5th I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards, Part Two – 2017

This is it. The second half of the 5th annual I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards is ready, and this is the big half, to me. The awards that I’ll go through today are focused on film and documentaries, and I specifically wanted to get these out of the way before the Oscars were held. However, as I am a Dane, there are some films that have been deemed ineligible for these awards due to the fact that they (films like Lady Bird and The Post) will not be released in Denmark until April. Keep that in mind. Without further ado, let’s get to it.
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Final 90th Academy Awards Predictions: Winners – Special Features #17

This is it. Here we are. This Sunday, the 90th Academy Awards will be held. They’ll laugh about the La La Land–Moonlight mess, maybe they’ll even invite the presenters and the producers of both films onto the stage for some kind of joke. Streaks will be broken, there will be bad decisions, good decisions, and decisions that will look idiotic years from now. That’s the Oscars. That’s all a part of the game. Being that it is this close, it is finally time for me to reveal my final Oscar predictions for this awards season. Who will win? Who will lose? What would I have voted for? Let’s dive right in with the first categories. Continue reading “Final 90th Academy Awards Predictions: Winners – Special Features #17” →

IJR Awards 2017: Film and Documentary Nominations Announced

Today I’m revealing the second half of the 2017 nominations for this blog’s IJR Awards (I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards, but you probably already guessed that). The final legend award (Film Legend) isn’t getting any nominees, instead I’ll reveal the winner, or honoree, when all of the winners are to be announced on March 1st.
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REVIEW: The Shape of Water (2017)

US Theatrical Release Poster – Fox Searchlight Pictures

The following is a review of The Shape of Water — Directed by Guillermo Del Toro.

There was a story that Mexican film auteur Guillermo Del Toro kept on mentioning as he was doing the rounds talking about his newest film – a true passion project – this last year that really stuck with me. Del Toro – perhaps the greatest champion of the creature feature subgenre these days – saw 1954’s Creature from the Black Lagoon when he was only six-years-old, and he was so taken by the image of the Gill-man swimming underneath actress Julia Adams that he found himself hoping that they would end up together. A strange idea, perhaps, but not to him. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Shape of Water (2017)” →

REVIEW: Game Night (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of Game Night — Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein.

The creative duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s second directorial feature film Game Night is a black comedy about a highly competitive married couple — Max (played by Jason Bateman) and Annie (played by Rachel McAdams) — who first met when they were up against each other in a trivia contest. They are avid fans of party games, and they regularly host these game nights with their closest friends where they play games such as Jenga, pictionary, and Taboo. Continue reading “REVIEW: Game Night (2018)” →

REVIEW: MUTE (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of the Netflix Original Film MUTE — Directed by Duncan Jones.

Duncan Jones’ fourth feature film MUTE, which is dedicated to his late father David Bowie and his late nanny Marion Skene, is a science-fiction film in the vein of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. It tells the story of a search for a missing person in the melting pot of a futuristic and dirty Berlin, which, in true Blade Runner fashion, is bathed in neon lights and bluish colors. The film’s protagonist is an unlikely outsider — a tall and mute bartender named Leo (played by Alexander Skarsgård) who lost the ability to speak as a child in a violent motorboat propellor accident.  Continue reading “REVIEW: MUTE (2018)” →

REVIEW: Phantom Thread (2017)

US Theatrical Release Poster – Focus Features

The following is a review of Phantom Thread — Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

When Daniel Day-Lewis — one of the most decorated and, arguably, one of the best actors of all-time — signs on to star in a film, you pay attention to that film. When someone like Day-Lewis then re-teams with a director who, when they last worked together, brought an Oscar-winning performance out of the thespian, you become excited by every piece of news about it. Continue reading “REVIEW: Phantom Thread (2017)” →

Crazy Early 91st Academy Awards Predictions – Special Features #16

Okay, I know. This is insane. The 90th Academy Awards haven’t even been held, and I’ve only seen like ten or eleven films from 2018 at this point. But I love writing about the awards season, but, to be honest with you, I find the annual best picture frontrunner backlash to be draining. So, therefore, I think it’s much easier for me to write about next year’s awards season. And don’t you worry, I have a pretty good idea of what is coming out this year. So, without further ado, let’s get to it. Continue reading “Crazy Early 91st Academy Awards Predictions – Special Features #16” →

REVIEW: First Team: Juventus – Part One (2018)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of the first three episodes of the first season of Netflix’s First Team: Juventus.

As one person, during the second episode of First Team: Juventus, points out, it is a matter of black and white with Juventus in Italy — either you hate them or you love them. Juventus is one of the most storied clubs in world football. When it comes to legendary club kits the only kits that rival the striped black and white home kit of Juventus are those worn by Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain. Juventus, arguably the greatest club in Italian football history, is that kind of club — a true winner.
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REVIEW: Irreplaceable You (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Irreplaceable You — Directed by Stephanie Laing.

Cancer movies are a dime a dozen, which isn’t to say that I dislike these films. I’m a sucker for films like A Walk to Remember and 50/50, the latter of which I believe is actually a masterpiece — but I digress. What I am saying is that there are a lot of these films, so when you encounter a new one, it has to really stand out to be worthwhile. Netflix just released the feature film directorial debut for Stephanie Laing, who has previously worked on shows like Veep and Vice Principals. Laing’s first film, unfortunately, does not manage to stand out at all.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Irreplaceable You (2018)” →