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Here Are The 2019 Nominations of the Detroit Film Critics Society!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Earlier on Friday, the Detroit Film Critics Society released their nominations for the best of 2019!

Now, back in 2018, the DFCS honored some great films that were overlooked by the Academy, films like Eighth Grade, A Quiet Place, and First Reformed.  I mean, I really, really loved the 2018 DFCS awards.  And you know what?  I’m pretty happy with what they came up with for 2019 as well!  I especially like the nomination for Anna Paquin in The Irishman.  With all the overblown controversy about how many lines she spoke in the film, it is often overlooked that she gave a great performance and, with just the power of her withering glare, pretty much transformed Peggy into the conscience of the film.

Here are the DFCS nominees for the best of 2019!  The winners will be announced on December 9th!

BEST PICTURE
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

BEST DIRECTOR
Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
Bong Joon-ho – Parasite
Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit

BEST ACTRESS
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Julianne Moore – Gloria Bell
Lupita Nyong’o – Us
Charlize Theron – Bombshell
Renee Zellweger – Judy

BEST ACTOR
Robert De Niro – The Irishman
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Robert Pattinson – The Lighthouse
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Sam Rockwell – Richard Jewell
Wesley Snipes – Dolemite Is My Name

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
Laura Dern – Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Anna Paquin – The Irishman
Florence Pugh – Little Women

BEST SCREENPLAY
The Irishman
The Lighthouse
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Toy Story 4

BEST USE OF MUSIC
1917
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Rocketman
Uncut Gems
Wild Rose

BEST ENSEMBLE
Dolemite Is My Name
The Farewell
The Irishman
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amazing Grace
Apollo 11
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
Knocking Down the House
Rolling Thunder Review: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese

BREAKTHROUGH
Ana de Armas – actress (Knives Out, The Informer, Yesterday)
Jessie Buckley – actress (Wild Rose, Judy)
Kaitlyn Dever – actress (Booksmart, Them That Follow)
Aisling Franciosi – actress (The Nightingale)
Paul Walter Hauser – actor (Richard Jewell)
Florence Pugh – actress (Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, Little Women)
Lulu Wang – director (The Farewell)
Olivia Wilde – director (Booksmart)

Lifetime Film Review: The Killer Next Door (dir by Ben Meyerson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Ah, the suburbs!

Listen, it doesn’t matter how big your house is or how nice of a career you’ve got going or how pretty your family might be.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a nice pool or a nice house or if your sister-in-law lives right next door.  It doesn’t matter how friendly the neighbors seem to be or that there’s a really hot guy at your new job.  If you live in the suburbs, you are screwed.

At least, that’s what I’ve learned from watching Lifetime movies.  Now, I should admit that I live in a suburb and …. well, it’s pretty nice.  But I’m guessing that my neighborhood must be the exception to the rule because, as I’ve learned from watching Lifetime, every other suburban neighborhood is a hotbed of murder, betrayal, and kidnapping.

Take The Killer Next Door, for instance!

Julie (Andrea Bogart) and her ten year-old son, Matty (Nicholas Borne), have just moved into a nice, big house in the suburbs.  Julie’s been having a tough time ever since her husband was killed in a tragic auto accident.  But, finally, it looks like things might be getting better!  She’s got a new home and a new job as a personal trainer, where she meets big, handsome Blake (John-Michael Carlton).  Living right next door, she’s get her sister-in-law, Alison (Hannah Barefoot).  As Alison makes clear, she’s more than willing to help Julie in whatever way possible.  Alison definitely wants to look after Matty whenever Julie can’t be there.  In fact, Alison is so determined to be there for Matty that she even seems to get a little bit offended when Julie hires a nanny!  Hmmmm, I wonder where this could be leading….

As Julie soon discovers, she’s moved into a very tight-knit and somewhat gossipy neighborhood.  In fact, there’s even a website where everyone in the neighborhood can post comments about upcoming events, along with totally mean stuff about the newest member of the community!  Julie quickly discovers — with Alison’s help — that her new neighbors apparently don’t like her!  Little things — like taking the trash out on the wrong day — really set them off.  And then there’s the time that Julie thinks Matty has been kidnapped and she gets the entire neighborhood to set up a search party, just for Alison to come driving up in her SUV with Matty sitting in the passenger’s seat.  It was all just a misunderstanding!  Needless to say, Julie’s neighbors are not amused.  All that drama for nothing….

Anyway, no one should be shocked to discover that Alison isn’t exactly the benevolent sister-in-law that she pretends to be.  In fact, she’s setting Julie up.  But will Julie realize what’s happening or will she be too caught up in arguing with her neighbors to notice that Alison is stealing her son away from her?  You’ll have to watch to find out….

I always enjoy a good, “evil in the suburbs” movie so I enjoyed The Killer Next Door.  It’s pretty obvious from the start that Alison is not to be trusted but that’s actually what makes a movie like this fun.  You know that Julie’s being set up and the suspense comes from trying to guess how long it’s going to take Julie to figure it out.  Mostly, I liked the film’s portrayal of all of Julie’s gossipy neighbors.  No matter what was happening, you could always be sure that one of them would pop up in the background with a disapproving look on their face.  The Killer Next Door was a fun trip to Suburban Hell.

Here’s The Trailer For The Assistant!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here’s the trailer for The Assistant, starring Ozark‘s Julia Garner as …. well, as an assistant.

(Of course, the correct term in administrative professional.)

I’m usually pretty skeptical of late January/early February releases but this trailer looks pretty good and the film’s been well-reviewed by some sites and people whose opinions I generally respect.  I’ve worked as an assistant in an office so, to a certain extent, I could relate to the trailer.  Of course, my experiences were never as bad as Julia Garner’s appear to have been.  For instance, it recently occurred to me that I’ve never had an employer yell at me.  Apparently, that makes me unique or something.

Anyway, prepare to take a journey into wage slavery with the trailer for The Assistant!

 

Here Are The AFI’s Top Ten of 2019

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The American Film Institute released their picks for the 10 best American films of 2019.  The AFI list is usually a pretty good indicator of what’s going to be nominated for best picture.  While it’s rare that every film on the AFI’s list gets a best picture nomination, it’s even more rare for a film to get a nomination without also appearing on the list.  (Then again, it has happened in the past so who knows?  Life is a mystery, as Doc Bowman likes to put it.)

So, with that in mind, here’s the AFI list.  You’ll notice no mention of Uncut Gems, The Two Popes, or Hustlers.  However, Joker made it so maybe that’ll shut up everyone on twitter whose complaining about Joaquin Phoenix not winnings the NYFCC’s best actor award.  (Probably not.)

MOTION PICTURES OF THE YEAR

“The Farewell”

“The Irishman”

“Jojo Rabbit”

“Joker”

“Knives Out”

“Little Women”

“Marriage Story”

“1917”

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

“Richard Jewell”

 

SPECIAL AWARD “Parasite”

(As South Korean film, Parasite was not eligible for the regular AFI honors — hence, the special award.)

 

New York Film Critics Circle Honor The Irishman, Banderas, and Nyong’o!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The New York Film Critics Circle just voted on and announced their picks for the best of 2019!  (It took about four and a half hours, which is quick by NYFCC standards.)  The Irishman winning Best Picture isn’t a shock but just check out some of the other winners!  The Safdie Brothers for best director!  Lupita Nyong’o and Antonio Banderas for best lead performances!  Check out all the love given to international films!

Now, just because a critics group embraces a film or performance, that doesn’t mean the Oscars will do the same.  (Last year, for instance, Regina Hall was deservedly named best actress but was snubbed by the Academy.)  Still, these awards will keep these names in the conversation and both Banderas and Nyong’o — who, despite their acclaimed performances, have been overshadowed by Adams Driver and Sandler and Renee Zellweger — will probably see at least a little renewed interest as a result of these wins.

Here are the NYFCC winners!

  • Best Picture: The Irishman
  • Best Director: The Safdie Brothers for Uncut Gems
  • Best Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
  • Best Actress: Lupita Nyong’o in Us
  • Best Actor: Antonio Banderas in Pain & Glory
  • Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern in Marriage Story and Little Women
  • Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci in The Irishman
  • Best Cinematography: Claire Mathon, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
  • Best Non-fiction Film: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov, “Honeyland” (NEON)
  • Best Foreign Language Film: “Parasite” (South Korea)
  • Best Animated Feature: Jérémy Clapin, “I Lost My Body” (Netflix)
  • Best First Film: Mati Diop, “Atlantics”
  • Special Award For Career Achievement: Randy Newman
  • Special Award: Indie Collect

 

Here Are The 20 Semi-Finalists From The Best Visual Effects Oscar

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

For those of you trying to perfect your Oscar nominations before they’re announced in January, here are the 20 semi-finalists for the Best Visual Effects Oscar!  So, if you were planning on predicting a nomination for Godzilla or Shazam!, drop them from your list because they didn’t make it.  Instead, the nominees will come from the list below:

  • “Ad Astra”
  • “The Aeronauts”
  • “Aladdin”
  • “Alita: Battle Angel”
  • “Avengers: Endgame”
  • “Captain Marvel”
  • “Cats”
  • “Dumbo”
  • “Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”
  • “Ford v Ferrari”
  • “Gemini Man”
  • “The Irishman”
  • “Jumanji: The Next Level”
  • “The Lion King”
  • “Men in Black: International”
  • “Midway”
  • “1917”
  • “Spider-Man: Far from Home”
  • “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
  • “Terminator: Dark Fate”

Here Are The Gotham Award Winners

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Gotham Awards, which honor the best in independent film making, were handed out last night and it was a very good night for Marriage Story.

Here’s the nominees and winners!

Best Feature

“The Farewell”
“Uncut Gems”
“Waves”
“Marriage Story” (WINNER)
“Hustlers”

Best Documentary

“American Factory” (WINNER)
“Apollo 11”
“The Edge of Democracy”
“Midnight Traveler”
“One Child Nation”

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award

Laure De Clermont-Tonnerre, “The Mustang” (WINNER)
Kent Jones, “Diane”
Joe Talbot, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”
Olivia Wilde, “Booksmart”
Phillip Youmans, “Burning Cane”

Best Screenplay

Lulu Wang, “The Farewell”
Tarell Alvin McCraney, “High Flying Bird”
Jimmie Fails, Joe Talbot, and Rob Richert, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”
Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story” (WINNER)
Ari Aster, “Midsommar”

Best Actor

Adam Driver, “Marriage Story” (WINNER)
Aldis Hodge, “Clemency”
Adam Sandler, “Uncut Gems”
Willem Dafoe, “The Lighthouse”
Andre Holland, “High Flying Bird”

Best Actress

Florence Pugh, “Midsommar”
Awkwafina, “The Farewell” (WINNER)
Mary Kay Place, “Diane”
Alfre Woodard, “Clemency”
Elisabeth Moss, “Her Smell”

Breakthrough Actor

Taylor Russell, “Waves” (WINNER)
Julia Fox, “Uncut Gems”
Aisling Franciosi, “The Nightingale”
Jonathan Majors, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco”
Noah Jupe, “Honey Boy”
Chris Galust, “Give Me Liberty”

Breakthrough Series – Long Form

“Chernobyl”
“David Makes Man”
“My Brilliant Friend”
“Unbelievable”
“When They See Us” (WINNER)

Breakthrough Series – Short Form

“Pen15” (WINNER)
“Ramy”
“Russian Doll”
“Tuca & Bertie”
“Undone”

Audience Award — “Marriage Story”

The 2019 selected short films and filmmakers include “Mizaru” (Sudarshan Suresh, Columbia University), “Darling” (Saim Sadiq, Columbia University), “Bob and Dale” (David Melvin Rosfeld, CUNY Brooklyn College), “Keeper of Earth and Time” (Tiantian Wang, School of Visual Arts), and “Youth” (Farida Zahran, NYU Tisch).

The Satellites Really Like Ford V Ferrari

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Satellite Nominations were announced earlier today and they appear to really, really like Ford v. Ferrari.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “Who gives out the Satellites?”  They are awarded by the International Press Academy.  They should not be mistaken for the Golden Globes, which are given out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.  Instead, the Satellites should probably be considered the Golden Globes’s less popular cousins.  Unlike the Globes, they haven’t really proven themselves to be reliable as a precursor.

Anyway, here are the Satellite Film Nominations.  If you want to see their television nominations, click here!

ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA

  • Alfre Woodard, “Clemency”
  • Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
  • Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
  • Helen Mirren, “The Good Liar”
  • Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
  • Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA

  • Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
  • Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
  • Christian Bale, “Ford v Ferrari”
  • George MacKay, “1917″
  • Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
  • Mark Ruffalo, “Dark Waters” 

ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

  • Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
  • Ana De Armas, “Knives Out”
  • Constance Wu, “Hustlers”
  • Julianne Moore, “Gloria Bell”

ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

  • Adam Sandler, “Uncut Gems”
  • Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”
  • Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name”
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
  • Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”
  • Taika Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

  • Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”
  • Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
  • Margot Robbie, “Bomshell”
  • Penelope Cruz, “Pain and Glory”
  • Nicole Kidman, “Bombshell”
  • Zhao Shuzhen, “The Farewell”

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

  • Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
  • Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
  • Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
  • Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood”
  • Willem Dafoe, “The Lighthouse”
  • Wendell Pierce, “Burning Cane”

MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

  • 1917 Universal Pictures
  • Bombshell Lionsgate
  • Burning Cane Array Releasing
  • Ford v Ferrari Twentieth Century Fox
  • Joker Warner Bros.
  • The Lighthouse A24
  • Marriage Story Netflix
  • Two Popes Netflix

MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

  • Hustlers STX Entertainment
  • Knives Out Lionsgate
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Columbia Pictures
  • Rocketman Paramount
  • The Farewell A24
  • Uncut Gems A24

MOTION PICTURE, INTERNATIONAL

  • Atlantics, Senegal
  • Beanpole, Russia
  • Les Miserables, France
  • Pain and Glory, Spain
  • Parasite, Korea
  • Truth and Justice, Estonia
  • Portrait of a Lady on Fire, France
  • The Painted Bird, Czech Republic

MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED OR MIXED MEDIA

  • A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Netflix
  • Alita: Battle Angel Twentieth Century Fox
  • Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles GKIDS
  • How to Train Your Dragon 2: The Hidden World Universal Pictures
  • The Lion King Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
  • Toy Story 4 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
  • Weathering With You GKIDS

MOTION PICTURE, DOCUMENTARY

  • 63 Up BritBox
  • Apollo 11 Neon
  • Citizen K Greenwich Entertainment
  • Honeyland KJ Films
  • One Child Nation Amazon Studios
  • The Apollo HBO Documentary
  • The Cave National Geographic Documentary Films
  • FOR SAMA PBS

DIRECTOR

  • Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
  • James Mangold, “Ford v Ferrari”
  • Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”
  • Pedro Almodóvar, “Pain and Glory”
  • Sam Mendes, “1917″
  • Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”

SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL

  • Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
  • Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller, “Ford v Ferrari”
  • Lulu Wang, “The Farewell”
  • Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”
  • Pedro Almodóvar, “Pain and Glory”
  • Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”

SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED

  • Anthony McCarten, “The Two Popes”
  • Edward Norton, “Motherless Brooklyn”
  • Matthew Michael Carnahan, Mario Correa, Nathaniel Rich, “Dark Waters”
  • Steven Zaillian, “The Irishman”
  • Taika Waititi, “Jojo Rabbit”
  • Todd Phillips & Scott Silver, “Joker”

ORIGINAL SCORE

  • Thomas Newman, “1917″
  • Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders, “Ford v Ferrari”
  • Randy Newman, “Marriage Story”
  • Robbie Robertson, “The Irishman”
  • Terence Blanchard, “Harriet”
  • Hildur Guonadottir, “Joker”

ORIGINAL SONG

  • Don’t Call Me (Angel), “Charlie’s Angels”
  • Into the Unknown, “Frozen II”
  • (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again, “Rocketman”
  • Spirit, “Lion King”
  • The Ballade of the Lonesome Cowboy, “Toy Story 4”
  • Swan Song, “Alita: Battle Angel”

CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • Dick Pope, “Motherless Brooklyn”
  • George Richmond, “Rocketman”
  • Lawrence Sher, “Joker”
  • Phedon Papamichael, ASC, GSC, “Ford v Ferrari”
  • Rodrigo Prieto, “The Irishman”
  • Roger Deakins, “1917”

FILM EDITING

  • 1917
    Lee Smith, ACE
  • Ford v Ferrari
    Michael McCusker, ACE
    Andrew Buckland
  • Joker
    Jeff Groth
  • Marriage Story
    Jennifer Lame, ACE
  • Rocketman
    Chris Dickens
  • The Irishman
    Thelma Schoonmaker

SOUND (EDITING AND MIXING)

  • 1917
    Oliver Tarney
    Stuart Wilson
    Scott Millan
    Mark Taylor
  • Avengers: Endgame
    Shannon Mills
    Daniel Laurie
    Tom Johnson
    Juan Peralta
    John Pritchett, CAS
  • Ford v Ferrari
    Donald Sylvester
    Paul Massey
    David Giammarco
    Steven A. Morrow, CAS
  • Joker
    Alan Robert Murray
    Tom Ozanich
    Dean Zupancic
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    Wylie Stateman
    Mark Ulano, CAS
    Michael Minkler, CAS
    Christian P. Minkler, CAS
  • Rocketman
    Matthew Collinge
    John Hayes

VISUAL EFFECTS

  • Alita: Battle Angel
    Joe Letteri
    Eric Saindon
  • Avengers: Endgame
    Dan DeLeeuw
    Matt Aitken
    Russell Earl
    Dan Sudick
  • The Lion King
    Robert Legato, ASC; Andrew R. Jones
    Adam Valdez; Elliot Newman
  • Ford v Ferrari
    Olivier Dumont
    Mark Byers
    Kathy Segal
  • Joker
    Edwin Rivera
    Mathew Giampa
    Bryan Godwin
  • The Irishman
    Pablo Helman

ART DIRECTION & PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • 1917
    Dennis Gassner
    Lee Sandales
  • Ford v Ferrari
    François Audouy
    Peter Lando
  • Joker
    Mark Friedberg
    Laura Ballinger
  • Motherless Brooklyn
    Beth Mickle
    Michael Ahern
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    Barbara Ling
    Nancy Haigh
  • The Two Popes
    Mark Tildesley
    Saverio Sammali

COSTUME DESIGN 

  • Dolemite Is My Name
    Ruth E. Carter
  • Joker
    Mark Bridges
  • Judy
    Jeny Temime
  • Rocketman
    Julian Day
  • The Two Popes
    Luka Canfora
  • Downton Abbey
    Caroline McCall
    Anna Robbins
    Susannah Buxton
    Rosalind Ebbutt

The National Board of Review Selects The Irishman and Adam Sandler

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The National Board of Review, which is generally considered to be the first major precursors of the Awards Season, announced their picks for the best of 2019 earlier today and it was a good day for both The Irishman and Adam Sandler.

I haven’t seen Uncut Gems yet but, from a historical point of view, I’d love to see Adam Sandler pick up an Oscar nomination because that would seriously be the plot twist that, just a few months ago, no one saw coming.

Here are the National Board of Review’s selections!

  • Best Film:  THE IRISHMAN
  • Best Director:  Quentin Tarantino, ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
  • Best Actor:  Adam Sandler, UNCUT GEMS
  • Best Actress: Renée Zellweger, JUDY
  • Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
  • Best Supporting Actress:  Kathy Bates, RICHARD JEWELL
  • Best Original Screenplay:  Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, UNCUT GEMS
  • Best Adapted Screenplay:  Steven Zaillian, THE IRISHMAN
  • Breakthrough Performance: Paul Walter Hauser, RICHARD JEWELL
  • Best Directorial Debut:  Melina Matsoukas, QUEEN & SLIM
  • Best Animated Feature:  HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
  • Best Foreign Language Film: PARASITE
  • Best Documentary:  MAIDEN
  • Best Ensemble:  KNIVES OUT
  • Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Roger Deakins, 1917
  • NBR Icon Award: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino
  • NBR Freedom of Expression Award:  FOR SAMA
  • NBR Freedom of Expression Award:  JUST MERCY

Top Films (in alphabetical order)

  • 1917
  • Dolemite is My Name
  • Ford v Ferrari
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Knives Out
  • Marriage Story
  • Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
  • Richard Jewell
  • Uncut Gems
  • Waves

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)

  • Atlantics
  • Invisible Life
  • Pain and Glory
  • Portrait of a Lady on Fire
  • Transit

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)

  • American Factory
  • Apollo 11
  • The Black Godfather
  • Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
  • Wrestle

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)

  • The Farewell
  • Give Me Liberty
  • A Hidden Life
  • Judy
  • The Last Black Man in San Francisco
  • Midsommar
  • The Nightingale
  • The Peanut Butter Falcon
  • The Souvenir
  • Wild Rose

Here’s The Trailer For Black Widow!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

You would think that I would be super excited about the fact that my favorite MCU character, the Black Widow, is finally getting her own solo film.  (That Brie Larson’s anemic Captain Marvel got her solo film before the Black Widow is an injustice that I’ll never get over.)  And I guess I am excited.  The trailer, which you can watch below, is pretty good.  It looks like an attempt to bring some Bourne/007 action to MCU and that would seem like the perfect approach to take to the character.

If I’m less than enthusiastic, it’s because 1) I’m still upset over what happened to the Black Widow in Avengers: Endgame and 2) this film is a prequel as opposed to a sequel.  Which means that, despite starring Scarlett Johansson, the film is not going to open with the Natasha coming back to life.  (You have to wonder if, with recent events. anyone in the MCU regrets killing off one of their best characters as opposed to letting Jeremy Renner’s archer take the fall.)  Florence Pugh, in Black Widow, is playing a character who apparently took over the Black Widow name in the comic books so here’s my fear: the film will feature a mid-credits scene of Florence Pugh at Natasha’s grave, announcing that she’ll carry on her legacy.  That’s my fear.

Anyway, here’s the trailer: