my picks for tonight’s 94th Academy Awards (the Oscars for 2021-ish’s films) (winners indicated)
I correctly guessed 11 out of the 23 categories, which is exactly as well as I did last year.
Will Smith
weekend watchlist: where to stream (almost) every Oscar nominee
In the run-up to the ceremony on Sunday, March 27th, you can watch almost every film that’s been nominated from the comfort of your sofa. Very handy if you’re participating in an Oscar pool.
AWFJ 2021 EDA Awards winners announced
And the winners are…
Gemini Man movie review: the last hurrah of the movie star
No movie has ever been higher-concept than this: Today-aged Will Smith versus CGI-young Will Smith! It’s the future of film in an anemic, tedious, ironically dated spy-action shell. Bafflingly awful.
Aladdin (2019) movie review: cave of blunders
The romance lacks chemistry, and the villain lacks bite. It seems embarrassed to be a musical, failing to embrace the necessary ineffable daydreaminess. Somehow even more cartoonish as live-action.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu movie review: destined to be Legendary
Designed to cash in on the popular mobile game, this kiddie noir nevertheless sparkles with charming originality. Gentle enough for tykes but with satirical bite for grownups, too. Downright adorable.
Bright movie review: every little thing it does is the opposite of magic
Trolls the viewer and condescends to genre fans. A smirking, tone-deaf parable about racism that is itself racist, including about its made-up orcs and elves.
Collateral Beauty movie review: there is no beauty in this
Appalling and sadistic. How can anyone who is not a sociopath look at this horrible attempt at feel-good fantasy and say, “This is fine, this is healthy”?
Suicide Squad movie review: sh*t squad
Should be grim, bitter, and as horrifyingly alluring as Hannibal Lecter. But it’s nothing but a teen-friendly ad for toys, Ts, and other disposable merch.
Independence Day: Resurgence movie review: Precis of Report on Readiness of Planet YD56201.3 to Join Galactic Alliance
The Invitation Committee fears that this fictional popular entertainment reflects Human tendencies to illogic, lack of imagination, and rank sentimentality.
