The 2021 Next Level Blockbuster Award Nominees

 

Best Picture

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Da 5 Bloods

Hamilton

News of the World

One Night in Miami

Promising Young Woman

Soul

Tenet

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Comedy Picture

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

The King of Staten Island

Palm Springs

Best Action Picture

Bad Boys for Life

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Bloodshot

The Gentlemen

Mulan

Best Horror Picture

Antebellum

Freaky

The Invisible Man

Love and Monsters

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula

Best Inspirational Picture

Hamilton

I Still Believe

One Night in Miami

Uncle Frank

The Way Back

Best Drama Picture

Da 5 Bloods

The Devil All the Time

News of the World

Promising Young Woman

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Picture

The Midnight Sky

The New Mutants

Project Power

Tenet

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Live Action Family Picture

The Call of the Wild

Dolittle

Enola Holmes

The One and Only Ivan

Sonic the Hedgehog

Best Animated Family Picture

The Croods: A New Age

Onward

Scoob!

Soul

Trolls World Tour

Best Digital or Direct to Video Picture

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Hamilton

One Night in Miami

Soul

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Sequel or Remake

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

The Croods: A New Age

The Invisible Man

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Short Format Film

Alien Xmas

Loop

Once Upon a Snowman

Out

Playdate with Destiny

Best Actor

Ben Affleck

The Way Back

Paul Bettany

Uncle Frank

Chadwick Boseman

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

George Clooney

The Midnight Sky

Sacha Baron Cohen

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Tom Hanks

News of the World

Tom Hardy

Capone

Delroy Lindo

Da 5 Bloods

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Hamilton

Gary Oldman

Mank

Best Actress

Amy Adams

Hillbilly Elegy

Millie Bobby Brown

Enola Holmes

Viola Davis

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Gal Gadot

Wonder Woman 1984

Vanessa Kirby

Pieces of a Woman

Frances McDormand

Nomadland

Elisabeth Moss

The Invisible Man

Carey Mulligan

Promising Young Woman

Margot Robbie

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Anya Taylor-Joy

Emma.

Best Supporting Actress

Maria Bakalova

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Ellen Burstyn

Pieces of a Woman

Glenn Close

Hillbilly Elegy

Renée Elise Goldsberry

Hamilton

Riley Keough

The Devil All the Time

Sophia Lillis

Uncle Frank

Eliza Scanlen

The Devil All the Time

Amanda Seyfried

Mank

Phillipa Soo

Hamilton

Helena Zengel

News of the World

Best Supporting Actor

Chadwick Boseman

Da 5 Bloods

Jim Carrey

Sonic the Hedgehog

Henry Cavill

Enola Holmes

Sacha Baron Cohen

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Johnny Depp

Waiting for the Barbarians

Michael Keaton

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Ewan McGregor

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Robert Pattinson

The Devil All the Time

Chris Pine

Wonder Woman 1984

Zachary Quinto

The Boys in the Band

Best Voice Actor or Actress

Nicolas Cage

The Croods: A New Age

Will Forte

Scoob!

Chris Pratt

Onward

Ben Schwartz

Sonic the Hedgehog

Jamie Foxx

Soul

Best Ensemble

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

The Boys in the Band

The Devil All the Time

One Night in Miami

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Director

Emerald Fennell

Promising Young Woman

David Fincher

Mank

Paul Greengrass

News of the World

Patty Jenkins

Wonder Woman 1984

Regina King

One Night in Miami

Spike Lee

Da 5 Bloods

Christopher Nolan

Tenet

Aaron Sorkin

The Trial of the Chicago 7

George C. Wolfe

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Jason Woliner

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Devil All the Time

Antonio Campos and Paulo Campos

The Invisible Man

Leigh Whannell

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Ruben Santiago-Hudson

News of the World

Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies

One Night in Miami

Kemp Powers

Best Original Screenplay

Da 5 Bloods

Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee

Mank

Jack Fincher

Promising Young Woman

Emerald Fennell

Tenet

Christopher Nolan

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Aaron Sorkin

Best Original Music

Emma.

Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer

News of the World

James Newton Howard

Soul

Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Tenet

Ludwig Göransson

Wonder Woman 1984

Hans Zimmer

Best Soundtrack

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

The Croods: A New Age

Hamilton

Trolls World Tour

Best Original Song

“The Beginning of the End (Wyld Stallyns Edit)”

performed by Weezer

from the motion picture

“Bill & Ted Face the Music”

“Free”

performed by Charlie Puth

from the motion picture

“The One and Only Ivan”

“Husavik”

performed by Will Ferrell

and My Marianne

from the motion picture

“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”

“The Other Side”

performed by Justin Timberlake

and SZA

from the motion picture

“Trolls World Tour”

“Speak Now”

performed by Leslie Odom Jr.

from the motion picture

“One Night in Miami”

Best Casting

Enola Holmes

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Mulan

One Night in Miami

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Production Design

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Emma.

Greyhound

The Midnight Sky

Mulan

Best Cinematography

The Devil All the Time

Mank

The Midnight Sky

News of the World

Tenet

Best Costume Design

Dolittle

Emma.

Greyhound

Mulan

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best 3D Presentation

The Croods: A New Age

Onward

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Film Editing

Da 5 Bloods

News of the World

Tenet

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Sound Editing

Da 5 Bloods

Greyhound

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Soul

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Sound Mixing

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Extraction

Greyhound

Soul

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Special Effects

The Invisible Man

The Midnight Sky

Sonic the Hedgehog

Tenet

Wonder Woman 1984

Best Makeup Effects

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Capone

The Witches

Best Stunt Work

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Extraction

Mulan

Tenet

Wonder Woman 1984

 Best Home Video Release

30 Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Set

Back to the Future Trilogy 4K Blu-ray Set

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Steelbook Blu-ray

The Flintstones: The Complete Series Blu-ray Set

The Irishman Criterion Collection Blu-ray

Joker 4K Blu-ray

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K Blu-ray Set

The McPherson Tape Blu-ray

Mission: Impossible: The Original TV Series Blu-ray Set

Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Set

Next Level Blockbuster Icon Award

Lon Chaney Jr.

Walt Disney

Kirk Douglas

Christopher Lee

Paul Newman

Cliff Robertson

Tony Scott

Rod Serling

Paul Walker

Gene Wilder

Next Level Blockbuster Legacy Award

Alien

Beverly Hills Cop

Blazing Saddles

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Dracula

First Blood

Gladiator

Gremlins

Jurassic Park

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

“Da 5 Bloods” Movie Review

    It hasn’t been an easy few months for us film buffs thanks to the global pandemic which has sadly affected much of the world and has taken far too many lives.  Longing for the days of going to the theater seems a bit selfish and unrealistic at the moment.  Luckily, we can all enjoy a little bit of normalcy in the form of original streaming content.  While a great deal of the films that premiere on the streaming services are on the subpar side, occasionally acclaimed filmmakers decide to try their hands at more non-traditional filmmaking using Netflix or Hulu.  One such filmmaker with a film hitting Netflix recently was the controversial Spike Lee.

    The film focuses on four aging African Americans who return to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time since the Vietnam War.  The men were members of a unit of American soldiers self dubbed “the bloods” which was led by their now deceased squad leader Norman.  The men are searching for gold they left buried there during the war.  Unfortunately, the quest for the lost treasure ends up tearing the friends apart and the men may not make it out of Vietnam this time.

    With a predominately African American cast, this film has been released at an important time in modern politics with the Black Lives Matter movement becoming an increasingly powerful and moving voice in the United States.  It also illustrated the fact that the horrors of war knows no race.  War doesn’t discriminate and scars any race, religion, and side it touches.

    My father was a Vietnam veteran who suffered mildly from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and this film did a good job depicting the impact it has on some veterans.  Sadly, you can take the men out of the war but you can’t always take the war out of the men sometimes.  Spike Lee’s handling of PTSD was handled very well through the film in my opinion.

    The film wasn’t perfect despite some interesting concepts.  The editing is some scenes was bit rough and could have been handled a bit better especially during the battle scenes.  The score was also rather bland for a war film.

    While the cast of actors did a magnificent job in their roles, I wasn’t a fan of Lee using the same older actors in flashbacks.  I found this to be very distracting and I would have used younger actors to be younger versions of them.

    “Da 5 Bloods” is a film about how sometimes war never ends for some soldiers.  It is also a film which explores the brotherhood of a group of African American soldiers living through a war no American should have been involved with.

GRADE: B+

The 2020 Next Level Blockbuster Winners

Best Picture

Joker (Winner)
Avengers: Endgame
Dolemite Is My Name
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Comedy Picture

Shazam! (Winner)
Dolemite Is My Name
Fighting with My Family
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out

Best Action Picture

John Wick: Chapter 3 -Parabellum (Winner)
Angel Has Fallen
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Rambo: Last Blood
Spider-Man: Far From Home

Best Horror Picture

Us (Winner)
Annabelle Comes Home
Doctor Sleep
It Chapter Two
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Best Inspirational Picture

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Winner)
Breakthrough
A Dog’s Journey
The Peanut Butter Falcon
The Upside

Best Drama Picture

Joker (Winner)
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Science Fiction Picture

Avengers: Endgame (Winner)
Ad Astra
Captain Marvel
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Terminator: Dark Fate

Best Live Action Family Picture

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Winner)
Aladdin
Dumbo
Jumanji: The Next Level
Togo

Best Animated Family Picture

Toy Story 4 (Winner)
Abominable
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Klaus
The Lion King

Best Digital or Direct to Video Picture

The Irishman (Winner)
Dolemite Is My Name
Marriage Story
Togo
The Two Popes

Best Sequel or Remake

Avengers: Endgame (Winner)

John Wick: Chapter 3 -Parabellum

The Lion King

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Short Format Film
Kitbull (Winner)
Battle at Big Rock
Hair Love
How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming
Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling

Best Actor

Joaquin Phoenix
Joker (Winner)

Daniel Craig
Knives Out

Matt Damon
Ford v Ferrari

Robert De Niro
The Irishman

Leonardo DiCaprio
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Robert Downey Jr.
Avengers: Endgame

Adam Driver
Marriage Story

Taron Egerton
Rocketman

Chris Evans
Avengers: Endgame

Eddie Murphy
Dolemite Is My Name

Best Actress

Scarlett Johansson
Marriage Story (Winner)

Awkwafina
The Farewell

Ana de Armas
Knives Out

Cynthia Erivo
Harriet

Brie Larson
Captain Marvel

Chrissy Metz
Breakthrough

Lupita Nyong’o
Us

Florence Pugh
Fighting with My Family

Daisy Ridley
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Renee Zellweger
Judy

Best Supporting Actress

Laura Dern
Marriage Story (Winner)

Kathy Bates
The Highwaymen

Frances Conroy
Joker

Carrie Fisher
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Linda Hamilton
Terminator: Dark Fate

Lena Headey
Fighting with My Family

Scarlett Johansson
Jojo Rabbit

Dakota Johnson
The Peanut Butter Falcon

Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Dolemite Is My Name

Margot Robbie
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Supporting Actor

Tom Hanks
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Winner)

Christian Bale
Ford v Ferrari

Bryan Cranston
The Upside

Willem Dafoe
The Lighthouse

Chris Hemsworth
Avengers: Endgame

Anthony Hopkins
The Two Popes

Al Pacino
The Irishman

Joe Pesci
The Irishman

Brad Pitt
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Wesley Snipes
Dolemite Is My Name

Best Voice Actor or Actress

Ryan Reynolds
Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Winner)

Donald Glover
The Lion King

Tom Hanks
Toy Story 4

Hugh Jackman
Missing Link

Idina Menzel
Frozen II

Best Ensemble

Avengers: Endgame (Winner)
The Irishman
It Chapter Two
Knives Out
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Director

Todd Phillips
Joker (Winner)

J.J. Abrams
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Noah Baumbach
Marriage Story

James Mangold
Ford v Ferrari

Sam Mendes
1917

Jordan Peele
Us

Anthony and Joe Russo
Avengers: Endgame

Martin Scorsese
The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Taika Waititi
Jojo Rabbit

Best Adapted Screenplay

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Avengers: Endgame (Winner)

Steven Zaillian
The Irishman

Taika Waititi
Jojo Rabbit

Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
Joker

Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton
Toy Story 4

Best Original Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Winner)

Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth
and Jason Keller
Ford v Ferrari

Rian Johnson
Knives Out

Noah Baumbach
Marriage Story

Jordan Peele
Us

Best Original Music

Hildur Guðnadótti

Joker (Winner)

Alan Silvestri

Avengers: Endgame

Randy Newman

Marriage Story

Daniel Pemberton

Motherless Brooklyn

John Williams

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Original Song

“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” performed by Elton John and Taron Egerton

from the motion picture “Rocketman” (Winner)

“Catchy Song” performed by T-Pain
and That Girl Lay Lay

from the motion picture “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” performed by Randy Newman

from the motion picture “Toy Story 4”

“Into the Unknown” performed by Panic! At The Disco
from the motion picture “Frozen II”

“Speechless” performed by Naomi Scott
from the motion picture “Aladdin”

Best Casting

Shazam! (Winner)
Fighting with My Family

It Chapter Two

Joker

1917

Best Production Design

Avengers: Endgame (Winner)
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Knives Out
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Cinematography

Joker (Winner)
Ford v Ferrari
Knives Out
The Lighthouse
1917

Best Costume Design

Rocketman (Winner)
Avengers: Endgame
Joker
1917
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best 3D Presentation

Alita: Battle Angel (Winner)
The Addams Family
Avengers: Endgame
Shazam!
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Film Editing

Avengers: Endgame (Winner)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Knives Out

Best Sound Editing

Ford v Ferrari (Winner)
Avengers: Endgame

1917

Rocketman
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Sound Mixing

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (Winner)
Avengers: Endgame
Ford v Ferrari
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
1917

Best Special Effects

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (Winner)
Alita: Battle Angel
Avengers: Endgame
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Pokémon Detective Pikachu

Best Makeup Effects

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (Winner)
Hellboy
Joker
Judy
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Best Stunt Work

John Wick: Chapter 3 -Parabellum (Winner)
Angel Has Fallen
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Rambo: Last Blood
Terminator: Dark Fate

 Best Home Video Release
Godzilla: The Showa Era Films 1954-1975 The Criterion Collection Blu-ray Set (Winner)

Alita: Battle Angel 4K/3D Blu-ray
Aquaman 3D Blu-ray
Avengers: Endgame 4K Blu-ray
Batman Beyond: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-ray Set
The House of Hitchcock Collection Blu-ray Set
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Gauntlet-Season 12 Blu-ray Set
Scarface Limited Gold Edition 4K Blu-ray
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Series Blu-ray Set
Ultraman: The Complete Series Blu-ray Set

Next Level Blockbuster Icon Award

Lucille Ball
Carrie Fisher
Cary Grant
Alfred Hitchcock
Howard Hughes
John Hughes
Stanley Kubrick
Stan Lee
Leonard Nimoy
Robin Williams

Next Level Blockbuster Legacy Award
Back to the Future
Batman
Platoon
Rocky
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shining
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
The Wizard of Oz

“Dolittle” Movie Review

    I haven’t had the opportunity to view many new movies lately while my state has been on lockdown.  Theaters remain closed and even deliveries take quite some time to arrive due to increased orders of essential items from websites such as Amazon.  I finally got a chance to check out the latest remake of “Dolittle” and I was very excited to see something new.

    The film opens up with an animated sequence which sets up the rest of the film showing Doctor John Dolittle and his wife Lily before she passes away while at sea.  Following Lily’s death, Doctor Dolittle has become a recluse and only communicates with the animals he lives with.  Dr. Dolittle is forced to set off on an adventure to save the life of the Queen, much to his dismay.  While on the adventure, Dolittle ends up taking on an apprentice named Tommy, a young boy with a love for all animals as well.

    I went into this film a bit blind as far as the overall tone of the movie.  I enjoyed the Eddie Murphy films but I had never read the source material and I have never seen the original musical adaptation so I was curious how this film would be.  I was pleasantly surprised by how family friendly the movie ended up being.  I figured it wouldn’t be too adult in nature, but you never know these days.

    Much like the original books written by Hugh Lofting, this film is set in Victorian England unlike the contemporary setting of the Eddie Murphy adaptation.  This time frame helped set it apart from the most recent adaptations while also providing a fresh visual palette that the modern setting couldn’t take advantage of.  All of the colorful sets and costumes featured really help you feel engrossed in the setting.

    Now, there are some faults I found in the film which I will now dive into now.  The most distracting aspect of the film for me is how the film uses voices overs to cover exposition and actions not shown on screen, it doesn’t happen often, but it can be a little jarring (it was to me at least).  It almost felt like the filmmakers forgot to film some scenes and just figured a quick ADR session would be a better (and cheaper) solution to reshoots (which to be fair, it is).  Also, there are some beautifully shot scenes in the film and the cinematography is often very good overall, but there are parts with extreme zooms that I found a out of place with the rest of the film.

    The animals and the overall computer animation is very good.  The voice cast including the likes of John Cena and Tom Holland also did a stellar job making the animals feel real.  So many different personalities are displayed with the animals and they often feel the most realistic elements of each scene.

    As far as the human cast of characters goes, they are led by the great Robert Downey Jr. and he seems to be having a blast.  Now this admittedly seems like an odd role for Downey to take post Iron Man, but I think he just wanted to make a different type of movie.  I really enjoyed Robert Downey Jr. in the movie and it was a delight to see him go over the top in the role.  Downey Jr. sets himself apart from Eddie Murphy and Rex Harrison with this adaptation and showcases why he gets paid the big bucks.  I should also point out that despite little screen time, Antonio Banderas absolutely steals his scenes and he managed to make me wonder why he was never cast in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.

    In a world consumed by the Coronavirus epidemic, it’s refreshing to see a film like this and know that the author who wrote this came up with the characters during another dark time in the world, World War I.  Even during dark times, light always shines through.  While “Dolittle” isn’t a perfect film, it was still cute and better than I expected with some wonderful performances.

Grade: B

“Onward” Movie Review

    Traditionally, a joint effort from Disney and Pixar means big bucks for ‘the house of mouse’ at the box office.  2020 has been anything but traditional for Hollywood unfortunately and due to the deadly outbreak of the Coronavirus, the latest Disney and Pixar film “Onward” ended up doing rather poorly at the box office before the theaters ultimately closed down.  “Onward” seemed like a film doomed to fail due to circumstances beyond it’s control but it is fortunately found life again on Disney+.

    The film tells the story of two brothers, Ian and Barley, who are very different from each other.  The brothers live in a world that was once filled with magic and mythical creatures but that world, like our own, has been lost due to modern innovation.  The only thing seemingly connecting the brothers is the fact that they both miss their father deeply.  Upon Ian’s sixteenth birthday, the brothers are presented a magical staff that their father wanted them to have when they were old enough.  In addition to the staff, their father also left them a powerful gem and a spell to bring him back for twenty-four hours.  After Barley fails to be able to summon their father back, Ian is able to successfully make the spell work.  Unfortunately for both of them, the gem powerful enough to bring their father back explodes halfway into the process and they only bring his bottom half back.  After that, the group set off on an adventure to find another gem to finish the process before their twenty-four hour goes away forever.

    It’s really a shame this film fell victim to the forced shutdown of theaters due to the Coronavirus.  “Onward” just happened to be one of the last major studio films released before the theater chains were forced to shut down and studios scrambled to find new release dates for future releases.  Fortunately, Disney was wise enough to offer the film for digital rental shortly after the pandemic and put the film on their Disney+ streaming service roughly a month after it was released in theaters.  This has turned out to be a rather smart move for the company because their streaming service keeps getting more and more subscribers and “Onward” has been trending on social media since it’s digital release.

    “Onward” is the kind of film that I feel really would have had legs at the box office.  It’s unique and has the perfect amount of sentimentality to really get people spreading good word of mouth.  It is also a film that is relatable to many people on very personal levels.  Anyone who has had a sibling who turned out to be more of a parental figure to them or anyone who has lost a parent are going to have a hard time fighting back tears at certain parts of this film.  As someone who has lost both their parents, I would do anything to see them once more.

    A large part of the charm of this film comes from the vocal talent of the two main stars, Tom Holland and Chris Pratt.  Both actors are veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and automatically have a natural chemistry with each other.  Holland and Pratt are able to give very funny performances but also pull on the heart strings when an emotional scene comes up.

    I love the feel of this film and the nods to other fantasy movies as well.   “Onward” is basically what the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth would look like now with modern technology and it was incredibly entertaining!  Can you imagine if games like ‘Magic the Gathering’ or ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ were based on historical events?  Imagination like that is what gives Pixar movies their charm.

    I was very impressed by “Onward” and it was nice to see a new movie with some passion put into it from home.  During these troubled times, a sweet fantasy movie is just what we need.

Grade: B+

“Freaked” Movie Review

    How do I even begin a review for a film like “Freaked”?  I can tell you a stumbled upon it as a child and watched it mostly due to the fact Alex Winter was in it (I was a huge “Bill & Ted” fan).  I was fascinated by the movie and felt a bit special because no other kid I knew had seen this hidden gem.  I felt a bit special, like I was the only person allowed to see this movie (I was a kid after all).

    The film follows former child star Ricky Coogin as he accepts a deal to endorse a chemical called Zygrot 24 which acts as a toxic fertilizer in South America.  Ricky and his friend Ernie travel down to South America to promote Zygrot 24 where they cross paths with environmentalist Julie and trick her into accompanying them to a freak show run by Elijah Skuggs.  Skuggs ends up capturing the three and uses the chemical Zygrot 24 to transfer the trio into freaks to be used in his freak show.

    It’s impossible to review this film without noting how bizarre the humor is on top of a ridiculously insane and over the top premise.  This is the kind of film that could never be made now within the studio system.  Perhaps this is what sets the film apart the most.  The humor certainly isn’t highbrow and often relies on it’s gross out factor, but it also has a charm behind it because you can sense the passion that went into it.  It reminds me a bit of a Troma film with a larger budget and more experienced cast.

    Alex Winter, who stars and co-directed the film, provides a great performance which is quite different than his role in the “Bill & Ted” franchise.  This was Winter’s last non-cameo role until 2013.  I am a big fan of Alex Winter and if you ever have the pleasure of meeting him (he does conventions from time to time), he is one of the nicest and most appreciative stars you will have the pleasure to see.  I remember meeting him along with my mom shortly before she passed away and he was so wonderful to her and myself.  It was refreshing to see a celebrity who enjoyed meeting his fans and didn’t seem jaded by appearing at a comic convention.

    The rest of the cast was also entertaining in their supporting roles.  Randy Quaid was delightfully chewing up every scene he was in.  Megan Ward was also great in this film and I really wish her career took off more.  I remember loving Mr. T’s role as the bearded lady a lot and I am still surprised he took the role.  The film also featured a little “Bill & Ted” reunion with co-stars Keanu Reeves and William Sadler also appearing in the movie (although Reeves is almost unrecognizable).  The only cast member I didn’t love was pretty much Michael Stoyanov of “Blossom” fame.  I found his  performance to be too annoying.

    The film wasn’t released theatrically (except in a handful of theaters) because the Fox executive who saw it thought the film was too weird to be successful.  The film also did receive poor test screening performances and mixed to poor reviews upon it’s release but has since become something of a cult classic.  It’s easy to see why some people hate this movie while others adore this film.  I feel like most dark comedies become rather divisive but with this film’s unique humor as well as it’s makeup and animation effects, this film is a cut above most other dark comedies.

    Ultimately I believe this film was actually a bit ahead of it’s time and I think a lot of the humor was lost on people at the time.  It was self aware and cheesy.  It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea and if you don’t enjoy self aware potty humor, this isn’t the movie for you.  If that sort of thing sounds interesting to you, I strongly advise you seek out the film “Freaked” and thank me later.

Grade: B