Monday, May 28, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War

☆☆☆☆
+
In this exciting and action packed story...the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, and more come together to fight Thanos...one of the greatest villains in Marvel comics.
-
Some distracting C.G.I.

Stay for the post-credit scene to get a hint at what's coming next.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 29 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer!



Sunday, May 20, 2018

Book Club

☆☆☆
+
Four great actresses (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen) join forces in this enjoyable story about putting the zest back into your life.
-
The story just doesn't have enough...feeling, humor, and depth.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 44 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Life of the Party

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Melissa McCarthy stars as Deanna, a divorced mother who decides to go back to her daughter's college to finish her degree.
McCarthy hits all of the right notes in this laugh out loud comedy!
-
See it again before it leaves the theaters.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the official movie website and watch the trailer.

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Tully

☆☆☆☆
+
Marlo (Charlize Theron), struggling to be the best mother she can be to her three kids, starts to unravel after the third is born. Marlo's brother hires her a night nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis), who saves her sanity.
Theron and Davis give excellent performances in this very real dramedy.
-
In this very real story...there is an unreal twist.

Rated R
1 hr. 34 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

The Death of Stalin

☆☆☆
+
When Soviet leader Joseph Stalin dies in 1953, a humorous struggle to become the next leader ensues.
Staring Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough and Jeffrey Tambor.
-
Bottom line...it just wasn't all that funny.

Rated R
1 hr. 47 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer!

Sunday, April 22, 2018

I Feel Pretty

☆☆☆☆
+
Amy Schumer will make you laugh and possibly even cry in this story of Renee...a young woman struggling with self-esteem issues until something magic happens that changes her life.
-
Ignore any bad reviews and go see this movie...but only if you like to laugh.
It's okay for a movie to have a message!

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.




A Quiet Place

☆☆☆☆
+
John Krasinski wrote this suspenseful thriller where making a sound could get a person killed.
Krasinski and real life wife Emily Blunt star as husband and wife trying to keep their family alive.
-
Any "monster" movie could up the suspense and mystery by NOT showing the monster...except possibly at the end.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 30 min.

Blockers

☆☆☆1/2
+
Leslie Mann always makes a movie funnier and just better!
Mann stars...along with Ike Barinholtz and John Cena...as an overprotective mother determined to keep her daughter from having sex on prom night.
-
It gets a little too silly in parts.

Rated R
1 hr. 42 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.

Ready Player One

☆☆☆

+
Set in Columbus, Ohio in the year 2045 "Ready Player One" tells the fast paced and engaging story of an overcrowded world where people escape reality by entering a virtual world known as the Oasis. When the creator of the Oasis dies, he creates a contest where the winner will inherit his fortune and take control of this virtual world.
Wade Watts makes his mark in the competition and his life is forever changed.
-
If the characters were more developed and the setting wasn't so bleak...it might have earned one more star.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 20 min.

Visit the official movie website and see the trailer!


Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Annihilation

☆☆☆
+
The engaging story of a team of women who enter "the shimmer" to investigate this mysterious phenomenon that is slowly expanding and covering more land.
Natalie Portman stars as Lena, a biology professor and military veteran, who joins the team to help solve the mystery.
Great performance by Gina Rodriguez ("Jane, The Virgin").
-
Sometimes screenplays became so confusing (to everyone but the writers) that they lose their viewers.

Rated R
1 hr. 55 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.

How many stars would you give "Annihilation?"
☆☆
☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
Created with PollMaker




Sunday, March 18, 2018

Love, Simon

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
A heart tugging dramedy that stars Nick Robinson as a 17 year old high schooler who falls in love with a mysterious young man...and in turns comes out to his friends and family.
A great message about love and acceptance (not just tolerance).
-
The character of Logan is a little "over written."

Rated PG13
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

How many stars would you give "Love, Simon?"
☆☆
☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
Created with PollMaker


A Wrinkle in Time

☆☆☆1/2
+
Based on the best selling novel, "A Wrinkle in Time" stars Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Oprah Winfrey, and Storm Reid in a adventure in space to find a very important person.
-
Visually appealing...but will probably only interest the pre-teen crowd.

Rated PG
1 hr. 49 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.

How many stars would you give "A Wrinkle in Time?"
☆☆
☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
Created with PollMaker

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Black Panther

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Chadwick Boseman stars as Black Panther in one of the best super hero movies to date!

Strong and intelligent women make it possible for Black Panther to fight the greatest enemy their nation has ever faced.
-
Don't leave too early...a little something after the credits.

Rated PG13
2 hr. 14 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.

How many stars would you give "Black Panther?"
☆☆
☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
Created with PollMaker

Monday, March 5, 2018

2018 Oscar Winners


*www.starmoviereviews.com 20/24 correct Oscar predictions

Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Lead Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Lead Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Director:

“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

Animated Feature:

“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated Short:

“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
“Negative Space,” Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original Screenplay:

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

Cinematography:

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

Best Documentary Feature:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda (predicted winner)
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright (predicted winner)
“Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel
“Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
“Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
“Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best Live Action Short Film:

“DeKalb Elementary,” Reed Van Dyk (predicted winner)
“The Eleven O’Clock,” Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr.
☆“The Silent Child,” Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Film Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

Sound Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound Mixing:

“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Original Score:

“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

Original Song:

“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and Hair:

“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten

Costume Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Visual Effects:

“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist (predicted winner)

Sunday, February 25, 2018

2018 Oscar Predictions


Predictions: www.starmoviereviews.com

Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Lead Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Lead Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Director:

“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

Animated Feature:

“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated Short:

“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
“Negative Space,” Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original Screenplay:

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

Cinematography:

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

Best Documentary Feature:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
“Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel
“Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
“Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
“Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best Live Action Short Film:

“DeKalb Elementary,” Reed Van Dyk
“The Eleven O’Clock,” Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr.
“The Silent Child,” Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Film Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

Sound Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound Mixing:

“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Original Score:

“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

Original Song:

“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and Hair:

“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten

Costume Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Visual Effects:

“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Get Out

☆☆☆☆
+
"Get Out" is the suspenseful story of Chris (award winning performance by Daniel Kaluuya) who goes upstate with his girlfriend to visit her family...and the mother and father have a dangerous secret.
-
The ending gets a little outrageous.

Rated R
1 hr. 44 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.

How many stars would you give "Get Out?"
☆☆
☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
Created with PollMaker

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Coco

☆☆☆☆
+
An endearing family film that follows Miguel...a 12 year old boy that loves to make music...in spite of his family's objection.

Wonderful music!
-
Dia de los Muertos is key to the storyline...and may be confusing (and possibly scary) to some children who are not familiar with this important Mexican holiday.

Rated PG
1 hr. 49 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

How many stars would you give "Coco?"
☆☆
☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
Created with PollMaker

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Phantom Thread

☆☆☆☆
+
Nominated for Best Picture..."Phantom Thread" stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock a fashion designer in post-war London (1950s) who is determined to remain a bachelor...until he meets Alma.

Day-Lewis gives an Oscar nominated performance...
-
...in what he says is his last movie role.

Such a unique story...with a central character that viewers may have a difficult time deciding if they care about or even like.

Rated R
2 hr. 10 min.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

2018 Oscar Nominations


Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Lead Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Lead Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Director:

“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro

Animated Feature:

“The Boss Baby,” Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito
“The Breadwinner,” Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo
“Coco,” Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson
“Ferdinand,” Carlos Saldanha
“Loving Vincent,” Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated Short:

“Dear Basketball,” Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant
“Garden Party,” Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon
“Lou,” Dave Mullins, Dana Murray
“Negative Space,” Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata
“Revolting Rhymes,” Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Adapted Screenplay:

“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original Screenplay:

“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh

Cinematography:

“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen

Best Documentary Feature:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman
“Faces Places,” JR, Agnès Varda, Rosalie Varda
“Icarus,” Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan
“Last Men in Aleppo,” Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen
“Strong Island,” Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Edith+Eddie,” Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright
“Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” Frank Stiefel
“Heroin(e),” Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon
“Knife Skills,” Thomas Lennon
“Traffic Stop,” Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best Live Action Short Film:

“DeKalb Elementary,” Reed Van Dyk
“The Eleven O’Clock,” Derin Seale, Josh Lawson
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr.
“The Silent Child,” Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Film Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory

Sound Editing:

“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound Mixing:

“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer
“Blade Runner 2049,” Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola
“Darkest Hour,” Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
“Dunkirk,” Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
“The Shape of Water,” Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau

Original Score:

“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell

Original Song:

“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and Hair:

“Darkest Hour,” Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick
“Victoria and Abdul,” Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard
“Wonder,” Arjen Tuiten

Costume Design:

“Beauty and the Beast,” Jacqueline Durran
“Darkest Hour,” Jacqueline Durran
“Phantom Thread,” Mark Bridges
“The Shape of Water,” Luis Sequeira
“Victoria and Abdul,” Consolata Boyle

Visual Effects:

“Blade Runner 2049,” John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
“Kong: Skull Island,” Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan
“War for the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel Whist

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

The Post

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Merly Streep gives an award winning performance as Katharine Graham...publisher of The Washington Post...who has to make the difficult decision...whether or not to expose a government cover-up in her paper.

Not every director could make this story exciting...but Spielberg delivers.

Nominated for Best Picture.
-
See it before it leaves theaters.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 55 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer!

Darkest Hour

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Gary Oldman gives this year's best actor performance (Star Movie Reviews prediction) as Prime Minister Winston Churchill...during WWII when Britain was facing invasion by Nazi forces.

Six Academy Award nominations...including Best Picture.
-
Too bad there can't be two Best Actor prizes! Timothee Chalamet gave an outstanding performance in "Call Me By Your Name."

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 5 min.

Visit the official movie website and watch the trailer!




Sunday, January 7, 2018

I, Tonya

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Margot Robbie gives a strong performance as Tonya Harding, the figure skater known not only for her award winning skating...but for her connection to an attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan.

Excellent supporting performance by Allison Janney.
-
This dark comedy will not only provide laughter...but the abuse will sadden viewers as well.

Rated R
2 hr.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

Molly's Game

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Based on true events, "Molly's Game" is the engaging story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) an award winning skier who eventually runs high stakes poker games.

Look for best actress nominations for Chastain's performance.
-
Viewers may feel that the screenplay doesn't allow them to really get to know Molly Bloom.

Rated R
2 hr. 20 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.



Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

☆☆☆1/2
+
When four high school students get drawn into a video game...the fun and adventure begin.

Jack Black deserves recognition for his hilarious performance as Professor Shelly Oberon.
-
It's silly...but it's a good time at the theater.

Rated PG13
1 hr. 59 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.




Sunday, December 31, 2017

Pitch Perfect 3

☆☆☆
+
The ladies are back and ready to sing in this enjoyable story of the Bellas reuniting and taking it on the road for the USO tour.
-
The storyline has run it's course...but it's still worth seeing.

Rated PG13
1 hr. 34 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.




The Greatest Showman

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, and Keala Settle light-up the screen in the story of P.T. Barnum...the man who created the greatest show on earth.

May see some nominations for Jackman.
-
Is it historically accurate?

Rated PG
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.



Downsizing

☆☆☆1/2
+
This unique story of shrinking people to live small and help save the earth's natural resources (starring Matt Damon) is curious, interesting, and fun.
-
Such potential...if the storyline stayed with the idea of 5" people living in small communities...it might have worked better.

Rated R
2 hr. 15 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Call Me By Your Name

☆☆☆☆☆
+
Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet give award winning performances in this heartbreakingly beautiful story of two American men who meet and fall for each other while visiting Italy.

The chemistry between Oliver (Hammer) and Elio (Chalamet) is exceptional.
-
A little too self-aware at times.

Rated R
2 hr. 12 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.