Leonetti)

2025’s first scene that I love comes to us from a film that was released 30 years ago. With its portrayal of a society desperately looking for both meaning and sensation in an increasingly digitized and detached world, Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days predicted the future and it has continued to find new fans and admirers despite having been a box office disappointment when it was originally released.

In this scene, Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett bring in the new year with the knowledge that they have many more strange days ahead of them.

As do we all.

(It’s always somewhat jarring to see a science fiction film that is set in what is now the past. Welcome to 2000! That said, Strange Days did a very good job of predicting where the world was heading.)

Music Video of the Day: Stay Golden by Saint Motel (2024, dir by A/J Jackson and Mario Contini)

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Honestly, what better way to start the New Year than with my favorite band, Saint Motel?

I like this video because they’re stars, they’ve got a tour bus, they’re driving across the country, and they’ve got adoring fans everywhere but the members of the band still come across as just being a very cool and laid back group of people. They’re having fun and they’re passing that fun on to the folks who come to see and hear them. Saint Motel is staying golden.

I saw Saint Motel in Dallas in 2020. They’re a great live band. They bring a lot of energy to the stage and it’s obvious that they love their fans. I recommend this band to everyone. Hopefully, they’ll provide the soundtrack to my 2025.

Enjoy!

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For December

Posted on December 31, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

With the 2024 coming to a close and awards season in full swing, the Oscar race has become a lot clearer. For the last time this year, here are my monthly Oscar predictions!

Be sure to check out my predictions for April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November!

Best Picture

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune Part Two

Emilia Perez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

The Substance

Wicked

Best Director

Sean Baker for Anora

Brady Corbet for The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat for The Substance

RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys

Denis Villeneuve for Dune Part Two

Best Actor

Adrien Brody in The Brutalist

Timothee Chalamet in A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig in Queer

Colman Domingo in Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes in Conclave

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked

Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Hard Truths

Mikey Madison in Anora

Demi Moore in The Substance

Kate Winlset in Lee

Best Supporting Actor

Yura Borisov in Anora

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain

Edward Norton in A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce in The Brutalist

Denzel Washington in Gladiator Part II

Best Supporting Actress

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in Nickel Boys

Ariana Grande in Wicked

Felicity Jones in The Brutalist

Margaret Qualley in The Substance

Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez

Here Are The 2024 Nominations Of The Georgia Film Critics Association

Posted on December 31, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Earlier today, the Georgia Film Critics Association announced its nominees for the best of 2024! The winners will be announced on January 7th,

Best Picture
“Anora”
“The Brutalist”
“Challengers”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Flow”
“Nickel Boys”
“Sing Sing”
“The Substance”
“Wicked”

Best Director
“Anora” – Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” – Brady Corbet
“Dune: Part Two” – Denis Villeneuve
“Nickel Boys” – RaMell Ross
“The Substance” – Coralie Fargeat

Best Actor
Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist“)
Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown“)
Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing“)
Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave“)
Keith Kupferer (“Ghostlight“)

Best Actress
Lily-Rose Depp (“Nosferatu“)
Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked“)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths“)
Mikey Madison (“Anora“)
Demi Moore (“The Substance“)

Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov (“Anora“)
Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain“)
Clarence Maclin (“Sing Sing“)
Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist“)
Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II“)

Best Supporting Actress
Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson“)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“Nickel Boys“)
Ariana Grande-Butera (“Wicked“)
Katy O’Brian (“Love Lies Bleeding“)
Margaret Qualley (“The Substance“)
Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez“)

Best Original Screenplay
“Anora” – Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” – Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
“Challengers” – Justin Kuritzkes
“A Real Pain” – Jesse Eisenberg
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” – Mohammad Rasoulof
“September 5” – Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
“The Substance” – Coralie Fargeat

Best Adapted Screenplay
“Conclave” – Peter Straughan
“Dune: Part Two” – Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts
“Nickel Boys” – RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes
“Sing Sing” – Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley
“Wicked” – Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox

Best Cinematography
“The Brutalist” – Lol Crawley
“Dune: Part Two” – Greig Fraser
“Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell” – Đinh Duy Hưng
“Nickel Boys” – Jomo Fray
“Nosferatu” – Jarin Blaschke

Best Production Design
“The Brutalist” – Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia
“Dune: Part Two” – Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” – Colin Gibson, Katie Sharrock
“Nosferatu” – Craig Lathrop
“Wicked” – Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales

Best Original Score
“The Brutalist” – Daniel Blumberg
“Challengers” – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
“Conclave” – Volker Bertelmann
“Dune: Part Two” – Hans Zimmer
“The Wild Robot” – Kris Bowers

Best Original Song
“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” – Jessi Alexander, Luke Combs, Jonathan Singleton (“Twisters“)
“Compress/Repress” – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross (“Challengers“)
“El Mal” – Clément Ducol, Camille, Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez“)
“Kiss the Sky” – Delacey, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Maren Morris, Michael Pollack, Ali Tamposi (“The Wild Robot“)
“Sick in the Head” – Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, Adrian Louis Richard Mcleod, Toddla T (“Kneecap“)

Best Ensemble
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Saturday Night”
“Sing Sing”
“Wicked”

Best International Film
“All We Imagine as Light”
“Flow”
“Kneecap”
“Red Rooms”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Best Animated Film
“Flow”
“Inside Out 2”
“Memoir of a Snail”
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”
“The Wild Robot”

Best Documentary Film
“No Other Land”
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin”
“Sugarcane”
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”
“Will & Harper”

Breakthrough Award
Clarence Maclin
Mikey Madison
Katy O’Brian
RaMell Ross
Maisy Stella

Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema
“Civil War” (Alex Garland)
“Color Book” (David Fortune)
“The Forge” (Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick)
“The Idea of You” (Michael Showalter, Robinne Lee, Jennifer Westfeldt)
“Juror #2” (Clint Eastwood, Jonathan A. Abrams)
“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World (short; Julio Palacio, Makayla Cain)
“The Piano Lesson” (Malcolm Washington, Virgil Williams, August Wilson)
“The Preakness (short; Akshay Bhatia)
“Saturday Night” (Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan)
“The South Got Something to Say” (Ryon Horne, Tyson Horne, Ernie Suggs, DeAsia Paige)