92nd Academy Awards Nominations: Reaction – Special Features #59

Edited image originally from ‘Joker (2019),’ Warner Bros.

The nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards have been released by AMPAS. We now know the names of the individuals who might become Oscar winners in a month. For the full list of nominations, click here. There is a lot to talk about this time around. One film clearly overperformed much to many pundits and critics’ chagrin, while the Academy made some of the classic problematic mistakes that awards seasons tend to result in at some point or another.

Continue reading “92nd Academy Awards Nominations: Reaction – Special Features #59”

Nomination Predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards – Special Features #58

Edited image originally from ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019),’ Sony Pictures

It is finally that time of the year again, folks! The nominations for the Academy Awards will be released on Monday (January 13th, 2020). Just in time, I am ready with my final predictions for this awards season’s Oscars nominations. Below I have tried to predict every category except for the short film categories, as I simply haven’t seen enough short films from 2019. So, without further ado, let’s get to it! Continue reading “Nomination Predictions for the 92nd Academy Awards – Special Features #58”

BAFTA Nominations Disappoint – Special Features #57

This morning, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced their nominations for the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. For a complete list of the nominations, click here. Normally, I have some love for the BAFTA awards. I’m not British, but I think they function as a nice alternative to the Oscars every year. They also tend to zig when the Oscars zag, which is to say that often they don’t agree on the nominations and winners. I look forward to the BAFTAs every year because they sometimes make some really inspired choices, like when they showed a lot of love for Blade Runner 2049. But this year’s nominations list is very disappointing. Continue reading “BAFTA Nominations Disappoint – Special Features #57”

77th Golden Globes: Predictions – Special Features #56

It’s time to get ready for the first major awards show of 2020 — The Golden Globe Awards. Though not at all as prestigious as the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes ceremony is known all around the globe as the major American precursor to the Oscars. Today, I’ll give out my own predictions for the ceremony which is being held in a couple of hours. Continue reading “77th Golden Globes: Predictions – Special Features #56”

REVIEW: 1917 (2019)

Theatrical Release Poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a review of 1917 — Directed by Sam Mendes.

Sam Mendes’ 1917 is a World War One-film that is inspired by the director’s grandfather, Alfred Mendes, and his stories from the battlefield. The film follows two young British soldiers — Lance Corporals Tom Blake (played by Dean-Charles Chapman) and William Schofield (played by George MacKay) — as they try to complete a mission. Blake and Schofield have been tasked with crossing ‘no man’s land’ and warning a battalion that they are walking into a German trap that may lay waste to up to 1,600 British soldiers. Continue reading “REVIEW: 1917 (2019)”

Top Ten TV-Shows of 2019

The New Golden Age of Television continued in 2019 with yet another great year of television. This must be reiterated year after year — yes, even in a year with a disappointing conclusion to Game of Thrones — 2019 continued that age, or trend, in which television is as effective as, or even more so than, cinema. For some, television of 2019 is undoubtedly best defined by the conclusion to shows like Game of Thrones or Fleabag, and, for others, it is best defined by limited series that shocked you to your core. Continue reading “Top Ten TV-Shows of 2019”

2020 Update: I’m Jeffrey Rex

Have you ever heard the phrase: New year, new me? Well, I thought that since we have now entered the potentially glorious year of 2020, I should give my readers an update about the adjustments being made to the recurring blog post series on I’m Jeffrey Rex. Today, I’m announcing a couple of adjustments as well as a huge review project for this March. Continue reading “2020 Update: I’m Jeffrey Rex”

REVIEW: The Grudge (2020)

Theatrical Release Poster – Columbia Pictures

The following is a review of The Grudge — Directed by Nicolas Pesce.

Though I haven’t rewatched it in years (for reasons that will become apparent in a moment), I think that Takashi Shimizu’s Sarah Michelle Gellar-led 2004 American remake of Ju-On: The Grudge is really effective. To be perfectly honest with you, it frightened me so much when I saw it at age eleven that it gave me nightmares. I thought about it for weeks. The creepy imagery still freaks me out. So, when I heard that up-and-coming filmmaker Nicolas Pesce was making a new film in the series, I was both nervous, scared, and intrigued. Unfortunately, I don’t think Pesce was able to breathe new life into the horror subgenre once ruled by Ju-On and Ringu. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Grudge (2020)”

REVIEW: Parasite (2019)

Korean Theatrical Release Poster – CJ Entertainment

The following is a review of Parasite (‘기생충‘) — Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a South Korean drama about the class system. The film follows a very poor South Korean family who lives in an abandoned basement. The Kim-family spend their days searching for free WiFi, and they make a living folding pizza boxes. The parents — Ki-Taek (played by Song Kang-ho) and Chung-sook (played by Chang Hyae-jin) — hope that their children — Ki-woo (played by Choi Woo-shik) and Ki-jeong (played by Park So-dam) — can climb the social ladder and make a life for themselves that is prosperous. Ki-woo plans to go to college and make something of himself. However, as their father, Ki-Taek, later warns, plans are unreliable. Continue reading “REVIEW: Parasite (2019)”

7th I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards, Part One – 2019

Happy new year! Today is the very first day of 2020, so it makes perfect sense to take a look back and begin to celebrate the best of the year to which we are saying goodbye. In the first part of the I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards for 2019, I will reveal my personal winners in my video game, song, superhero, and television categories. To see a complete list of the nominees, click here. Please do remember that my film nominations and winners will be announced in about a month. Continue reading “7th I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards, Part One – 2019”