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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on January 1, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver will debut on January 5 at 8 PM.

A well-known magician drops dead in the middle of a dangerous trick on stage in front of a packed audience, but when the sudden death turns out to be murder, New York Sentinel Crosswords editor (and part-timer sleuth) Tess Harper (Lacey Chabert) and NYPD detective Logan O’Connor (Brennan Elliott) team up to discover exactly whose sleight of hand is behind the deadly “now you see him, now you don’t” stunt. Together, they must uncover the not-so-obvious clues and work their investigative magic to bring a killer to justice.

Barbara Niven also co-stars.

Here is a trailer for Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver.

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Winter in Vail

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 31, 2019| Leave a Comment »

On January 4, the Hallmark Channel movie Winter in Vail will debut at 9 PM.

Chelsea (Lacey Chabert) inherits a house in Vail. She meets Owen (Tyler Hines) and gets a much-needed break. Together, they put on Strudelfest to highlight the charm of Old Vail.

Here is a trailer for Winter in Vail.

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Year-End Round-Up: New Faces of 2020

Posted in Movies, Music, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2019| 4 Comments »

Much like the Faces of 2019, there are always entertainers of note to be on the look-out for in the new year or those who made great waves throughout the current year who will, undoubtedly, be big stars in the new year. The new faces of 2019 appear below in no particular order:

[Photo Credit: Adam Whitehead]

1. Esme Creed-Miles – The almost 20-year-old British actress raced onto the scene in the Amazon streaming series Hanna, based on the box office movie of the same name. Esme played the leadrole, starring alongside The Killing co-stars Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos. Hanna was given a second season renewal, and is expected to air sometime in 2020 on Amazon.

[Photo Credit: Hulu Press]

2. Brec Bassinger – Brec is a Texas native actress, who will star as Courtney Whitmore – aka Stargirl – in the upcoming DC Universe streaming service series based on the DC Comics character. Brec had the lead role in the Nickelodeon series Bella and the Bulldogs and appeared in that network’s School of Rock series.

[Photo Credit: Cinespression]

3. Freya Allan – The 18-year-old U.K. newcomer landed the role of Princess Ciri in the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher, based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski, which debuted on December 20. She will next be seen in the box office film Gunpowder Milkshake, playing Young Eve, who will be played as an adult by Karen Gillan (Doctor Who and the new Jumanji franchise).

[Photo Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Essence]

4. Halle Bailey – The talented Atlanta teenager got her start alongside her sister in the R&B duo Chloe x Halle when they were 13 and 11 respectively. They posted covers of pop songs on YouTube, which caught the eye of Beyonce, who signed them to her management company. Halle had a recurring role in the popular comedy grown-ish, but it was her landing the lead role in the upcoming live-action movie The Little Mermaid, in the title role of Ariel, that helped land her on this list.

[Photo Credit: Syfy]

5. Jodie Turner-Smith – The statesque British model turned actress got her start in a bit role in True Blood, but her first big break came in the TNT post-apocalyptic series The Last Ship. She followed that up with a role in the Syfy series Nightflyers and the Cinemax series Jett. Her role in this fall’s box office film Queen & Slim alongside Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya.

[Photo Credit: Steve Mack/Alamy]

6. Asante Blackk – Earlier this year, Asante, the nephew of actress Samira Wiley from Orange Is the New Black and The Handmaid’s Tale, made his debut in the gripping Netflix mini-series When They See Us, based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, playing Kevin Richardson as a teen; a role that earned him an Emmy nominations, making him one of the youngest nominees in its history before landing the role of Malik Hodges in season four of NBC’s This Is Us.

[Photo Credit: Disney]

7. Crystal Yifei Liu – The Chinese-American actress, dancer, singer and model has quite a resume in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South-East Asia, ranging from TV shows, having one of her songs chosen as the ending theme for the anime series Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z to numerous box office films. But it will be her lead role in the live-action adaptation of Mulan, set to air in early 2020, that will turn heads.

[Photo Credit: Neil Hall/Reuters]

8. Jessie Buckley – The Irish singer and actress appeared in the acclaimed HBO mini-series Chernobyl in May and June and then in the box office movie Judy that came out in October. She also got a lot of attention from her lead role in the indie film Wild Rose. She previously appeared in the BBC adaptation of War and Peace, FX’s Taboo and BBC’s The Woman in White. She has 5 projects in the works, which includes Doolittle, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Misbehaviour, starring Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

[Photo Credit: Gersh/Hollywood Reporter]

9. Haley Lu Richardson – Haley starred alongside Riverdale actor Cole Sprouse in the touching, but heartbreaking, box office movie Five Feet Apart, directed by Jane the Virgin actor Justin Baldoni, and starred alongside Downton Abbey alum Elizabeth McGovern in the period piece movie The Chaperone. She also previously appeared in the short-lived dramas Ravenswood and Recovery Road.

[Photo Credit: Benjo Arwas]

10. Kelvin Harrison, Jr. – Kelvin has appeared in movies The Birth of a Nation and Mudbound as well as the TV series Shots Fired, but it was his lead role in the Octavia Spencer-led movie Luce that turned heads. He has since appeared in the film Waves, alongside Sterling K. Brown, and the EPIX TV series Godfather of Harlem. He will soon be seen in the box office films The Photograph and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

[Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

11. Beanie Feldstein – The younger sister of actor Jonah Hill, Beanie caught a lot of attention for her role as Molly in the breakout hit movie Booksmart and will be seen playing Monica Lewinsky next year in the anthology series American Crime Story. She also appeared in the box office movies Lady Bird and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

[Photo Credit: Andre Uspenski]

12. Francesca Hayward – The Nigerian-born ballerina was raised in Britain and is now a principal dancer at The Royal Ballet in London. She has appeared in the lead role in productions of The Nutcracker, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle (just to name a few). She has the featured role of Victoria in the Tom Hooper directed film Cats.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2019? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2019

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Year-End Round-Up: Faces of 2019

Posted in Familiar Faces, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 29, 2019| 1 Comment »

The following list highlights the actors and actresses on television and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention throughout this year.

They appear in no particular order:

[Photo Credit: Jay L. Clendenin-Los Angeles Times]

1. Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Tony nominee for Ghost the Musical (in 2012) had a big year this year, appearing in the Eddie Murphy film Dolemite Is My Name and the Showtime comedy On Becoming a God in Central Florida. She will next be seen alongside Zoe Kravitz in the Hulu streaming series High Fidelity and the box office film The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Viewers will remember her from Empire and People of Earth.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

2. Cynthia Erivo – The Tony nominee for The Color Purple (in 2016) hit it big in the title role in the box office movie Harriet (based on the life of Harriet Tubman) and next year she will play the Queen of Soul herself Aretha Franklin in the National Geographic anthology series Genius. She will also be seen in the HBO mini-series based on the Stephen King novel The Outsider and the upcoming box office film Needle in a Timestack with Orlando Bloom. Viewers will remember her from the movies Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale.

[Photo Credit: CBS]

3. Kirby Howell-Baptiste -The British actress hit it big this year with a recurring role in the HBO hitman comedy Barry, a recurring role in the much-maligned season 4 of Veronica Mars on Hulu, a recurring role in The Good Place and a lead role in the CBS All Access drama Why Women Kill. She will star alongside Emma Stone in the box office movie Cruella. Viewers will remember her from Killing Eve and the box office movie A Dog’s Purpose.

[Photo Credit: Martina Tolot]

4. Marsai Martin – She is obviously one of the child stars of the popular ABC comedy black-ish, but what really got her attention this year was the box office movie Little. Marsai came up with the idea at the age of 10, surprising producers at the studio with how well thought-out her project was, becoming the youngest person in Hollywood, at the age of 13, to ever produce a movie.

[Photo Credit: Peter Lindbergh-Vogue]

5. Himesh Patel – While Himesh appeared in nearly 10 seasons of the British soap opera EastEnders, it was his turn as Jack Malik in the box office film Yesterday that got him a lot of attention. He will next be seen in the box office movie The Aeronauts alongside Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones; and he has joined the cast of the Christopher Nolan movie Tenet that will star Robert Pattinson.

Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott [Photo Credit: EPA]

6 and 7. Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott – They starred as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine in the 2019 live-action adaptation of the movie, featuring Will Smith as the Genie. Mena will next be seen in the Hulu streaming series Reprisal, starring Timeless vet Abigail Spencer. Viewers will remember him from the TeenNick series Open Heart and the Amazon series Jack Ryan. Naomi was part of the cast of the new Charlie’s Angels alongside Kristen Stewart, Ella Balinska and Elizabeth Banks. Viewers will remember her from the short-lived FOX drama Terra Nova, the Disney Channel movie Lemonade Mouth and the 2017 Power Rangers movie.

[Photo Credit: Twitter]

8. Andrew Scott – The Irish actor turned heads as Jim Moriarty in Sherlock, starring opposite Benedict Cumberbatch; and while he has a film and theatre background, it was his turn as “Hot Priest” in the second season of the award-winning streaming series Fleabag that charmed audiences. He can be seen in the World War II box office movie 1917 (again alongside Benedict Cumberbatch) as well as a recurring role in HBO’s His Dark Materials and he will appear in the title role of the upcoming Showtime series Ripley, playing literary con artist Tom Ripley.

Photo Credit: Dewayne Rogers

9. Simone Missick – Simone is the star of the new CBS legal drama All Rise, which has become the highest rated new drama of the fall TV season and she also appeared in the Netflix streaming series Altered Carbon. Viewers will remember Simone from The Defenders, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, playing Misty Knight in all three Netflix shows.

[Photo Credit: Geek Culture]

10. Samara Weaving – The Australian actress was the star of the box office thriller Ready or Not, and she will have an even bigger 2020, appearing in the box office movies Bill & Ted Face the Music and the G.I. Joe spin-off Snake Eyes. Like many other Aussie actors, Samara appeared in the Australian soap opera Home and Away.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

11. Katilyn Dever – She starred in the box office movie Booksmart and was the focus of the Netflix mini-series Unbelievable that received rave reviews for its honest portrayal of a heartbreaking true story. Viewers know Kaitlyn from the long-running comedy Last Man Standing and her recurring role in Justified.

Who are some of the faces from this year who caught your attention either on television, in music or in film? Please share.

TOMORROW: New Faces of 2020

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Box Office Movies Coming in January

Posted in Movies, News on December 28, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Based on information provided by the Box Office Mojo and some internet research, here are a few of the movies you can expect to see in the movie theatres in January:

Just Mercy
Opens: January 10

Attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) takes the case of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of a white woman. The cast includes Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson, Rob Morgan, Rafe Spall and O’Shea Jackson, Jr.

The Informer
Opens: January 10

Pete Koslow (Joel Kinnaman), a reformed criminal and former special operations soldier, is working undercover for crooked FBI handlers to infiltrate the Polish mob’s drug trade in New York. In a final step toward freedom, Koslow must return to the one place he has fought so hard to leave, Bale Hill Prison, where his mission becomes a race against time when a drug deal goes wrong and threatens to identify him as a mole. On discovering one of his handlers, Montgomery (Clive Owen) intends to let him and his family die in order to use their homicides as hard evidence to ensure convictions, Koslow must turn to Grens (Common), a member of NYPD’s Organized Crime Division, to ensure his loved ones safety as he looks for a way to escape when his cover eventually gets conveniently blown. The film also stars Rosamund Pike and Ana de Armas.

Underwater
Opens: January 10

This sci-fi/horror flick focuses on a crew of underwater researchers must scramble to safety after an earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, T.J. Miller and Jessica Henwick.

Bad Boys for Life
Opens: January 17

The once inseparable duo of Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Michael “Mike” Lowery (Will Smith) is coming apart: an aging Burnett has become a police inspector while Lowery, suffering a midlife crisis, is assigned to head up AMMO, a “young guns” group of millennial cops with whom he has nothing in common. Both of them reunite once again when a fierce Romanian mob boss, whose brother they defeated years earlier, makes a retaliation effort on Mike just as both he and Marcus are about to officially retire. The film also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Joe Pantoliano, Kate del Castillo and DJ Khaled.

Dolittle
Opens: January 17

After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric John Dolittle (Robert Downey, Jr.), famed doctor and veterinarian of Victoria, England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of animals for company. But when Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and encounters wondrous creatures. The cast includes Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent and Harry Collett as well as voices provided by Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Marion Cotillard, Carmen Ejogo and Frances de la Tour.

The Gentlemen
Opens: January 24

The film follows American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) who has created a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he is looking to cash out his business, it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him. The film also stars Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell and Hugh Grant.

The Last Full Measure
Opens: January 24

The true story of Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), a U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen (also known as a PJ) who personally saved over sixty men. During a rescue mission on April 11, 1966, he was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of a combat zone heavily under fire, but he stayed behind to save and defend the lives of soldiers of the U.S. Army’s First Infantry Division, before making the ultimate sacrifice in one of the bloodiest battles of the war.

Thirty-two years later, Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) on a career fast-track is tasked with investigating a Medal of Honor request for Pitsenbarger made by his best friend and PJ partner on the mission (William Hurt, played by Ethan Russell as a young man) and his parents (Christopher Plummer and Diane Ladd). Huffman seeks out the testimony of Army veterans who witnessed Pitsenbarger’s extraordinary valor, including Takoda (Samuel L. Jackson play by Ser’Darius Blain as a younger man), Burr (Peter Fonda played by James Jagger as a young man) and Mott (Ed Harris play by Zach Roerig as a young man). But as Huffman learns more about Pitsenbarger’s courageous acts, he uncovers a high-level conspiracy behind the decades-long denial of the medal, prompting him to put his own career on the line to seek justice for the fallen airman. The film also stars LisaGay Hamilton, Michael Imperioli, Amy Madigan, Linus Roache, Bradley Whitford, Alison Sudol and John Savage.

Movies coming out in February will be posted at the end of January.

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Year-End Round-Up: Rest in Peace 2019

Posted in Condolences, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 27, 2019| Leave a Comment »

The following industry personalities (listed in alphabetical order) passed away in 2019 and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans:

Julie Adams (Actress, Creature From the Black Lagoon)
Danny Aiello (Actor, Do the Right Thing and Moonstruck)
Fatima Ali (Renowned Chef)
Jed Allan (Actor, Beverly Hills 90210)
Carmen Argenziano (Actor, Stargate franchise)
Rene Auberjonois (Actor, Benson and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Claudine Auger (Actress, Domino in James Bond movie Thunderball)

Ginger Baker (Drummer for Rock Trio Cream)
Kaye Ballard (Legendary Actress, Singer and Comedian)
Kevin Barnett (Comedian)
Frank Biondi, Jr. (Former Viacom and Universal Studios Head)
Cameron Boyce (Actor, Descendants franchise) [He was only 20]
Chuy Bravo (Talk Show Sidekick, Chelsea Lately)

Carmine Caridi (Actor, Murder She Wrote and Starsky and Hutch)
Diahann Carroll (Actress, Singer and Tony Award winner)
Seymour Cassel (Veteran Character Actor)
Carol Channing (Tony-winning Broadway Star)
Beth Chapman (Bounty Hunter)
Martin Charnin (Creator and Director, Annie the Broadway Musical)
John Clarke (Actor, Days of Our Lives)
Larry Cohen (Director and Screenwriter)
Jessi Combs (Experimental Car Driver and TV Host)
Earl Thomas Conley (Country Singer)
Tim Conway (Legendary Comedian and Actor)
Chris Cotton (Comedian)
Elijah Cummings (U.S. Representative)

Dick Dale (King of the Surf Guitar)
Paul Darrow (Actor, Blake’s 7)
Doris Day (Lengedary Actress and Singer)
Gabriel Diniz (Latin Pop Star)
Stanley Donen (Legendary Hollywood Director)
Dr. John (New Orleans Music Legend)
Daryl Dragon (of Captain and Tennille, Former Husband of Toni Tennille)

Aron Eisenberg (Actor, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Georgia Engel (Comedianne and Actress, The Mary Tyler Moore Show)
Robert Evans (Legendary Movie Producer)

Albert Finney (British Actor)
Peter Fonda (Actor, Easy Rider)
David Foster (Producer, The Getaway and The Thing)
Robert Forster (Actor)
Marie Fredriksson (Singer, Pop Duo Roxette)

Godfrey Gao (Taiwanese-Canadian Model and Actor, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones) [He was only 35]
Rob Garrison (Actor, Tommy in The Karate Kid)
Leonard Goldberg (Veteran Film and TV Executive, Blue Bloods and Charlie’s Angels Creator)
Edith Gonzalez (Telenovela Star)
Laurel Griggs (Broadway Actress, ONCE, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) [She was only 13]
Grumpy Cat (Internet Sensation)

Sid Haig (Horror Genre Actor)
Goo Hara (K-Pop Star) [She was only 28]
Valerie Harper (Actress, Rhoda)
Kylie Rae Harris (Country Singer)
Rutger Hauer (Actor, Blade Runner)
David Hedison (Actor, Another World)
Rachel Held Evans (Popular Christian Author)
Katherine Helmond (Actress, Who’s the Boss)
Nipsey Hussle (Rapper)

James Ingram (Grammy-winning R&B Singer)

Larry “Flash” Jenkins (Actor, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)
Arte Johnson (Actor-Comedian, Laugh-In)
Eddie Jones (Actor, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman)
Freddie Jones (British Actor)
Juice Wrld (Rapper) [He was only 21]

Ken Kercheval (Actor, Dallas)
Gabe Khouth (Actor, Sneezy on Once Upon a Time)
Bob Kingsley (National Radio Hall of Fame Broadcaster)
Judith Krantz (International Best-Selling Author)

Karl Lagerfeld (Legendary Fashion Designer)
Michel Legrand (Oscar-Winning Composer)
Ron Leibman (Actor, Norma Rae and Angels in America)
Peter Lindberg (Famed Fashion Photographer)
Peggy Lipton (Former Model and Actress, Mod Squad)
Carol Lynley (Actress, The Poseidon Adventure)

Bill Macy (Actor, Maude)
Peter Mayhew (Actor, Chewbacca in Star Wars franchise)
Philip McKeon (Actor, Alice and real-life brother of Nancy McKeon)
Dick Miller (Actor, Terminator and Gremlins)
Eddie Money (Singer)
Shelley Morrison (Actress, Will and Grace)
Toni Morrision (Nobel Prize winning Author)
Harry Morton (Founder of L.A.’s Pink Taco) [He was only 38 years old]

Art Neville (Singer-Songwriter, The Neville Brothers)
Denise Nickerson (Actress, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory)
Stephanie Niznik (Actress, Everwood)

Beverley Owen (Actress, The Munsters)

Karen Pendleton (Original Mouseketeer)
Ross Perot (Businessman and Former Politician)
Luke Perry (Actor, Beverly Hills 90210 and Riverdale)
Joe Pilato (Actor, The Day of the Dead)
Michael J. Pollard (Actor, Oscar-Nominated Bonnie and Clyde)
Linda Porter (Actress-Scene Stealer, Superstore)
Andre Previn (Oscar-winning Composer and Conductor)
Harold Prince (Broadway Producer and Director)

Leon Redbone (Singer-Songwriter and Actor)
Cokie Roberts (Pioneer Journalist and Political Commentator)
Carl Ruiz (Food Network Star and Chef)

Alvin Sargent (Oscar-winning Screenwriter)
Lisa Sheridan (Actress, Invasion and The 4400)
Stefanie Sherk (Canadian Model, Actress and wife of actor Demian Bichir)
Tyler Skaggs (Los Angeles Angels Pitcher)
Kim Shattuck (Lead Singer and Bassist for The Muffs)
John Singleton (Oscar-nominated Director)
Caroll Spinney (Puppeteer, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, Sesame Street)
Kristoff St. John (Actor, The Young and the Restless)
Joan Stanley (Actress, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken)
Sulli (Korean Pop Star) [She was only 25]

Brian Tarantina (Actor, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Rip Taylor (“Zany” Comedian)
Russi Taylor (Voice of Minnie Mouse)
Peter Tork (Singer-Songwriter, Member of The Monkees)
Rip Torn (Actor, The Larry Sanders Show and Men in Black)

Gloria Vanderbilt (Heiress, Socialite, Fashion Icon and Mother of Anderson Cooper)
Jan-Michael Vincent (Actor, Airwolf)

John Wesley (Actor, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
Suzanne Whang (House Hunters Host)
Richard Williams (Animator, Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Allee Willis (Songwriter, “September” and “I’ll Be There for You”)
William Wintersole (Actor, The Young and the Restless)
John Witherspoon (Actor, Friday franchise)
Gene Wolfe (Sci-Fi Author)
Max Wright (Actor, ALF)

Franco Zeffirelli (Italian Film Director)

NOTE: This list, in no way, covers all the industry talent who passed away this year. Again, condolences are extended to one and all.

Out of respect, please take a moment of silence.

TOMORROW: Ratings

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Year-End Round-Up: Awards of 2019

Posted in Awards, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 26, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Every year there are lots of awards shows, some important, some just fun and numerous just plain silly or nonsensical, but the following list is just some of the top winners over the course of the year:

GOLDEN GLOBES (January)

Best Drama Picture – Bohemian Rhapsody
Best Musical or Comedy Picture – Green Book
Best Animated Picture – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Best Foreign Language Picture – Roma
Best Original Song – “Shallow” from A Star Is Born
Best Actress, Drama – Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Best Actor, Drama – Richard Madden, Bodyguard
Best Actress, Limited Series – Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Best Supporting Actress, Limited Series – Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects

CRITIC’S CHOICE (January)

Best Young Actress – Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Best Acting Ensemble – The Favourite
Best Adapted Screenplay – Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Costume Design – Ruth Carter, Black Panther
Best Action Movie – Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Best Comedy Film – Crazy Rich Asians
Best Sci-Fi or Horror Movie – A Quiet Place
Best Score – Justin Hurwitz, First Man
Best Drama – The Americans (FX)
Best Supporting Actress, Drama – Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO)
Best Actress, Comedy – Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Best Movie Made for TV – Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)

SAG AWARDS (January)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, Drama – This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Performance by Actor, Drama – Jason Bateman, Ozark
Outstanding Performance by Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries – Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Outstanding Performance by Supporting Actress, Film – Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place

GRAMMY AWARDS (February)

Album of the Year – “Golden Hour” – Kacey Musgraves
New Artist – Dua Lipa
Pop Vocal Album – “Sweetener” – Ariana Grande
Rock Album – “From the Fires” – Greta Van Fleet
Gospel Album – “Hiding Place” – Tori Kelly
Compilation Soundtrack – “The Greatest Showman” – Various Artists
Score Soundtrack – “Black Panther” – Ludwig Goransson, Composer

RAZZIE AWARDS (February)

Worst Picture – Holmes & Watson
Worst Actress – Melissa McCarthy, The Happytime Murders and Life of the Party
Worst Screenplay – Fifty Shades Freed by Niall Leonard

OSCARS (February)

Best Picture – Green Book
Lead Actress – Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Director – Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Lead Actor – Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Original Score – “Black Panther” – Ludwig Goransson
Supporting Actor – Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Supporting Actress – Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

SATURN AWARDS (September)

Best Comic-to-Motion-Picture – Avengers: Endgame
Best Science Fiction Film – Ready Player One
Best Fantasy Film – Toy Story 4
Best Actor – Robert Downey, Jr., Avengers: Endgame
Best Actress – Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween
Best Performance by a Younger Actor – Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Far From HOme
Best Film Music – Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns
Best Film Costume – Michael Wilkinson, Aladdin
Best Superhero TV Series – Supergirl
Best Fantasy TV Series – Game of Thrones
Best Actor in a TV Series – Sam Heughan, Outlander
Best Actress in a TV Series – Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Best Streaming Superhero TV Series – Marvel’s Daredevil
Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a TV Series – Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones

EMMY AWARDS (September)

Comedy Series – Fleabag (Amazon)
Limited Series – Chernobyl (HBO)
Lead Actor, Drama – Billy Porter, Pose (FX)
Lead Actress, Drama – Jodie Comer, Killing Eve (BBC America)
Lead Actress, Comedy – Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag (Amazon)
Lead Actress, Limited Series – Michelle Willaims, Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Supporting Actor, Comedy – Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS (November)

The Movie of 2019 – Avengers: Endgame
The Family Movie of 2019 – Aladdin
The Drama Movie Star of 2019 – Cole Sprouse
The Female Movie Star of 2019 – Zendaya
The Comedy Movie Star of 2019 – Noah Centineo
The Comedy Star of 2019 – Kristen Bell
The Bingeworthy Show of 2019 – Outlander
The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2019 – Shadowhunters
The Male Artist of 2019 – Shawn Mendes

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (November)

Artist of the Decade – Taylor Swift
New Artist – Billie Eilish
Country Female Artist – Carrie Underwood
Soul/R&B Male Artist – Bruno Mars
Favorite Soundtrack – Bohemian Rhapsody

Congratulations to all of the above winners (and the countless others who won awards) this year. Are any of the above your favorites? Do you think there was an actor or actress who was overlooked this year? Please share your thoughts.

TOMORROW: Rest in Peace

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Year-End Round-Ups: The Hits and Misses on the Big Screen 2019

Posted in Movies, Year End Round Up on December 25, 2019| Leave a Comment »

This was the year of superhero movies: Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Aquaman and Shazam!, drawing in movie-goers; but just as popular was the big screen “debut” of Downton Abbey and the return to Jumanji.

There were the tearjerkers: Five Feet Apart, A Dog’s Journey and The Art of Racing in the Rain as well as great action flicks like Men in Black International, Angel Has Fallen and Hobbs and Shaw, and of course, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Let’s take a look at the top 30 box office winners from this year (up through Sunday, December 22):

1. Avengers: Endgame – 858 million
2. The Lion King – 544 million
3. Toy Story 4 – 434 million
4. Captain Marvel – 427 million
5. Spider-Man: Far from Home – 391 million
6. Frozen II – 374 million
7. Aladdin – 356 million
8. Joker – 333 million
9. It Chapter Two – 212 million
10. Us 1 175 million
11. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw – 174 million
12. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – 171 million
13. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – 161 million
14. The Secret Life of Pets 2 – 158 million
15. Pokemon Detective Pikachu – 144 million
16. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood – 141 million
17. Shazam! – 140 million
18. Aquaman – 136 million
19. Dumbo – 115 million
20. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil – 113 million
21. Glass – 111 million
22. Godzilla: King of the Monsters – 110 million
23. The Upside – 108 million
24. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – 106 million
25. Hustlers – 105 million
26. Ford v Ferrari – 104 million
27. The Addams Family – 97 million
28. Downton Abbey – 96 million
29. Rocketman – 96 million
30. Alita: Battle Angel – 86 million

NOTE: Please keep in mind that the box office results for movies released during the week before Christmas; namely Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, won’t be tallied until later this week.

On the other spectrum are the movies that were either a disappointment in the box office due to poor ticket sales or, more importantly, had a horrible trailer that made me completely uninterested in seeing them.

They appear in no alphabetical order below:

A Madea Family Funeral
Annabelle Comes Home
Black Christmas
Brightburn
Captive State
Countdown
Crawl
Doctor Sleep
Good Boys
Joker
Like A Boss
Long Shot
The Intruder
Ma
Murder Mystery
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Pet Sematary
Playing with Fire
Ready or Not
Scary Stories To Tell in The Dark
Stuber

The following list, provided by Business Insider, are the 16 box office flops, listed in no particular order:

Replicas (starring Keanu Reeves) – It fell short $26 million dollars from its production costs and earned only a 10% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Kid Who Would Be King – It was short by $28 million dollars from its production costs.

Serenity (the Matthew McConaghey and Anne Hathaway film) – It fell short by $17 million dollars from its production value and only got a 19% score at Rotten Tomatoes.

Miss Bala (starring Jane the Virgin lead Gina Rodriguez) – While the film made just a little over its production budget, it only earned a 22% score from Rotten Tomatoes.

Captive State (which starred John Goodman and Vera Farmiga) – This move also lost $17 million from its production value with a 45% score from Rotten Tomatoes.

The Beach Bum (the stoner comedy that starred Zac Efron and Matthew McConaughey) – It lost about a million dollars from its production value with a 54% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Hellboy (the reboot that starred Stranger Things’ David Harbour in the lead role) – It fell short by $9 million dollars from its production value and earned only a 15% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Ugly Dolls (the animated film) – It lost $18 million dollars from its production value with only a 27% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Poms (the Diane Keaton flick) – It is unclear how much money it lost, but it raked in just a little over $13 million overall and earned a 34% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Tolkien (which starred Nicholas Hoult in the title role) – This is another one that under-performed, earning only 7.7 million in global sales with a 51% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Dark Phoenix (what could be the last in the franchise given how much it was reviled) – It made a lot of money in the box office, over $252 million in global gross sales, but critics and fans alike did not like it and it earned a 23% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Kitchen (starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elizabeth Moss) – It lost over $20 million dollars from its production budget while earning only a 21% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Goldfinch (which starred Ansel Elgort and Nicole Kidman) – This film lost a whopping $42 million dollars below its production budget and received only a 25% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Gemini Man (the Will Smith action flick) – It earned $34 million dollars over its immense production budget of $138 million dollars, but was not well-received by audiences. It also only earned a 26% score at Rotten Tomatoes.

Doctor Sleep (the “sequel” to The Shining) – It earned $24 million dollars over its production budget and got a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score, but given expectations it ‘should’ have performed far better.

Playmobil: The Movie (the animated film) – It fell incredibly short of its production budget – losing at least $30 million dollars) and earned only an 18% Rotten Tomatoes score.

What movies did you most enjoy seeing this year? Which movies were disappointments to you? Please share your thoughts and comments.

TOMORROW: Awards of 2019

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 21, 2019| Leave a Comment »

On Christmas Day, the When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas movie will air on the Hallmark Channel at 8 PM.

Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) is excited to celebrate Christmas with Little Jack, as well as his first birthday on Christmas Eve, but she’s missing Jack Sr. as she tries to create a Christmas for her son that’s as special as the ones she experienced growing up. She becomes drawn into a crisis in Nathan’s (Kevin McGarry) family life with his niece, Allie (Jaeda Lily Miller) when he’s faced with a life-altering decision.

Meanwhile Lucas (Chris McNally) puts on a show for Elizabeth and the entire town, transforming Main Street into a magical German Christmas Festival. Elsewhere, Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) and Lee (Kavan Smith) obsess with their own challenge to come up with the perfect Christmas present for Little Jack while Bill (Jack Wagner) knows exactly what he intends to give his godson. Carson (Paul Greene) and Faith (Andrea Brooks) get their signals crossed as they try to spend their first Christmas together as a couple.

Here is a trailer for When Calls the Heart: Home for Christmas.

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Baby in a Manger

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Reminder, Television, Video on December 20, 2019| Leave a Comment »

On December 24, the UP TV movie Baby in a Manger will debut at 7 PM.

With the help of a handsome young police officer, a social worker searches for the mother of a baby she has found abandoned in a nativity scene at her church.

Newcomers Monica Knox and Michael Morrone star.

Here is a trailer for Baby in a Manger:

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