The 95th annual Academy Awards are right around the corner, airing this Sunday, March 12th at 8pm (EST) on ABC (they will air locally in Detroit on WXYZ Channel 7).
For many, they can't come soon enough...for no other reason than to try to move us past the debacle of last year's awards show. The infamous and instantly viral "slap heard 'round the world" - delivered by Will Smith to comedian Chris Rock - was also a slap to the face of its audience, capping off an all-around year and broadcast that the Academy would love to forget. The good news: There's a lot to like about what we can expect with this year's show. Jimmy Kimmel is back to host the Oscars for his third time, and gone are the controversial changes that were introduced in 2022...first, Oscars in ALL 23 categories will be handed out live (last year, they relegated some of the "lesser" technical categories to a pre-show that was not broadcasted). Gone are the ridiculous "fan favorite" distractions that awarded "The Flash Entering the Speed Force" as the top movie moment...of ALL-TIME. And for the first time since 1983, the #1 and #2 highest-grossing (i.e. popular) movies of the year - "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" are both nominated for Best Picture, giving industry-folks hope that more eyeballs might be tuned in for this year's celebration. There are a lot of opinions when it comes to the Oscars, especially in our divided times (I urge you to read a fantastic article where two opposing film lovers - one very pro-Oscars and one very, very against them by clicking here, conducted in 2020 pre-pandemic). Predicting what will happen at the Oscars this year, how many people will watch (or not watch) and who will win is all part of the fun. In that spirit, here are my best predictions in all 23 categories for this year's 95th Academy Awards (full disclaimer: Yes I have seen all entries and these opinions are made without any inside knowledge, and represent who I THINK will win, and not necessarily who I would WANT to see win). Will you be watching this year's Academy Awards? If so, here are our predictions on all categories, to help guide you through what is hopefully a return to Oscar award show glory:
1 Comment
Officially, "Creed III" is the ninth film in the Rocky saga, except for one glaring fact: It's the very first installment that underdog champ Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) does not appear in.
True, since 2015's "Creed," the story has slowly been shifted over to that of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), estranged son of the late, great Heavyweight boxing champ who also happened to be Rocky's best friend, Apollo Creed (portrayed in the early films by Carl Weathers). His story has thus far taken place in the shadows of Balboa's, their paths and their fates crossing as one career twilights, and another is just getting going. But what's evident most in "Creed III," is that Adonis needs Rocky, and without him, the story lacks emotional...punch. Director Guy Ritchie has made a career on style. His latest film, the full-titled version of which is "Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre," has plenty of it...the problem is that the script is a complete dud. This renders its talented ensemble useless, each desperate to breathe life into this dead-on-arrival crime-comedy-thriller, but each - save Hugh Grant - being held back without ever getting a chance to shine.
The result is a movie that feels like it should be cool but isn't...a movie so high on its own supply that it becomes grating, not charismatic, the longer it slogs on. |
Looking for a specific movie or review?
Search Below: Categories
All
Archives
February 2024
|