gadd

Still can't get my head around the fact that this happening, one of my favourite pieces of entertainment news in a long time. I only have one request: bring back Tamatoa.

This was one of the most exciting announcements from the presentation in my view. It looks sensational.

To add to this, any subscribers to NOW TV's Cinema pass can find A.I, Munich, Always, The Color Purple, and Amistad on there.

This couldn't be more perfect timing because I was planning to remove some of my blind spots in Spielberg's filmography over the next few weeks (namely A.I., The Color Purple, Amistad, and Munich) but I might as well complete the set. I didn't envisage The BFG being on my watchlist for the winter season but here we are.

I'm so in. Hopefully it ends up getting released theatrically but whatever platform it premieres on I'll be there opening day. The vibes I'm getting from this visually and tonally are similar to those of a PS5 game due to come out around the same time (Spring 2021) called Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

So No Time to Die, Black Widow and F9 have pretty much had their pre-Covid dates moved back almost exactly a year.

I didn't get to watch the telecast live last night but I woke up to the news of the winners. I gotta say, between Parasite's performance at the Oscars and Succession, Schitt's Creek, and Watchmen's dominance over their respective categories at the Emmys, awards season was one thing 2020 got mostly right. Particularly delighted for Jeremy Strong, Julia Garner (again), Zendaya, and Annie Murphy (the MVP of Schitt's Creek imo). It's quite fitting that Dan and Eugene Levy presented the cast of Parasite with their SAG Ensemble win back in January which proved to be a major turning point in the Oscar race, only for their show to sweep the Emmys 8 months later.

Watched Get On Up this evening for the first time and witnessing Boseman's excellent performance really hit home how much of a loss this man will be for the industry for his acting talent alone. He effortlessly exuded the qualities necessary for a leading man throughout his career, but I really think he was capable of delivering a wide range of performances, some of which would counter those traits and display his versatility. Spike Lee posted a few scenes from Da 5 Bloods featuring Boseman on his Instagram profile and there was one in particular that, upon re-watch, was hard to get through without tearing up.

The piece by Alan Silvestri for Endgame titled 'The Real Hero' may have been written as a tribute to another Marvel superhero, but in light of today's news it takes on a new meaning. Chadwick Boseman blessed us with lots of good work, and he truly deserved to bless us with much more. He exuded so much warmth and charisma in film as well as in interviews and other promotional events. His fearlessness as an actor manifested in numerous ways, from portraying icons like Jackie Robinson and James Brown to carrying the weight of playing the first black MCU lead superhero in a highly anticipated comic-book adaptation. However, my admiration for him has gone up yet another level after reading about his battle with colon cancer. To endure the physical and mental challenges which come with these high-profile movies while struggling with this illness is the mark of a real hero. It's a sign of his humility that he kept his health issues quiet from the public as he helped to break new ground in Hollywood with the role of T'Challa, simultaneously taking time out to visit patients in St. Jude's Children's Hospital on numerous occasions. A King on and off-screen.

Kelly Marie Tran is now voicing the lead!

The show didn't have anywhere near as much buzz last year as it did this year. I only got on board the Succession train when Season 2 started airing and the reviews were extremely positive. I think its surprise Writing win at last year's Emmy ceremony was partly due to the fact that Season 2 aired during the voting period and every episode seemed to get better reviews than the last.

I've been binging it over the past month. Season 1 was okay, but 2 was a massive step up and now I'm hooked. The cast are just fantastic.

Watchmen didn't get cancelled. HBO were all for making a 2nd season if Lindelof wanted to. He didn't.

Delighted for D'Arcy Carden, William Jackson Harper, Zendaya, Paul Mescal, Shira Haas, and every Succession nominee. Disappointed for Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Kaitlyn Dever, and Tom Pelphrey (he was my bet to WIN Supporting Actor in a Drama).

While not one of the strongest years for movies in terms of quality, I have very fond memories of 2006 as it was one of the best years of my childhood, the highlight of which was being in Euro Disney during the last few games of the World Cup. My level of excitement for Dead Man's Chest was ridiculously high, given that I had watched the first film on DVD countless times. One of the things I loved about being a kid during this era was that the way to get hyped for a highly anticipated upcoming blockbuster sequel was just to watch the previous installment over and over again. I would only get a glimpse of images or footage of the new entry through magazines or seeing a trailer on TV/in the cinema. To this day, the screening I attended for Dead Man's Chest while I was on a family holiday in the UK is one of the most packed I've ever been a part of. For whatever reason, people were allowed to sit on the steps of the auditorium and watch the movie. I ended up sitting in between a group of teenagers while my dad and sister sat on one of the steps. Madness. Ultimately, that summer movie season is full of flicks I remember being incredibly excited for and convincing myself I loved before realising years later weren't all that great. Superman Returns, X-Men: The Last Stand and Cars are examples of this, but I'd also like to raise you Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, which I believed would become my new movie franchise obsession. Thankfully Casino Royale came along in November to show me what a proper spy action film looked like.

I don't want to put a jinx on him but I really feel Lindo is going to be collecting his fair share of accolades at some point next year. In regards to his category placement, his role to me what Brad Pitt's in OUATIH was last year: it fits in both Lead and Supporting. I personally believe his chances of winning in the latter are stronger. On the one hand, Da 5 Bloods is a true ensemble piece and doesn't revolve around one person's perspective, so it doesn't feel quite right to have anyone in a Lead category. However, Lindo's character arguably gets the most to do and leaves the strongest impact, so I wouldn't be totally opposed to a Lead push. Supporting seems like a more open field in regards to contenders, whereas with Lead you've got Hopkins and Oldman to compete against, whose films are expected to release in the thick of awards season (whatever that will look like this year). I'll definitely be rooting for Lindo though, whatever category he's in. He's absolutely outstanding.

I might be alone on this, but when HBO MAX was preparing to unveil its line-up last year, I read/heard suggestions of a TV series set in the Wizarding World, and I realised I would be all for one...as long as it's in Hogwarts. I'm not sure how other fans would feel about the series heading to TV, but Star Wars and the MCU have embraced it, so why can't this franchise? Whether it's set before the original series or afterwards, there's an intriguing universe worth exploring, but not in the way the Fantastic Beasts movies have as they lack one of the primary reasons for the books and the movies' success - the school setting. A key appeal of the story was that it made struggling with magic feel somewhat relatable through the resemblances to school life and having a whole generation of kids grow up along with the principle characters. You could easily replicate this in a TV show (Stranger Things already has honestly): introduce a new group of students, divert the focus away from the heroes of the previous saga but bring in some familiar faces if appropriate(preferably a few of the teachers), expand the lore without diminishing the stakes of the original story, and let a new generation of fans emerge who are attached to this new cast of characters. Only then should Warner Bros. consider the possibility of a 9th instalment, when interest in the series has been invigorated and enough time has elapsed since Deathly Hallows Part 2 for nostalgia to grow for the original cast and for the actors to consider reprising their roles, thereby leading to a scenario where you crossover the old (movies 1-8) with the new (a TV show).

I've continued focusing on watching films I haven't seen from celebrated directors, and this week revolved around Brian De Palma's movies. I pretty much enjoyed every one I caught up with, but what struck me when watching films like Dressed to Kill and Body Double was how sad it was that De Palma isn't even making efforts of that ilk anymore, nevermind the crime epics like Scarface. Both are so entertaining and extremely well-crafted but also resonant commentaries on the state of Hollywood at the time. Even something like Phantom of the Paradise holds up pretty nicely.

I was fearing a longer delay (12 months or more) so I can deal with a 4 month push back, although it's no guarantee that there won't be further changes.

Once I finish the second season of Twin Peaks this week I'm going to dip into some of the miniseries that have been discussed here. Mrs. America, Devs, The Plot Against America and The Last Dance are ones I'm eager to check out, as well as those premiering next month. Better Call Saul had its penultimate season finale last night and to think I resisted watching this show for 4 years makes me feel shameful. I binged the first four seasons in a month last year, and somehow the most recent set of episodes might trump everything that came before. I never imagined that I would feel as tense watching an entry in the Breaking Bad universe as I did when the original show was wrapping up, but there were moments in the past 3 episodes of BCS that had my heart pounding. Kim Wexler ranks alongside Ruth Langmore and Kendall Roy as my favorite characters on current TV series and I sincerely hope Rhea Seehorn gets the recognition she thoroughly deserves from Emmy voters this year. If fans of Breaking Bad here haven't watched Better Call Saul, you've got 2 years in all likelihood to get on board before the final season. It'll be worth it.