Tag Archives: movie

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Seattle Film Critics Society!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Seattle Film Critics Society!

BEST PICTURE
Bugonia – Yorgos Lanthimos
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi
Marty Supreme – Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley
Weapons – Zach Cregger

BEST DIRECTOR
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
Marty Supreme – Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
David Jonsson – The Long Walk
William H. Macy – Train Dreams
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Eephus – Carson Lund
Marty Supreme – Jennifer Venditti
One Battle After Another – Cassandra Kulukundis
Sinners – Francine Maisler
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story – Bret Howe, Mary Vernieu

BEST YOUTH PERFORMANCE
Cary Christopher – Weapons
Shannon Gorman – Rental Family
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet
Jasper Thompson – The Mastermind
Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later

BEST SCREENPLAY
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Sorry, Baby – Eva Victor
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco – Ugo Bienvenu
The Colors Within – Naoko Yamada
KPop Demon Hunters – Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain – Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han
Zootopia 2 – Jared Bush, Byron Howard

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
The Alabama Solution – Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman
Come See Me in the Good Light – Ryan White
Pavements – Alex Ross Perry
The Perfect Neighbor – Geeta Gandbhir
WTO/99 – Ian Bell

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
It Was Just an Accident – Jafar Panahi
No Other Choice – Park Chan-wook
The Secret Agent – Kleber Mendonça Filho
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
The Ugly Stepsister – Emilie Blichfeldt

BEST PACIFIC NORTHWEST FEATURE FILM
Not One Drop of Blood – Jackson Devereux, Lachlan Hinton
To Kill a Wolf – Kelsey Taylor
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley
Twinless – James Sweeney
Wolf Land (Director’s Cut) – Sarah Hoffman
WTO/99 – Ian Bell

BEST PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHORT FILM
Charlotte, 1994 – Brian Pittala
A Fateful Weekend – Tony Doupe
Shelly’s Leg – Wes Hurley
Songs of Black Folk – Justin Emeka, Haley Watson
Style: A Seattle Basketball Story – Bryan Tucker

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Frankenstein – Dan Laustsen
Hamnet – Łukasz Żal
One Battle After Another – Michael Bauman
Sinners – Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Train Dreams – Adolpho Veloso

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein – Kate Hawley
The Phoenician Scheme – Milena Canonero
Sinners – Ruth E. Carter
Train Dreams – Malgosia Turzanska
Wicked: For Good – Paul Tazewell

BEST FILM EDITING
F1 The Movie – Stephen Mirrione, Patrick J. Smith
Marty Supreme – Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
One Battle After Another – Andy Jurgensen
Reflection in a Dead Diamond – Bernard Beets
Sinners – Michael P. Shawver

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
F1 The Movie – Hans Zimmer
Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
Tron: Ares – Nine Inch Nails

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Fantastic Four: First Steps – Kasra Farahani (Production Design); Jille Azis (Set Decoration)
Frankenstein – Tamara Deverell (Production Design); Shane Vieau (Set Decoration)
The Phoenician Scheme – Adam Stockhausen (Production Design); Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration)
Resurrection – Liu Qiang, Tu Nan
Sinners – Hannah Beachler (Production Design); Monique Champagne (Set Decoration)

BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Garrett Warren, Steve Brown, Stuart Thorp
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina – Stephen Dunlevy, Jackson Spindell
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – Wade Eastwood
Predator: Badlands – Jacob Tomuri
Sinners – Andy Gill

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett
F1 The Movie – Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington
Frankenstein – Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell
Predator: Badlands – Olivier Dumont, Alec Gillis, Sheldon Stopsack, Karl Rapley
Sinners – Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean

VILLAIN OF THE YEAR
Aunt Gladys – Weapons (as portrayed by Amy Madigan)
Col. Steven J. Lockjaw – One Battle After Another (as portrayed by Sean Penn)
Laura – Bring Her Back (as portrayed by Sally Hawkins)
Lex Luthor – Superman (as portrayed by Nicholas Hoult)
Remmick – Sinners (as portrayed by Jack O’Connell)

Here Are The Michigan Movie Critic Guild Nominations For 2025

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The 2025 nominations of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild were announced on Friday.  And here they are:

Best Picture
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Brendan Fraser – Rental Family
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Best Actress
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Emma Stone – Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor
Miles Caton – Sinners
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Hailee Steinfeld – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Animated Film
Arco
Dog Man
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best Documentary
Orwell: 2+2=5
Pee-Wee as Himself
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
The Perfect Neighbor
The Tale of Silyan

Best Ensemble
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man
Wicked: For Good

Best Screenplay
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sorry, Baby
Sinners

Best Cinematography
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Breakthrough
Miles Caton – (Actor) Sinners
Chase Infiniti – (Actress) One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – (Actor) Frankenstein
Jacobi Jupe – (Actor) Hamnet
Eva Victor – (Writer, Director, Actor) Sorry, Baby

Best Stunts
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Nobody 2
One Battle After Another

The MMCG Award for Film Excellence
Paul Feig – (Director) The Housemaid / Another Simple Favor
Judy Greer – (Actress) The Long Walk
Paul Walter Hauser – (Actor) The Naked Gun / Fantastic Four: First Steps
Tim Robinson – (Actor/Writer) Friendship
J.K. Simmons – (Actor) The Accountant 2

Here Are The 2025 Critics Choice Nominations

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The nominations for the Critics Choice Awards — a.k.a. the most pointless awards of the season — were announced on Friday.  The winners will be announced on January 4th.

BEST PICTURE
Bugonia (Focus Features)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Marty Supreme (A24)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Sentimental Value (Neon)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Train Dreams (Netflix)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme (A24)
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams (Netflix)
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon (Sony Pictures Classics)
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent (Neon)

BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
Emma Stone – Bugonia (Focus Features)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Paul Mescal – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value (Neon)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Amy Madigan – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)

BEST YOUNG ACTOR / ACTRESS
Everett Blunck – The Plague (Independent Film Company)
Miles Caton – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Cary Christopher – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family (Searchlight Pictures)
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet (Focus Features)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Zach Cregger – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby (A24)
Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value (Neon)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams (Netflix)
Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee – No Other Choice (Neon)
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Will Tracy – Bugonia (Focus Features)
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet (Focus Features)

BEST CASTING AND ENSEMBLE
Nina Gold – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Douglas Aibel, Nina Gold – Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Jennifer Venditti – Marty Supreme (A24)
Cassandra Kulukundis – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Francine Maisler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Claudio Miranda – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Łukasz Żal – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams (Netflix)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Kasra Farahani, Jille Azis – The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Marvel Studios)
Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Jack Fisk, Adam Willis – Marty Supreme (A24)
Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST EDITING
Kirk Baxter – A House of Dynamite (Netflix)
Stephen Mirrione – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme (A24)
Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Kate Hawley – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Malgosia Turzanska – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Lindsay Pugh – Hedda (Amazon MGM Studios)
Colleen Atwood, Christine Cantella – Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions)
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Flora Moody, John Nolan – 28 Years Later (Sony Pictures)
Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal – The Smashing Machine (A24)
Leo Satkovich, Melizah Wheat, Jason Collins – Weapons (Warner Bros.)
Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier, Laura Blount – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett – Avatar: Fire And Ash (20th Century Studios)
Ryan Tudhope, Nikeah Forde, Robert Harrington, Nicolas Chevallier, Eric Leven, Edward Price, Keith Dawson – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess, Ivan Busquets, José Granell – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Alex Wuttke, Ian Lowe, Jeff Sutherland, Kirstin Hall – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé, Guy Williams – Superman (Warner Bros.)

BEST STUNT DESIGN
Stephen Dunlevy, Kyle Gardiner, Jackson Spidell, Jeremy Marinas, Jan Petřina, Domonkos Párdányi, Kinga Kósa-Gavalda – Ballerina (Lionsgate)
Gary Powell, Luciano Bacheta, Craig Dolby – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Wade Eastwood – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount Pictures)
Brian Machleit – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Andy Gill – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Giedrius Nagys – Warfare (A24)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco (Neon)
Elio (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
In Your Dreams (Netflix)
KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain (GKIDS)
Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

BEST COMEDY
The Ballad of Wallis Island (Focus Features)
Eternity (A24)
Friendship (A24)
The Naked Gun (Paramount)
The Phoenician Scheme (Focus Features)
Splitsville (Neon)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Belén (Amazon MGM Studios)
It Was Just an Accident (Neon)
Left-Handed Girl (Netflix)
No Other Choice (Neon)
The Secret Agent (Neon)
Sirāt (Neon)

BEST SONG
“Drive” – Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Blake Slatkin – F1 (Apple Original Films)
“Golden” – Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, Teddy – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
“I Lied to You” – Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
“Clothed by the Sun” – Daniel Blumberg – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
“Train Dreams” – Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner – Train Dreams (Netflix)
“The Girl in the Bubble” – Stephen Schwartz – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

BEST SCORE
Hans Zimmer – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Max Richter – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme (A24)
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Ludwig Göransson – Sinners (Warner Bros.)

BEST SOUND
Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta, Gareth John – F1 (Apple Original Films)
Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, Greg Chapman – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Jose Antonio Garcia, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Chris Welcker, Benny Burtt, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker, Felipe Pacheco, David V. Butler – Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Laia Casanovas – Sirāt (Neon)
Mitch Low, Glenn Freemantle, Ben Barker, Howard Bargroff, Richard Spooner – Warfare (A24)

Holidays on the Lens: Santa Claus and the Ice Cream Bunny (dir by Richard Winer)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Oh no!  Christmas is approaching but Santa Claus is trapped on a beach in Florida!  A bunch of kids try to help him move his sled but the children are useless!  Maybe Santa’s friend, the Ice Cream Bunny, can help.  While Santa waits for the Bunny to show up, he tells the kids a story.

It’s a bit difficult to explain the plot of 1972’s Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny.  It’s even more difficult to explain why I can’t help but love this odd movie.  The Ice Cream Bunny driving to the rescue is one of my favorite holiday images.  Don’t ask me why he’s the Ice Cream Bunny.  Don’t ask me why Santa needs the help of a giant rabbit.  Don’t ask me why Santa’s on a beach in Florida in the first place.

Just enjoy this holiday oddity!

Scenes I Love: The Cross-Examination From Anatomy of a Murder

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Since today is Otto Preminger’s birthday, I figured that this would be a good time to share a scene that I love from one of my favorite movies, Preminger’s 1959 film, Anatomy of a Murder.

In this scene, prosecutor Claude Dancer (played, in one of his first screen roles, by George C. Scott) cross-examined Laura Manion (Lee Remick), the wife of a man who has been accused of murder.  Playing the role of the defense attorney is James Stewart.  This scene is a master-class in great acting.  Preminger could be a bit of an inconsistent director but his willingness to take on controversial subjects set him apart from many of his contemporaries.  When he had the right material, as he did here, he could create the perfect mix of melodrama and art.  Preminger’s best films, like Anatomy of a Murder, stand the test of time.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Fritz Lang Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More 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!

Today, we celebrate the birth and the legacy of the great Austrian director Fritz Lang.  Starting his career during the silent era in Germany, Lang was both a proponent of expressionism and an early critic of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler.  Despite this and the fact that Lang’s mother was Jewish, Josef Goebbels attempted to recruit Lang to run Germany’s largest film studio, UFA.  Lang responded to Goebbels offer by moving to Paris and divorcing his wife, who was an ardent Nazi.  Lang eventually found his way to Hollywood, where he worked for the next twenty years.  With films like Metropolis, M, Fury, Hangmen Also Die, Scarlet Street, and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, Lang proved himself to be a master of every genre and his influence is still felt to this day.

In honor of the man and his legacy, here are….

4 Shots From 4 Fritz Lang Films

Metropolis (1927, dir by Fritz Lang, DP: Karl Freund and Gunther Rittau)

 

M (1931, dir by Fritz Lang, DP: Fritz Arno Wagner)

 

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933, dir by Fritz Lang, DP: Karl Vash and Fritz Arno Wagner)

 

Fury (1936, dir by Fritz Lang, DP: Joseph Ruttenberg)

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix for Eye of the Tiger!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly watch parties.  On Twitter, I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday and I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday.  On Mastodon, I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, I will be hosting #FridayNightFlix and celebrating the event’s 5th birthday with an encore presentation!  The movie?  1986’s Eye of the Tiger!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, find Eye of the Tiger on Prime, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  I’ll be there happily tweeting.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

See you there!

An Eric Roberts Holiday Film Review: So This Is Christmas (dir by Richard Foster)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2014’s So This Is Christmas, Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox play a married couple!

That’s really not the plot of the film but it is probably the main reason why most people will watch it.  Roberts and Fox have been frequent co-stars over the past few years, thanks to the “Wrong” films on Lifetime.  In this film, we get to see them as a couple and, while they don’t exactly have the greatest romantic chemistry, we do get to watch as the sing a duet of Mary, Did You Know?

Both Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox get to do more actual acting than they usually do whenever they appear in low budget films like this one.  Roberts is the father of Ashley (Lexi Ainsworth), an alcoholic teenager who leaves the house in sparkly booty shorts and who has a best friend who is supposed to be in high school but who appears to be about 40 years old.  Fox is the mother of Jason (Titus Mankin, Jr.), who has a pregnant girlfriend and a growing cocaine addiction….

That may sound like some fairly heavy stuff for a Christmas movie.  What’s interesting is that the film still largely takes a Hallmark approach, even while the characters are getting drunk, cursing, and nearly getting killed as a result.  Ashley starts to change her ways when a groundskeeper named Mac (Bryan Massey) recruits her to help direct the Christmas show at the local shelter.  Jason learns an important lesson after his girlfriend is put in a coma as a result of his own stupid decisions….

It’s kind of an unpleasant film, to be honest.  Scenes of Ashley earnestly working on the play are mixed with smokey scenes of drug dealers threatening to kill everyone.  It’s a mishmash of styles that doesn’t come together and, at nearly two hours, the film drags considerably.

That said …. Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox!  Singing!

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

  1. Paul’s Case (1980)
  2. Star 80 (1983)
  3. Runaway Train (1985)
  4. To Heal A Nation (1988)
  5. Best of the Best (1989)
  6. Blood Red (1989)
  7. The Ambulance (1990)
  8. The Lost Capone (1990)
  9. Best of the Best II (1993)
  10. Love, Cheat, & Steal (1993)
  11. Voyage (1993)
  12. Love Is A Gun (1994)
  13. Sensation (1994)
  14. Dark Angel (1996)
  15. Doctor Who (1996)
  16. Most Wanted (1997)
  17. Mercy Streets (2000)
  18. Raptor (2001)
  19. Rough Air: Danger on Flight 534 (2001)
  20. Strange Frequency (2001)
  21. Wolves of Wall Street (2002)
  22. Border Blues (2004)
  23. Mr. Brightside (2004)
  24. Six: The Mark Unleased (2004)
  25. We Belong Together (2005)
  26. Hey You (2006)
  27. Depth Charge (2008)
  28. Amazing Racer (2009)
  29. The Chaos Experiment (2009)
  30. In The Blink of an Eye (2009)
  31. Bed & Breakfast (2010)
  32. Enemies Among Us (2010)
  33. The Expendables (2010) 
  34. Sharktopus (2010)
  35. Beyond The Trophy (2012)
  36. The Dead Want Women (2012)
  37. Deadline (2012)
  38. The Mark (2012)
  39. Miss Atomic Bomb (2012)
  40. Assault on Wall Street (2013)
  41. Bonnie And Clyde: Justified (2013)
  42. Lovelace (2013)
  43. The Mark: Redemption (2013)
  44. The Perfect Summer (2013)
  45. Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (2013)
  46. Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire (2013)
  47. Self-Storage (2013)
  48. Sink Hole (2013)
  49. A Talking Cat!?! (2013)
  50. This Is Our Time (2013)
  51. Bigfoot vs DB Cooper (2014)
  52. Doc Holliday’s Revenge (2014)
  53. Inherent Vice (2014)
  54. Road to the Open (2014)
  55. Rumors of War (2014)
  56. Amityville Death House (2015)
  57. Deadly Sanctuary (2015)
  58. A Fatal Obsession (2015)
  59. Las Vegas Story (2015)
  60. Sorority Slaughterhouse (2015)
  61. Stalked By My Doctor (2015)
  62. Enemy Within (2016)
  63. Hunting Season (2016)
  64. Joker’s Poltergeist (2016)
  65. Prayer Never Fails (2016)
  66. Stalked By My Doctor: The Return (2016)
  67. The Wrong Roommate (2016)
  68. Dark Image (2017)
  69. The Demonic Dead (2017)
  70. Black Wake (2018)
  71. Frank and Ava (2018)
  72. Stalked By My Doctor: Patient’s Revenge (2018)
  73. Clinton Island (2019)
  74. Monster Island (2019)
  75. The Reliant (2019)
  76. The Savant (2019)
  77. Seven Deadly Sins (2019)
  78. Stalked By My Doctor: A Sleepwalker’s Nightmare (2019)
  79. The Wrong Mommy (2019)
  80. Exodus of a Prodigal Son (2020)
  81. Free Lunch Express (2020)
  82. Her Deadly Groom (2020)
  83. Top Gunner (2020)
  84. Deadly Nightshade (2021)
  85. The Elevator (2021)
  86. Just What The Doctor Ordered (2021)
  87. Killer Advice (2021)
  88. Megaboa (2021)
  89. Night Night (2021)
  90. The Poltergeist Diaries (2021)
  91. The Rebels of PT-218 (2021)
  92. Red Prophecies (2021)
  93. 616 Wilford Lane (2021)
  94. A Town Called Parable (2021)
  95. Bleach (2022)
  96. Dawn (2022)
  97. My Dinner With Eric (2022)
  98. 69 Parts (2022)
  99. The Rideshare Killer (2022)
  100. The Company We Keep (2023)
  101. D.C. Down (2023)
  102. Aftermath (2024)
  103. Bad Substitute (2024)
  104. Devil’s Knight (2024)
  105. Insane Like Me? (2024)
  106. Space Sharks (2024)
  107. The Wrong Life Coach (2024)
  108. Broken Church (2025)
  109. When It Rains In L.A. (2025)

Brad reviews NOTTING HILL (1999), starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Life takes an unexpected turn for the reserved Englishman William Thacker (Hugh Grant) when the hugely popular American movie star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) wanders into his humble little travel book shop in the district of Notting Hill in West London. When the initial meeting is followed up by some coincidentally spilled orange juice and an unexpected kiss, William finds himself completely smitten. After Anna leaves, and still in a state of disbelief, William struggles focusing on his normal life with his eccentrically odd flat mate Spike (Rhys Ifans). When Anna surprisingly reaches back out to him wanting to get back together, the sweet and shy William is ecstatic, but he remembers that he’s already obligated himself to attend his sister Honey’s (Emma Chambers) birthday party that night. Wanting to be part of something normal, Anna goes to the party as William’s date, where she has a wonderful, relaxing evening with Honey and their close-knit group of best friends that includes Max (Tim McInnerny), Bella (Gina McKee) and Bernie (Hugh Bonneville), even if she did give them quite the shock when she walked through the door. Everything seems to be going beautifully, but the life of an international film icon tends to be complicated, and William soon finds himself caught up in a whirlwind that includes her “boyfriend,” the arrogant American actor Jeff King (Alec Baldwin). He’s not really her boyfriend anymore, but that seems of little consequence to the press. And then there’s the sudden emergence of racy pictures of Anna from her past in the British tabloids. As much as William loves Anna, will he ever be able to deal with life in Anna’s superstar spotlight?

NOTTING HILL is part of a trilogy of modern-day love stories that I’m sure to watch every year, with the other two being RETURN TO ME (2000) and HITCH (2005). I’ve noticed that these three movies have plot points in common that I find extremely appealing. First, both NOTTING HILL and RETURN TO ME feature main characters who have a group of loyal family and friends who offer uncompromising love and support. William Thacker’s sister and friends clearly care about him and want what’s best for him. If necessary, they’re willing to prove it by being honest with him when he’s unwilling to be honest with himself. One of the best scenes of the film occurs near the end when William tells his group of friends that he’s turned down Anna’s request to continue their relationship, even after she says the famous lines, “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” While his friends struggle to find the right words, the flaky Spike, played superbly by Rhys Ifans, rushes into the meeting and when asked his opinion, says these three words to William, “You daft prick!” A memorable song on the movie’s excellent soundtrack reminds us sometimes that “you say it best when you say nothing at all,” but sometimes words need to be spoken, and Spike cares enough to tell William what he needs to hear. I’ve said it before, but I love it when a movie surrounds its characters with the type of people we’d love to have in our corner in real life. Second, both NOTTING HILL and HITCH feature plot lines that show a “star” falling for a sweet nobody. Maybe it’s because I’m a nobody myself, but the idea of the rich and powerful falling in love with regular people like me always strikes a nerve. Sure, it may be a fantasy, but it’s a fantasy I’m perfectly willing to roll with. 

As far as I’m concerned, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant have never been more appealing than they are in NOTTING HILL. Julia is so beautiful, and I fell in love with her myself for the first time when I watched this movie at the theater in 1999. There are scenes where William is watching Anna Scott on the big screen and the small screen, whether it be a love story or a science fiction movie, and he’s clearly in complete awe of her. As a film buff going back to my early teens, I can relate so easily to his character, whether it be my crush on Elizabeth Shue in the 80’s or Salma Hayek in 90’s. Heck, as recently as a couple of years ago, after interviewing the lovely Jan Gan Boyd who starred with Charles Bronson in ASSASSINATION (1987), I can still identify with a man completely smitten with a beautiful actress. And Hugh Grant is so sweet, witty and funny as William Thacker. This was a big film for Grant, as a few years earlier his promising Hollywood career had somewhat stalled due to his arrest on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles for “lewd conduct in a public place” with a prostitute named Divine Brown. With the irony not lost on me, if you’ve seen NOTTING HILL before you’ll understand that my inclusion of this matter of public record proves the character of Anna Scott to be correct when she explains to William just how difficult it can be to live life in the public eye. Regardless of all that, Hugh Grant is great in the film, and with a few years separating the events, it seems the filmgoing public was ready for forgiveness. NOTTING HILL was a runaway box office success, raking in $365 million dollars at the worldwide box office. 

The final thing I want to point out about NOTTING HILL is the incredible talent behind the scenes. Director Roger Michell helmed one of my very favorite Jane Austen adaptations, PERSUASION from 1995, starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. It’s a perfect movie as far as I’m concerned, and I watch it several times every year. Writer Richard Curtis has written the wonderful films FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994), BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY (2001), and LOVE ACTUALLY (2003), and he clearly knows how to push our love buttons. Both Michell and Curtis do the most successful work in their careers here. Now whether or not it’s their very best is a matter of opinion, but it’s definitely great work that I can confidently recommend to anyone. 

Here’s Are The AFI’s Top Ten Films Of 2025

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The American Film Institute has announced its picks for the ten best American films of 2025.  For better or worse, the AFI is usually a pretty good precursor so, in all probability, the Best Picture nominations will look a lot like what’s listed below.  That said, one should keep in mind that Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, and It Was Just An Accident were not eligible for the AFI’s top ten.  If I had to guess, I’d say that Bugonia is probably going to be replaced by Sentimental Value.   

AFI Motion Pictures of the Year

Avatar: Fire and Ash
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wicked: For Good