Oscar-a-palooza part 6: Who's the best actor?

This is the third installment of a series of 2018-2019 Oscar predictions/opinion posts alongside Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans blogger Brian Wezowicz. Check out our takes on this year's  supporting actor and actress races here and here. Stay tuned for our takes on the other major categories for the always polarizing Academy Awards.

Brian: The Best Actor category is puzzling to me. And this is where I base my #OscarsSoWTF hashtag. How can an actor (Ethan Hawke) that's currently doing very well in the pre-Oscar run-up be completely left out?

His performance in First Reformed is not only one of the year's best... it's a career defining role! I just don't get it. I'm puzzled at the other nominations. We've seen a body transforming performance from Christian Bale before Vice, so I'm not all that jazzed about this one.

Rami Malek is the presumptive front-runner for his take on the late, great Freddie Mercury, and yet, I can't help but wonder what that film (and performance) would have looked like had Sasha Baron Cohen not dropped out. I'm glad that Bradley Cooper is getting some love for his performance (even though he got snubbed as a director).

I can't really speak on Willem Dafoe's performance, though I've heard good things.

I feel like there is a laundry list of actors who have a genuine beef as to why they were left out. Anyway, on to the nominations...

Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity's Gate
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Who Will Win: Rami Malek. The Oscars love a music biopic (see: Foxx, Jamie & Witherspoon, Reese), and Malek seems poised to take home this one. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I heard he does a really good job portraying Mercury.

Who Should Win: Anyone but Viggo Mortensen! Of the people nominated, I'd go with Bradley Cooper. He's delivered a string of Oscar quality performances and I think he gave a genuinely moving performance in A Star Is Born. I thought this film would clean up, but it seems to be more of an afterthought this year. Speaking of afterthoughts... what the hell happened with First Man??? I thought Ryan Gosling was a lock for this category, but the voters seem to have passed this film by. Robert Redford's (supposed) final acting role was overlooked as well. Finally, John David Washington deserved a nomination for BlacKkKlansman.

Who ya got?

Snubs/Surprises: Hawke. It's not even close.

Adam: This was the category (and perhaps Best Picture, too) that I think most people were really frustrated with, and rightfully so. Besides Hawke, who I agree gave a career-best performance -- one of the most memorable of the year -- in the criminally under-appreciated First Reformed, there were several other performances I'd like to see here instead of the ones that are here.

I actually disagree with you the Rami Malek is the front-runner. I might have thought so two weeks ago, but the recently resurrected allegations against Bryan Singer, which were exhaustively explored in a recent article in The Atlantic.

In the wake of this piece, which makes a compelling case that Singer has been sexually abusing young men and boys for decades -- there have been a lot of pointed questions about what did Malek know and when did he know it. He's claimed he was unaware of Singer's reputation when he took on the role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody -- but a lot of folks are calling B.S. on that.

Aside from that, despite its blockbuster grosses, the movie has a mixed-to-bad reception and even though Malek is widely seen as the best part of the film (I haven't seen it yet, so I can't judge), I think the whole production has become to problematic to embrace in any way. But, I could be wrong.
I hear a lot of folks saying Bale is the lock to win, which seems even stranger to me.

He's terrific in Vice, a movie that I have a lot of issues with. But he's already won for The Fighter and I can't remember someone winning Best Actor for a movie as critically divisive as that one, although the academy clearly liked it because they nominated it for a boatload of top honors, including Best Picture and Director. So maybe he's got a real shot.

No one has seen At Eternity's Gate, literally no one. I think it doesn't exist. We all love Willem Dafoe, it's a travesty that he doesn't have an Oscar. He should have won for The Florida Project, and hopefully he'll get one someday. But it ain't happening. I'm sure Viggo Mortenson is good in Green Book, and he's also due, but that movie also feels too toxic to reward, especially in this category featuring its white star.

Who will win: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born ... All of which leads me to the guy who for most of the year I was reading was a practical guarantee to win for Best Actor. He's been nominated a bunch of times and never won, and this is arguably the best performance of his career. I'm not sure how this movie and this performance sort of faded away for people... I don't know if the movie peaked too early. But since he was snubbed for Director and this was very much his (and Lady Gaga's) achievement -- I think they'll find a way to reward him and the movie here.

Who should win: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born - I say this with the caveat that many of the best leading man performances from this year were totally snubbed. I haven't seen Malek, Dafoe and Mortenson's work -- so I could be wrong -- but it feels like a worthy victory for Cooper.

Snubs/Surprises - Where to begin here. Again, Ethan Hawke in First Reformed is the most shocking one. I really would have loved to see Robert Redford get in for his career capping performance in The Old Man & The Gun, sadly it looks like he'll never get an acting Oscar in his career. I think Clint Eastwood gave a wonderful comic performance tinged with melancholy in The Mule. It would have been cool to recognize John David Washington's subtle work in BlacKkKlansman or Joaquin Phoenix's haunted performance in You Were Never Really Here.

Oscar-a-palooza part 6: Who's best supporting actress?

This is the second installment of a series of 2018-2019 Oscar predictions/opinion posts alongside Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans blogger Brian Wezowicz. Stay tuned for our takes on the other major categories for the always polarizing Academy Awards.

Adam: I'll get us started on the next category -- the one almost always seems like a foregone conclusion (ever noticed that?) -- Best Supporting Actress. As per usual, there were an embarrassment of riches in terms of great female supporting performances, although quite a few, also as per usual were overlooked.

Here are the nominees:

Amy Adams, “Vice”
Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

I think the malaise I feel about this year's awards reflects just a lack of imagination on their part. Sure more unconventional movies like Black Panther and BlacKkKlansman are in the mix, but then there are a lot nominations that feel like gimmes -- like Amy Adams in Vice. Don't get me wrong -- I love Amy Adams and hope she wins one eventually, but this role isn't worthy of a nom, I'm sorry.

But, other than that one I don't have a lot of quibbles with this list. Marina de Tavira got in surprisingly for her very effecting performance in Roma, which squeezed out the anticipated nod for Claire Foy, who really was excellent in First Man -- totally upending the cliched astronaut wife role. And I was thrilled to see the double nom of stars from The Favourite -- one of my favorite movies of the year. I don't know how that movie is going to do overall -- it's way too dark and quirky to win any of the big ones. But I digress.

Who will win: Regina King, If Beale Street Can Talk 
Everyone loves her, rightfully so. She's one of those people that everyone presumes MUST have won an Oscar by now. True story I once won a $50 bet with a boss of mine, years ago, over whether she had ever even been nominated (she hasn't). She's taken most precursor awards and is a warm and lovely presence in the movie -- probably the most grounded, accessible thing about it,

Who should win: Regina King If Beale Street Could Talk 
This is a closer call for me that you might think. If Emma Stone hadn't just won for La La Land, I might be rooting for her in this category, because I think this is the performance of her career to date. I'd call it Gravity syndrome -- someone wins for a far inferior role (think Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side) and then lose for a much better performance years later that actually was worthy of a victory (think Sandra Bullock in Gravity). And Rachel Weisz is her equal in probably the least showy role of the three Favourite leads. But both actresses have trophies (Weisz won for The Constant Gardner, again, I think the Gravity syndrome applies there, too) and King is long overdo (she's the BEST thing in Jerry Maguire, seriously).

Snubs/Surprises: Rather a lot really. Claire Foy, for sure. I loved First Man, and like you and mystified as to why audiences and awards shows didn't. Foy was the one part no one seemed to have an issue with but alas no Foy. I also think that Nicole Kidman deserved consideration for her terrific work in Boy Erased (And Russell Crowe was great too, should have mentioned him in the supporting column).

There was some talk of Emily Blunt getting in for A Quiet Place, but I figured she'd get in for Mary Poppins Returns, she got neither and I was bummed because she was stellar in both. Something tells me she will eventually get her Glenn Close consolation Oscar.

For all the -- well deserved -- hype around Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther, I was always mystified as to why there was never any talk of nominated Letitia Wright for her role as Shuri. Certainly, it was more of a comedic role, but she stole every scene she was in and ended up being a real iconic character, too.

Brian: Ha! I would have lost that bet with you because I, like your old boss, assumed that she had already been nominated. I also forgot that she was in Jerry Maguire, but now I can't get her out of my mind from that one (in a good way!). I do like your Gravity syndrome as it happens a lot (look at Martin Scorsese finally winning for The Departed.). Hell, look at Leo DiCaprio winning for The Revenant. I also agree that this category has historically felt like a foregone conclusion, with this year being no different.

I'm also in agreement with you on how this category has 4 strong performances and a meh Amy Adams nomination that probably should have gone to someone more imaginative. We're on the same page with this year being, for the most part, the "play it safe" Oscars.

Who Will Win: Regina King. She's cleaning up in the lead up to the Oscars and I have no reason to believe this one will be any different.

Who Should Win: I haven't seen The Favourite, so I can't speak on that, so if it's not going to be King, I'd go with Marina De Tavira. Maybe I have a soft spot for strong single mothers (since I came from one), but I was absolutely floored by her performance as a woman trying her best to keep a straight face in the middle of a marriage meltdown.

Snubs/Surprises: While I really liked Letitia Wright in Black Panther, I'd go with Danai Gurira for her performance as the badass warrior, Okoye. I'm seeing Boy Erased next week, and I can't wait to see Kidman's performance in it.

Up next, Best Actor...

Maybe it's time to let the old things die. Like 'Ghostbusters'

I have hesitated to wade into the so-called Ghostbusters 3 controversy because, well, why? But I have such attachment to the original films, especially the first one, that I can't help but feel a little invested in their legacy, as silly as that sounds.

I totally understand that for many people the original 1984 film and its sequel are either overrated, outdated, or irrelevant, but for me they were more than just a touchstone of my childhood, they were foundational for my nascent sense of humor.

When the series was rebooted a couple years ago with all women I was totally at peace with it. My feeling was, especially after the untimely death of Harold Ramis, that I didn't want to a new movie featuring the three remaining, now elderly Ghostbusters and I didn't want to see a movie with a bunch of new era bros who would simply pale in comparison to the originals.

Of course, a case could be made -- and made effectively -- that producers and the studio should have left well enough alone. All that could be said about this world may have already been said. But since both original films were hugely profitable and for the most part beloved (again, the sequel not as much) that it was perhaps inevitable that some reimagining would happen, and I figured an all-women take was probably the freshest, most interesting direction the series could go.

For me, the resulting Paul Feig-directed movie was a mixed bag that sadly got overwhelmed by an insanely overheated male-driven backlash that simply made absolutely no sense, besides being sickeningly sexist.

There was literally nothing lost by having the four leads be female. Kate McKinnon in particular was a blast. But I felt the movie was too much of a retread of the original, afraid to do something too new that might upset the fanboys. I didn't hate it, but I also remember little about it. And yet, I loved that it clearly did persuade a lot of young women that they could be Ghostbusters, too.

The movie did fine at the box office, but there was no great clamor for a sequel, and I kind of figured this whole series had been put to bed for good.

But apparently not, as a teaser trailer has arrived for a mysterious new Ghostbusters production to be helmed by Ivan Reitman's son, director Jason Reitman. Due out in 2020, the new film is expected to be more of a natural extension of the original franchise (the last iteration basically ignored the original film, and its stars like Bill Murray, appeared in cameos as entirely different characters). So ostensibly Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Murray would appear (although Murray has famously always resisted the idea of another Ghostbusters sequel). And there will be a new squad of heroes, which will feature two men and two women.

Leslie Jones, who unfairly bore the brunt of a lot of Ghostbusters hate the last time around, called the move something "Trump would do," meanwhile I imagine there is a separate chorus that is excited to the son of the man who made the originals taking the reins and 'saving' the franchise.

There's also the possibility that everyone is wrong and also everyone is right. Jason Reitman is a solid director, I really like his Up in the Air, but he's never made this kind of broad, effects-driven comedy so there's no reason to presume he'll handle this material any better than Feig did.

On the other hand, as his father's son, he's been close to this material his whole life, clearly has a real passion for it, and as far as reboots go -- it's always the ones where people really care about the material and its legacy (think Creed or J.J. Abrams' Star Trek) that turn out the best.

Unfortunately, like so many things, Ghostbusters has become a kind of partisan football, where too much diversity is viewed as a slight to the right, whereas not enough is supposed to be a gift to red state America.

Even though I am a hardcore fan of the original -- I am not blind to its flaws. It's definitely misogynist at times, a bit racially insensitive and certainly by-and-large male driven (although Sigourney Weaver is great in what could have been a thankless leading lady role). It's to be kind, 'of its time.'

It simply serves no one in 2019 or 2020 for that matter to make a Ghostbusters film where the characters are all male, or all white for that matter. Of greater concern to me, as a fan, is how close in proximity this movie is coming to the last one. It's a little like when they quickly tried to reboot Spider-Man after Spider-Man 3 -- it just feels too soon.

Maybe Reitman and company earnestly mean no offense, but how could this not be interpreted as some sort of rebuke of the Feig film. The dust has barely settled on that movie. I also feel like we are now 30 years out from the last film featuring the original Ghostbusters. Is anyone clamoring to see a continuation of that story and that world?

It's not like Star Wars, where there are plenty of universes and storylines that have yet to be explored. And sadly, like that franchise, Ghostbusters fandom has become so toxic that it's become no fun to be associated with it.

At this point, unless the new movie is a phenomenal game-changer, I am worried that it just sullies the Ghostbusters name even more. And I would rather preserve my fond memories. I just can't get excited for this new project. Of course, that cast will peak my interest, as will the reviews. But this feels like another get rich scheme to cash in on people like me's nostalgia.

Oscar-pick-a-palooza 6: Who's the best supporting actor?

This is the first installment of a series of 2018-2019 Oscar predictions/opinion posts alongside Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans blogger Brian Wezowicz. Stay tuned for our takes on the other major categories for the always polarizing Academy Awards.

Brian: I'm actually floored by these nominations. Sure, the Golden Globes always seem to nominate films and actors to get "stars" into the room on event night. Look at Johnny Depp being nominated for Mordecai. I always take their winners with a grain of salt because, while an enjoying show, the Globes are never really a metric to rely on. However, I'm seeing a weird trend this year Like you've said, for whatever reason (and I'm searching for answers), these are the films that have been settled upon.

We've got Vice (63% Rotten Tomatoes & 61 Metacritic score) , Bohemian Rhapsody (62% RT & 49% MC), and Green Book (82% & 70% MC) lurking all over these nominations. Are they front runners? Are we headed for a Best Picture winner that's worse than the infamous Crash debacle? I can't recall a weirder year for movies than 2018, but here we are. Like I said, #OscarsSoWTF.

Anything can happen. The Oscars have no host. Major cinematic achievements are getting the cold shoulder and a superhero movie has cracked the list for Best Picture (even though the stars and director got left out in the cold) Speaking of snubs... For the first time I can remember, I can honestly say that it feels like there's legitimate and baffling snubs in each category... and not just because of an odd person out type situation.

Hollywood has a chance to nominate some fresh and exciting performances that, in a banner year for films, wouldn't get recognized. Instead, they played it safe again. We'll get to those during the picks, as well as who we think will and should win. Both of our best of 2018 lists are out and for the most part we enjoyed the same crop of movies. As always, you've seen way more of these than I have, but our lists are pretty close.

Welcome back to the 6th (!) edition of our Oscar Pick-A-Palooza. Let's get after it.

Our first category is Best Supporting Actor. I feel like there's a giant sized Black Panther hole here, which will be a recurring theme throughout this back and forth. Sam Rockwell was another surprise to me. Dubya was portrayed better and more sincerely by Josh Brolin in Oliver Stone's movie. I believe you called it a above average in your Daily Beast article. I'm glad to see Sam Elliott finally break through with a nomination for his emotional "brother of an addict on his last straw" performance in A Star Is Born.

 It was weird to see Mahershala Ali in as a supporting actor in what was essentially a co-lead performance in Green Book. Adam Driver was great in BlacKkKlansman, but it hurts to see the heart and soul of that movie, John David Washington, left out.

Here are the nominees:

Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"
Adam Driver, "BlacKkKlansman"
Sam Elliott, "A Star Is Born"
Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me"
Sam Rockwell, "Vice"

Who Will Win: Honestly, I don't know. I feel like Green Book will Crash (see what I did there?) its way into the winner's circle, so I'm going with him.

Who Should Win: Of the people nominated, I'm going to go with Sam Elliott. He deserves it for the scene in which Bradley Cooper's character tells him that he admired Elliott's character his whole life alone, but he was so good throughout.

Snub/Surprise: The answer here is, of course, Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther. There hasn't been a better, more developed superhero villain performance than Killmonger in Black Panther. I'm also going to throw out anyone in First Man for this.

I'm still completely bewildered by the complete lack of Oscar love for First Man. It has all the ingredients (Oscar favorite director? Check. Stellar cast? Check. Biopic? Check.) to score a ton of nominations and yet it fell flat.

Who takes home your Supporting Actor statue?

Adam: I don't disagree with your assessment at all. I think it's just that at this point I'm so used to being disappointed by Oscar nominees that I am almost more surprised when they get it right -- like with Moonlight a couple years ago.

This year, it seemed like more than ever certain movies were crowned early, and several strongly reviewed releases (like First Man, which I also really loved) were just never given a chance to get any traction.

I guess it'll be a more exciting year than most results-wise, since it doesn't feel like there is any definitive front-runner in a lot of the categories, including Best Picture. I was of course pleased to see my favorite movie of the year, Black Panther, got recognized, even if it wasn't as honored as I would have liked. And it's a pleasure to finally see Spike Lee honored as a Best Director nominee ever -- which is insane -- and marks the first time black directors were nominated for two years in a row.

Unfortunately some strong work by several female directors like Lynne Ramsey (You Were Never Really Here) were completely ignored.

This year felt like one step forward (The Favourite) and two steps back (Vice and based on what I've heard, Bohemian Rhapsody). There are a handful of the big nominees I haven't seen like The Wife and Cold War, but I have a decent sense of how they'll fare. At the end of the day the two nominations I wanted to see the most -- Ryan Coogler for Best Director and Michael B. Jordan for Best Supporting Actor -- didn't happen. And so I'm left to root for mostly films and people who likely going to come up empty handed.

Of the folks who did make the cut -- I'm mostly fine with the choices with the exception of Rockwell, who is barely in Vice and who pushed out meatier, more compelling performances.

Will win: Mahershala Ali. He has managed to stay about the fray when it comes to the controversies and backlash surrounding Green Book (a film I've avoided). He's a fantastic actor, and I hear the best thing in the film. The one thing maybe working against him is that he just won two years ago, but that didn't stop a recent repeat winner like Christoph Waltz

Should win: Sam Elliott. Of these final contenders, I think his performance was the most effective and really elevated the movie he was in. I too quite liked Adam Driver's work in BlacKkKlansman, he's a great, underrated actor who will be a contender for years. And Richard E. Grant was very good in a part he was born to play, but this feels like the best role of Elliott's career. It'd be cool to see him win for it.

Snubs/Surprises: It mystifies me that Michael B. Jordan has still never been Oscar nominated. It's not like he has a bad reputation. This is the third unforgivable snub in a row after Fruitvale Station and Creed. Hopefully, someday soon he'll get his due. If Widows had hit bigger, it might have been possible for Daniel Kaluuya's bone-chilling villain from that movie to make it. And I know this isn't a widely held opinion, but I really thought Sylvester Stallone was just as moving in Creed II as he was in the first one.

10 blockbuster Oscar nominees that should have been

Tomorrow the Academy Award nominations will be revealed, and while I shouldn't care about such things for a myriad of reasons, I do.

And, as per usual, the nominations I'd most like to see -- Ryan Coogler for Best Director and Michael B. Jordan for Best Supporting Actor -- are considered unlikely longshots at this point.

I've made no qualms about the fact that I think Black Panther the best film of 2018, and I feel like its director and really co-lead performance are the most vital aspects about it. The movie is expected to break into the Best Picture race, a historic first for a superhero genre film, but that achievement feels undermined by the Oscars' unwillingness to acknowledge its creator and star.

Still, the Oscars have started to get a lot better at acknowledging unconventional performances and movies. Robert Downey, Jr. was nominated in 2009 for Tropic Thunder for instance, and Heath Ledger posthumously won for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight that same year.

Sure, more staid, safe movies still dominate awards seasons, but it's nice to see when Hollywood lets down their guard and admits that a great performance in a audience-pleasing blockbuster in no less valid than a great performance in a little-seen indie film.

For many, the modern blockbuster era started in 1975 with Jaws, and while we can't rewrite history, there's quite a few performances in big hit movies since Jaws should have warranted serious Oscar consideration and probably would were those movies released today.

Here are some examples of the kind of Michael B. Jordan-style scene-stealing work that should have been recognized when the academy had the chance.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Robert Shaw, Jaws - One of the most memorable movie characters of all time, period. It's insane to me that he wasn't nominated for his eccentric and dangerous portrayal of the salty sharkhunter Quint. His monologue about the attack on the Indianapolis during WWII is some of the most skillful work I've ever seen. He was one of our great character actors, and this role will be one he'll always be celebrated and remembered for.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Ricardo Montalban, Star Trek II - Another one of the all-time great antagonists, in a role and movie that could have been silly camp but transforms into something truly epic. Montalban is so electric on-screen as the villain Kahn, quoting Moby Dick and hunting the hero Captain Kirk with righteous fury. He got great reviews at the time, but the Oscars were never going to respect a Star Trek film, let alone a sequel at that point.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice - Time and time again Oscars seem allergic to comedy, with rare exceptions like Melissa McCarthy's nomination for Bridesmaids. This performance, arguably one of the most beloved and memorable of the decade, should have been in the mix. Ironically, Kevin Kline won the award that year for his comedic role in A Fish Called Wanda. He's great, but Keaton's "ghost with the most" has more staying power.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Alan Rickman, Die Hard - This may be one of the greatest big screen debuts of all time. The late great Rickman's Hans Gruber is one of the all-time best movie villains, too. He is so damn charismatic in this movie -- equal parts scary and hilarious. Virtually every action movie that followed ripped off his characterization here. How was he not seriously in the conversation for an Oscar, which sadly he never was nominated for or won during his far too brief career?

BEST ACTOR - Eddie Murphy, Coming to America - Back when Murphy made his first comeback in The Nutty Professor, there was real talk about whether or not he could be a Best Actor contender. His brand of comedy is totally not the kind of the thing the Academy goes for, but many of his early roles in 48 Hours, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop could have been considered. But personally I'd go for his virtuoso work in Coming to America where he plays four different characters flawlessly and hilariously.

BEST ACTRESS - Linda Hamilton, Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Have you watched this one again recently? It doesn't hold up great -- the action, as always, is phenomenal, but Arnold is a tad too cutesy and Edward Furlong is nearly unbearable. But Linda Hamilton, muscle bound with gritted teeth she delivers a bad ass movie heroine performance that has gone unrivaled in the years since. Again, take a look back -- she is the heart and soul of this movie.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns - Speaking of superhero movies, and performances -- this iconic Catwoman certainly should have merited awards love back in 1992. With all due respect to Anne Hathaway, Pfeiffer (for me) gives the definitive performance as the put-upon Selina Kyle who morphs into the purr-fect (see what I did there) foil for Batman. It's a deliciously campy performance that also manages to feel very real and compelling.

BEST ACTRESS - Sharon Stone, Basic Instinct - How was this performance not nominated!? Nowadays big (as in gleefully over the top) star turns in movies like Gone Girl or (potentially) Mary Poppins Returns are Oscar fare, but this movie was probably considered too tawdry for awards fare. But, her bold, brassy overnight sensation of a role in Paul Verhoeven's noir is movie star acting of the highest order.

BEST ACTOR - Harrison Ford, The Fugitive - Tommy Lee Jones won the Oscar for his showier supporting role as the federal marshall hot on Ford's trail, but its the leading performance the ex-Han Solo gives that makes this movie a stone cold classic. Ford is a master at playing the vulnerable, masculine ideal. The scene where he breaks down during a relentlessly insensitive interrogation is one of my favorite pieces of acting in any movie ever.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park - First off, full stop, Jeff Goldblum has never been nominated for an Oscar! No! Hate crime. He deserved a supporting nod for The Big Chill, a lead for The Fly, and here in the role that actually made him a household name, a major sex symbol and a lowkey A-lister Jurassic Friggin' Park. His Ian Malcolm is the one character that's just as large as life as the dinosaurs. He's dynamite whenever he's on screen and you miss him when he's gone. And, as with every signature supporting performance, he slyly kicks off the true narrative of that movie (Sam Neil's embrace of domesticity) by competing for the affections of the great Laura Dern.

I'll stop here for now -- and this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of smaller cult performances that should have been nominated (like John Goodman in The Big Lebowski). But let this be a conversation starter for you!

Should Black Panther be a big nominee tomorrow -- and some are estimating an impressive 10 nominations (how many it'll win is another story entirely), it will be a big achievement for a big budget studio blockbuster, in a good way.

Flashback 2009: My top 10 favorite movies from 10 years ago

It's wild how much 10 years ago can feel like 100 years ago. The movies of 2009 really feel like they take place in an alternative universe. Perhaps because they arrived right in the thick of the Great Recession, a time where nascent hope (thanks to the newly elected Obama) was clashing with considerable heartbreak and uncertainty.

The big clash at the end of the year was between Avatar (the largely forgettable but phenomenally successful blockbuster, which was at the time -- unadjusted for inflation -- the biggest hit of all time and The Hurt Locker, an ambiguous Iraq War drama that didn't even make $20 million but managed to overcome the odds and win Best Picture and a historic Best Director win (for Kathryn Bigelow) at the Oscars the following year.

Avatar held the all-time box office spot for six more years, which is hard to do these days, where grosses keep hitting astronomical heights, especially with spiked ticket prices, and will eventually spawn as many as three sequels that I'm not sure who exactly is clamoring for.

Meanwhile, Bigelow was vaulted to the ranks of A-list auteurs, hitting big with Zero Dark Thirty but stumbling a bit with the unfairly maligned Detroit.

Alas, neither film was my among my favorites of this year.

In fact, I remember while all the hype was around whether Bigelow's film would triumph over her ex-husband James Cameron's (a surreal drama, to be sure), I remembered thinking that the movie that should have won was Quentin Tarantino's ambitious war film, Inglourious Basterds, more on that later.

10) Precious - I haven't revisited in years -- it's undoubtedly a tough watch -- but I remember this very brutal and provocative movie being a pretty unabashedly moving viewing experience. Gabourey Sidibe is heartbreaking in the lead role of an abused girl fantasizing about a way out, and say what you will about her, Mo'Nique really was incredible as her horrifying mother. This is a film that certainly made people uncomfortable then and now, and maybe that's a good thing.

9) Zombieland - This was just a fun, unexpected surprise -- the rare horror comedy that worked. It's cast was stocked with reliable veterans like Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray (in an unforgettable cameo) and rising talents like Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone. It was a clever little romp that connected, and it arrived right before the zombie genre became totally played out.

8) Up - I saw this movie shortly after a very ugly breakup and it had me bawling my eyes out, especially after its infamous opening 10 minutes which were a high water mark for animated storytelling at that time. I haven't revisited this one in years either, but I remember thinking its conceit about an old man played by the -- still alive! -- Ed Asner whose house is lifted up by balloons was endlessly charming and whimsical.

Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek 

7) Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - There are Nicolas Cage performances that are bad because he's phoning it or bad because he doesn't seem to have control of his instrument. This is a great performance that might be mistaken for a bad one by people aren't paying attention. Not so much a direct remake of the Harvey Keitel classic but a spiritual one, is a darkly funny, strange outlier in director Werner Herzog's filmography. It's little seen but those who have seen it will never forget it.

6) Star Trek - Director JJ Abrams demonstrated his ability to resurrect moribund franchises and to infuse massive blockbusters with lots of wit, style and character development with this wonderful reimagining of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the iconic Star Trek crew. It seems like a no-brainer now, but it could have easily crashed and burned. Instead it was the perfect homage that also managed to point to an interesting new future, not unlike what he'd do with Star Wars six years later.

5) In the Loop - Fans of Veep should check out this British comedy (featuring some great Americans like the late James Gandolfini, too) which brilliantly lampoons the run-up to an Iraq-like war. Ironically, the new film Vice fails where this movie succeeds in really underlining the lack of humanity, the craven careerism and sheer stupidity which defined the Bush era. An amazing, foul-mouthed script which always has me howling.

4) Where the Wild Things Are - This artful adaptation of the children's classic by director Spike Jonze may have been too offbeat for mainstream audiences, but I was deeply moved by it. Jonze wisely uses puppetry and other more tactile resources to create the fantasy world of the book, employs incredible voice actors (such as Gandolfini, again) and a fantastic child performer -- Max Records -- who is both authentic and riveting in the lead role. So-called kids movies almost never are this adventurous.

3) Fantastic Mr. Fox - ...With the exception of Wes Anderson's first full-length foray into stop-motion animation, this wonderful Roald Dahl adaptation showed that his singular, precise style was the perfect fit for this format. He recruited a dream cast (George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Willem Dafoe and Bill Murray, just to name a few) and made a beautiful-looking, fast-paced romp that ranks among his most thoroughly enjoyable films.

2) Up in the Air - A compelling (and understandably divisive) time capsule of America circa 2009 couched in a winning character study. This is one of George Clooney's best leading man roles -- as an emotionally closed-off professional firer of people. It's witty script and pathos powers a tricky balance of real-life anxiety and a more traditional, romantic narrative. And the turn it takes in the last act is a great gut punch.

1) Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino's first real attempt at historical fiction (previous films like Pulp Fiction felt like period pieces, but weren't necessarily). It's a bold, brash and deliriously entertaining, balls-to-the-wall WWII movie which demonstrates the director's love for the genre but also his desire to improve upon it -- hence multilingual exchanges, balletic action sequences and some very badass women (Melanie Laurent and Diana Kruger) at the center of the action. One of Tarantino's best and my favorite of this year.

PAST TOP 10 FAVORITE LISTS
1974 #1 movie - The Godfather Part II
1975 #1 movie - Nashville
1976 #1 movie - Taxi Driver
1977 #1 movie - Star Wars
1978 #1 movie - The Deer Hunter
1984 #1 movie - Ghostbusters
1985 #1 movie - Fletch
1986 #1 movie - Blue Velvet
1987 #1 movie - The Untouchables
1988 #1 movie - Coming to America
1994 #1 movie - Pulp Fiction
1995 #1 movie - Heat
1996:#1 movie - Fargo
1997 #1 movie - Boogie Nights
1998 #1 movie - The Big Lebowski
2004 #1 movie - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2005 #1 movie - A History of Violence
2006 #1 movie - Casino Royale
2007 #1 movie - There Will Be Blood
2008 #1 movie - The Wrestler

Into the 2018-a-verse: My top 10 favorite films of last year

I guess it's fitting that my run of viewing 2018 movies was bookended by two brilliant, genre-reinvigorating comic book movies that would up being among my favorites of the year: likely future Oscar nominees Black Panther (for Best Picture and hopefully Best Director) and Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse (for Best Animated Film).

The fact that both films are also celebrations of diversity with people of color at their center is the cherry on top.

This remarkable sturdy type of movie -- the western of our age -- seems here to say or certainly shows no signs of fatigue.

I didn't love every superhero movie I saw this year (I'm looking at you, Deadpool 2) but i have to admit I loved most of them. And as long as filmmakers continue to take real chances with the form, storytellying, performance and visuals (I still think Thanos' walk on water at the end of Infinity War is one of the most striking images I saw all year) -- I will keep shelling out cash to see these blockbusters on the big screen.

Do I lament the loss of quality to films to streaming -- absolutely -- but we so called cinephiles have got to vote with our dollars more. Some really fantastic movies were massive flops this year: Annihilation, You Were Never Really Here, Sorry to Bother You, Boy Erased, First Reformed, Widows, Eighth Grade and First Man all either did barely any business or seriously under-performed, and that's tragic because while they were all acclaimed and somewhat risky, ambitious films, studios will likely avoid making more like them in the future.

Still, there's a lot to be hopeful about when it comes to the previous year in film -- I actually thought it was a great year for movies, even though my top 10 may be a little unconventional. There are several prestige movies I really liked like A Star Is Born, Mary Poppins Returns and If Beale Street Could Talk, some stellar documentaries that moves me to tears and surprise genre smashes like A Quiet Place and Hereditary that were near perfect as far as I was concerned.

And then there was Mandy -- a deliriously trippy movie I can't get out of my head.

But alas I had to narrow it down to the film that just moved me the most... full stop.

10) Creed II - This hit sequel may be the most underrated movie of the year. It was well-received by critics but I think unfairly unfavorably compared to the original. It was maybe the most satisfying crowd pleaser of the last half of the year, with Stallone delivering the perfect swan song for Rocky Balboa and Michael B. Jordan cementing his status as the most charismatic leading man currently working in movies.

9) BlacKkKlansman - Spike Lee hasn't been this funny and focused in over a decade. His accessible police dramedy couldn't have been a more timely indictment of Trumpism, which of course has been with us for years (he's the symptom not the cause). It could have been an amusing modest movie, but that ending -- which draws a bright red line under the events of Charlottesville -- was one of Lee's most surprising and devastating.

8) First Man - For some reason, inexplicably, this riveting space drama about the mercurial Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling, in a great under-stated performance) failed to take off (get it). I thought it was a beautifully restrained movie, which showed that director Damian Chazelle has real range and that there was a way to make this historical material (which has been covered in previous films) can still be majestic and intense as hell.

7) Mission: Impossible Fallout - Speaking of intense as hell, the supernova Tom Cruise managed to make not just possibly the best Mission: Impossible movie, but also one of the best action movies of the decade. Wall to wall stunts are buttressed by a genuinely engrossing spy plot with some immersive camerawork, stunning locales and whip-smart editing. If awards season was just, this movie would be in the broader conversation.

6) First Reformed - An easy-to-misunderstand, intellectual work look at weight themes of religion and the environment, grounded by a career-best performance by Ethan Hawke as a priest whose faith is severely shaken by the lack of purpose and moral clarity around him. A beautifully made opus from director Paul Schrader, and a film that benefits greatly from repeat viewings.

5) Eighth Grade - One of the best, most honest coming of age movies I ever seen. Director Bo Burnham tapped into something profound about the era we're living in and yet managed to also tell a story that felt universal. Elsie Fisher, the breakout star, has a real bright future ahead of her and hopefully this movie will grow to become appreciated for the great comic joy that it is.

4) Sorry to Bother You - A wild, totally unpredictable black comic satire of corporate America from the irascible Boots Riley. Here's hoping he keeps on making strange, iconoclastic movies like this. It is a deeply strange movie, that is certainly not for everyone's tastes, but I had a blast with its funky aesthetic, untraditional narrative and horror show climax. It's a real firecracker thrown in the face of conformity.

3) Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse - No movie surprised me this year than this stunning animated miracle. This movie literally feels like it the future on screen --its one of the most dazzling, innovative and thoughtful animated films I've seen in years, it is hilariously funny, frequently moving and even more exciting than most other superhero movies. It has really raised the bar and permanently proved that 'anyone' can wear the mask and be successful. It's hard to put into words what a special movie this.

2) The Favourite - A flawless movie -- in my opinion. A uproarious satire of period movies that also feels like an homage to Stanley Kubrick at his best, boasting three unforgettable leading performances from Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and scene-stealing Olivia Coleman that all rank among the best of the year. It deserves to be a massive hit, if only audiences give it a chance. It's some kind of masterpiece.''

1) Black Panther -What can be said about this modern classic that hasn't been already said. For me the most apt comparison is 1989's Batman, which is the last time where world building, creative big budget filmmaking and a director's vision coalesced so well. It really feels like the movie of the year and an important moment in our cultural history where a so-called black film denied the odds and became the ultimate crossover success. I saw it twice in theaters, And will be watching it for many years to come. Wakanda forever!

Goofy 'Aquaman' may be the most expensive B-movie ever made

There are so many superhero movies these days -- this year alone we've had Black Panther, Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Venom and Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse. So when I go to these films -- and I'm a sucker for them I must admit -- I'm always looking for something that feels new and fresh.

While by no means a good movie in the traditional sense, the eye-popping epic Aquaman is at least a hell of a ride -- a completely crazy, over-the-top, almost seizure-inducing spectacle that has plenty of bang for its buck. You certainly have to appreciate its ambition.

Aquaman has long been the butt of jokes -- even Entourage thought the idea of a movie about the superhero who can talk fish was comedy fodder. And yet, this film treats this character as if he is just as important (if not more so) to the cultural lexicon as say Batman or Superman.

And while this film doesn't redefine the hero for a new generation quite like Iron Man did just over 10 years ago, it does give it a good college try.

A lot of credit goes to Jason Momoa, who is a lovable lug of an unlikely movie star, and James Wan who has crafted a really miraculous looking undersea world, populated by amazing looking creatures and worlds. It really does feel like a comic book page come to life. This may be the most fully realized comic book atmosphere since we saw Wakanda early last year.

There are some incredible action set pieces here, often piled on top of one another in relentless fashion and while much of it is CGI madness, it's fun to look at and take in.

That's not to say this movie doesn't have his problems. Besides Momoa -- who seems very much in on the joke of this project -- the rest of the cast seems a bit rudderless.

Amber Heard, while stunning, is shockingly wooden and their attempts at a romantic subplot may be the worst part of the film.

Meanwhile, the film has a few characters too many, with Patrick Wilson (who himself looks like the classic Aquaman) mostly bellowing his lines, comeback kid Dolph Lundgren mostly deprived of screen time and Willem Dafoe wasted in a largely thankless role as Momoa's mentor.

The plot is pure comic book hooey, a bunch of speechifying about the true king of the ocean and ocean masters -- there were definitely times where I found myself drifting into disinterest (the movie is shockingly nearly 3 hours long!) -- but then there would be another note perfect set piece that won me back on its since.

Thankfully, it's a funny, light-hearted movie -- and it wisely employs a multi-colored, eye-pleasing palette (as well as an inspired electronic-influenced score) instead of the dour, muddy murk that plagued a lot of recent DC Comics movies save Wonder Woman.

This film is not the genre game-changer that movie was, not by a long shot, but it's a totally enjoyable trifle. I am not at all surprised that this film has received mixed (at best) reviews. It's silly, sappy, goofy and overwhelming. And I can also easily see why audiences love it -- for the exact same reasons.

It definitely grew on me. I watched it next to a snide person who loudly, sarcastically applauded at the end. I too had laughed at the movie not with it more than a few times, but I still gave that guy the side eye. Some things don't need to be treated cynically, they can just be enjoyed simplistically.

'Destroyer' doesn't enhance the Nicole Kidman renaissance

Nicole Kidman has been on a real roll lately. It arguably all started with her terrific turn as a victim of domestic abuse on this hit HBO series Big Little Lies. She had long been an A-list, critically acclaimed actress, but a few flops, tabloid headlines and some distracting plastic surgery had made audiences take her for granted.

But now it seems like she's everywhere -- in big blockbusters like Aquaman and in powerful, smaller dramas like The Beguiled and Boy Erased (for which she deserves, but probably won't get, Oscar consideration). And her new film Destroyer feels like a bit of a victory lap.

Or at least the trailer did. This is the second film I've seen in the last few weeks (the other was Vice) where the trailer feels like a mini little masterpiece but the actually a lot more of a dour letdown.

It's not that Kidman is bad in the movie -- she gives a strong, gritty performance which requires a jarring physical transformation (largely achieved through makeup) that allows her to convincingly play the same character over a 17-year span and evolve from a stunning undercover cop to a burnout undercover cop on a not exactly legal mission of personal revenge.

And the trailer promises a riveting, emotionally charged story in which this character operates -- but in reality its a bit of one-note movie, which covers terrain we've seen many times before in much better movies.

The director Karyn Kusama employs a tactic I'm really growing tired of -- the time jump narrative -- what is meant to achieve a kind of puzzle piece tension, instead creates a story and characters we never get invested in (Sebastian Stan is totally wasted as her love interest).

We see the big moments coming from a mile away -- and while the last act reveal is fairly satisfying -- I didn't feel like the movie really had anything to say. For instance, late in the film there is a prolonged scene between Kidman and her wayward, estranged teenager daughter that plays like it is supposed to be this big Oscar moment -- and it totally falls flat.

Part of the problem is Kidman's scene partner doesn't have the chops she has, but also her character has been so sketchily drawn (she basically hurls insults at her mother and brazenly dates a scummy, much older man) that you will likely feel nothing for her.

That said, there are some very effective sequences -- a wildly unrealistic but kinetic bank heist shoot out, a run-in with a comically indifferent Bradley Whitford -- but the whole enterprise feels a little bit like a 90s or early-2000s era thriller, rather than a fresh new take on this kind of cops and robbers genre picture.

Quite frankly, I'm surprised by some of the rapturous reviews this and the Kidman performance have received especially when they are so many powerhouse movies that came out this year and one in particular -- Widows -- which covers some of the same ground, but much more effectively and kinetically.

I still like seeing Kidman getting big roles again, she's doing some really interesting work lately and taking some chances with her persona, which I like, but unfortunately Destroyer is not the movie I was hoping for.

'Gringo', the John McAcfee doc, is one of the craziest movies ever

Sometimes you stumble on a movie, that ostensibly looks like nothing special that kind of blows your mind. Not since Cocaine Cowboys (parts one and two) have I has such a jaw-dropping watch of documentary as I did when I watch the Showtime documentary Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee.

Nanette Burstein

The cover looked like a cheap Dateline knock-off and initially the style of the doc (the director, Nanette Burstein, inserts herself into the narrative early and often) seemed almost amateurish, but as this crazy story (whose accuracy I can neither confirm nor deny) unfolds it just gets better and better, wildly entertaining, disturbing and weirdly profound.

The film opens and closes with some remarkable police stop footage (the found footage and photos throughout the film, as well as the interviews, is astounding) of McAfee displaying many of the characteristics that the movie solidifies as textbook for him -- he's reckless, egotistical, brash, pretty savvy and smart, but ultimately creepy as hell.

McAfee made his early fortune by being brilliant enough to take on computer viruses before it was cool. He then had the cockamamie idea to move to the impoverished (and apparently quite lawless) Central American country Belize where he created a Kurtz-like, Heart of Darkness-style fiefdom complete with an armed guards, a harem of underage 'girlfriends' (who he enticed to shit in his mouth for sexual kicks...yes, you read that right) and control over the local gangs as well as the police department.

In all honesty, there could be several narrative film culled out of this story -- even McAfee's early days in the computer security business alone have enough satisfying twists and turns that it could be a terrific movie in its own right.

But the fearless Burstein is not interested in making a light, frothy biopic of an eccentric rabble-rouser, instead she actively seeks to expose McAfee as a truly sick and dangerous individual, who may be directly or indirectly responsible for a couple death and a sexual assault.

It's pretty incendiary stuff -- but it's also bleakly funny, since in a twist fit for Donald Trump, McAfee somehow manages to evade criminal prosecution, run a nearly successful campaign for the Libertarian 2016 presidential nomination and revive his business career, all while leaving a trail of terrifying Belize gangsters in his wake who seemed more afraid of him than anything else.

It's a slyly remarkable little film -- about someone who should be a source of fascination for a lot of folks, especially post-Trump, but who has managed to stay just enough on the periphery of the news cycle as to not attract too much attention.

I had a sense that McAfee was an eccentric, who might had some run ins with the law, but nothing really prepared me for what this films brings to the fore -- with the caveat of course that he has vehemently questioned the movie's accuracy and veracity.

Still, it's a hell of a production, with some impressive interviews from a wide array of colorful characters who crossed McAfee's path in both Belize and back here in the states. I'm honestly still reeling from it -- I'll never look at hammocks the same way again -- I think it's one of the craziest movies I've ever seen.

'Bowfinger' represented an end of an era for two of my favorite actors

I just did a re-watch of Bowfinger -- the Steve Martin-Eddie Murphy comedy which came out 20 years ago. It was a movie that was both a broadly funny and slyly sophisticated Hollywood satire, that managed to milk the best aspects of both leading men's personas while creating a genuinely surprising narrative with a satisfying payoff.

I've always felt this movie deserved a better reputation than it has -- it was a modest hit at the box office, but certainly performed on the lower end of most Murphy comedies at the time -- and which it got great reviews, I feel like it's rarely mentioned among Martin and Murphy's best loved films, which has always been a bit of a mystery to me.

Viewing it 20 years later, as a massive fan of both actors, it feels almost like a bittersweet last hurrah for them both. Martin made a couple more very mainstream, mediocre hits after this and then settled into more lowkey dramatic, supporting roles.

His Oscar hosting stints, recent special alongside Martin Short and his MasterClass (which I was privileged enough to receive access to for Christmas) proved to me that his legendary wit and timing are still intact, but that he clearly wanted to downshift in his later years.

Murphy is, of course, a different story entirely. Bowfinger arrived during the peak of his second career resurgence following the success of his first reboot of The Nutty Professor. Unlike some of his later, more lowbrow movies (think Norbit), this is one where his penchant for playing multiple characters really does pay off.

In this film he plays an exaggerated, angry version of himself -- an embittered action star named Kit Ramsey (who is affiliated with an obvious parody of Scientology called MindHead) and his nerdy brother Jiff, who manages to be both very funny and occasionally quite moving.

It's really a tour de force performance -- and although he and Martin make an unlikely duo, they seem to bring out the best in each other. This was the last time Martin got to play a manic, high energy comic character and it's great to see him outside of family-comedy mode. And with Murphy, this is further proof of what he was capable of when he had material that matched his considerable talents.

I've lamented this in the past, so I'm not saying anything new -- but Murphy has pulled off one of the strangest career disappearing acts in Hollywood history. Following a string of embarrassing failures he didn't make a movie for four years -- an eternity in this industry -- and then returned with the poorly received Help rip-off Mr. Church. And he hasn't made another movie three years since that one.

He's supposed to be appearing in a biopic about the legendary blaxploitation star Rudy Ray Moore written by the men behind The People vs. Larry Flynt, so that certainly has promise -- but hardcore Murphy fans like me are used to having our hearts broken.

What this movie tells me about him, and artists like him, is that they need to stay hungry they need to want to challenge themselves or they will flame out or fade away.