To kick off my series on the people that made significant contributions in cinema for 2018, the first post is the easiest to choose from. In a year filled with many successful tales, BlackPanther is undoubtedly THE story. The Marvel Cinematic Universe saga took a superhero not nearly as known as others and the result was a surprising and smashing record breaker.
The man behind it is Ryan Coogler. A 32-year-old Oakland native, Coogler made his directorial debut with 2013’s acclaimed FruitvaleStation. Two years later, he invigorated another franchise with Creed. And in February of this year, Panther was unleashed worldwide. With Chadwick Boseman in the title role, Michael B. Jordan as one of the MCU’s most memorable villains, and Lupita Nyong’o and Letitia Wright providing dynamic support, the film immediately struck a chord with moviegoers and critics. With a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, Panther took in $700 million domestically at the box office.
Let us count the records, shall we? That’s the top hit of the year. It’s the third biggest domestic grosser of all time behind only StarWars: TheForceAwakens and Avatar. Obviously, that designation means it’s Marvel’s #1 earner. One year ago, if anyone had told you this would make more than Avengers: InfinityWar (which followed a few weeks later), you wouldn’t have believed it.
For Coogler, he’s made the biggest comic book adaptation ever in a century filled with them. The sky is the limit for him as he’s likely being offered every tent pole project in sight. He’s already struck a deal to direct the Panther sequel. Additionally, this stands an excellent chance to be the first pic of its genre to receive a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars.
In 2018, Coogler made history by making the #1 picture ever directed by an African-American and introduced a hero already beloved by all. He’s an unquestionable entry in the people that mattered onscreen this year.
My first Oscar predictions of October are here as the new month has brought in some important scheduling announcements!
First, it has been confirmed that Clint Eastwood’s The Mule will indeed be released in 2018. While some reports suggest it’s more of a commercial play for Warner Bros than an awards one… its release means I’m including it for the first time in a number of categories as a possibility (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay). You just can’t discount Eastwood from the awards derby.
We also learned that Mike Leigh’s Peterloo and the sci-fi tale Alita: Battle Angel have been moved to 2019. While neither of them were considered players in the major categories, both could have been contenders in down the line tech races. Not anymore.
In other developments:
Timothee Chalamet (Beautiful Boy) has been ranked #1 since late August in Supporting Actor, but that now changes to Mahershala Ali in Green Book.
The first trailer for Vice is out. It maintains its spot at #9 on my Best Picture possibilities, but I’ve now moved Sam Rockwell into the five predicted nominees for Supporting Actor. I’m also vaulting Christian Bale from the 5 spot in Best Actor to second.
Let’s get to it!
Best Picture
1. A Star Is Born (Previous Ranking: 1)
2. Roma (PR: 2)
3. First Man (PR: 3)
4. The Favourite (PR: 5)
5. Green Book (PR: 4)
6. BlacKkKlansman (PR: 6)
7. If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 7)
8. Black Panther (PR: 8)
9. Vice (PR: 9)
Other Possibilities:
10. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 10)
11. Widows (PR: 11)
12. Boy Erased (PR: 12)
13. Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 15)
14. Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 13)
15. The Mule (PR: Not Ranked)
16. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 14)
17. On the Basis of Sex (PR: 19)
18. Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 16)
19. Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 20)
20. At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 18)
21. The Sisters Brothers (PR: 17)
22. Beautiful Boy (PR: 23)
23. Leave No Trace (PR: 21)
24. The Front Runner (PR: 24)
25. Eighth Grade (PR: 22)
Dropped Out:
Stan and Ollie
Best Director
1. Alfonso Cuaron, Roma (PR: 1)
2. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 3)
3. Damien Chazelle, First Man (PR: 2)
4. Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 5)
5. Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 6)
7. Peter Farrelly, Green Book (PR: 7)
8. Adam McKay, Vice (PR: 9)
9. Ryan Coogler, Black Panther (PR: 8)
10. Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 10)
11. Steve McQueen, Widows (PR: 11)
12. Josie Rourke, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 15)
13. Clint Eastwood, The Mule (PR: Not Ranked)
14. Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 14)
15. Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased (PR: 13)
Dropped Out:
Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers
Best Actor
1. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 1)
2. Christian Bale, Vice (PR: 5)
3. Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 3)
4. Ryan Gosling, First Man (PR: 2)
5. Viggo Mortensen, Green Book (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 6)
7. Robert Redford, The Old Man & The Gun (PR: 7)
8. Clint Eastwood, The Mule (PR: Not Ranked)
9. Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased (PR: 8)
10. Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (PR: 10)
11. Steve Carell, Beautiful Boy (PR: 9)
12. Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (PR: 11)
13. John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 13)
14. Hugh Jackman, The Front Runner (PR: 14)
15. John C. Reilly, The Sisters Brothers (PR: 12)
Dropped Out:
Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther
Best Actress
1. Glenn Close, The Wife (PR: 1)
2. Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born (PR: 2)
3. Olivia Colman, The Favourite (PR: 3)
4. Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 4)
5. Yalitza Aparicio, Roma (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Viola Davis, Widows (PR: 6)
7. Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 7)
8. Saoirse Ronan, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 8)
9. Nicole Kidman, Destroyer (PR: 9)
10. Toni Collette, Hereditary (PR: 11)
11. Julia Roberts, Ben Is Back (PR: 10)
12. Keira Knightley, Colette (PR: 15)
13. Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 12)
14. Carey Mulligan, Wildlife (PR: 14)
15. Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 13)
Best Supporting Actor
1. Mahershala Ali, Green Book (PR: 2)
2. Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy (PR: 1)
3. Sam Elliot, A Star Is Born (PR: 4)
4. Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 3)
5. Sam Rockwell, Vice (PR: 8)
Other Possibilities:
6. Daniel Kaluuya, Widows (PR: 5)
7. Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 6)
8. Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther (PR: 8)
9. Steve Carell, Vice (PR: 14)
10. Russell Crowe, Boy Erased (PR: 11)
11. John C. Reilly, Stan and Ollie (PR: 10)
12. Nicholas Hoult, The Favourite (PR: 9)
13. Armie Hammer, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 12)
14. Jason Clarke, First Man (PR: 13)
15. David Tennant, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Oscar Isaac, At Eternity’s Gate
Best Supporting Actress
1. Claire Foy, First Man (PR: 1)
2. Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 2)
As my weekly Oscar predictions roll along, I finally had a week not loaded with festival news and screenings. As you can see, placements in the major categories don’t have quite as much volatility this week.
That said, there was news. Of the few contenders that haven’t screened, it was announced that On the Basis of Sex will open this year’s AFI Fest in November and that Mary Queen of Scots will close it. Their inclusion in the fest bumps their stock up a bit in my rankings this time around. Of course, it won’t be until they screen that we know the real story.
In other developments related to my rankings:
Yalitza Aparicio (Roma) overtakes Viola Davis (Widows) for the five-spot in Best Actress.
Additionally in Best Actress, Glenn Close (The Wife) now holds the #1 predicted slot over Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born).
In Best Adapted Screenplay, the five predicted pictures remain the same. However, BlackKlansman and If Beale Street Could Talk now hold the 1-2 spots over A Star Is Born and First Man.
Ben Foster (Leave No Trace) will apparently be campaigned for in lead Actor and not Supporting so that change has been reflected in my estimates.
Let’s get to it!
Best Picture
1. A Star Is Born (Previous Ranking: 1)
2. Roma (PR: 2)
3. First Man (PR: 3)
4. Green Book (PR: 5)
5. The Favourite (PR: 4)
6. BlacKkKlansman (PR: 7)
7. If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 6)
8. Black Panther (PR: 8)
9. Vice (PR: 9)
Other Possibilities:
10. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 10)
11. Widows (PR: 12)
12. Boy Erased (PR: 11)
13. Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 18)
14. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 13)
15. Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 14)
16. Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 17)
17. The Sisters Brothers (PR: 15)
18. At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 19)
19. On the Basis of Sex (PR: 23)
20. Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 21)
21. Leave No Trace (PR: 25)
22. Eighth Grade (PR: 24)
23. Beautiful Boy (PR: 20)
24. The Front Runner (PR: 16)
25. Stan and Ollie (PR: 22)
Best Director
1. Alfonso Cuaron, Roma (PR: 1)
2. Damien Chazelle, First Man (PR: 3)
3. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 2)
4. Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite (PR: 4)
5. Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 6)
7. Peter Farrelly, Green Book (PR: 7)
8. Ryan Coogler, Black Panther (PR: 8)
9. Adam McKay, Vice (PR: 9)
10. Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 10)
11. Steve McQueen, Widows (PR: 12)
12. Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers (PR: 11)
13. Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased (PR: 14)
14. Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 13)
15. Josie Rourke, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 15)
Best Actor
1. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 1)
2. Ryan Gosling, First Man (PR: 2)
3. Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 3)
4. Viggo Mortensen, Green Book (PR: 4)
5. Christian Bale, Vice (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 8)
7. Robert Redford, The Old Man & The Gun (PR: 6)
8. Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased (PR: 10)
9. Steve Carell, Beautiful Boy (PR: 7)
10. Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (PR: 11)
11. Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (PR: Not Ranked – moved from Supporting Actor)
12. John C. Reilly, The Sisters Brothers (PR: 13)
13. John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 12)
14. Hugh Jackman, The Front Runner (PR: 9)
15. Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther (PR: 14)
Dropped Out:
Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here
Best Actress
1. Glenn Close, The Wife (PR: 2)
2. Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born (PR: 1)
3. Olivia Colman, The Favourite (PR: 3)
4. Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 4)
5. Yalitza Aparicio, Roma (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. Viola Davis, Widows (PR: 5)
7. Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 10)
8. Saoirse Ronan, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 11)
9. Nicole Kidman, Destroyer (PR: 7)
10. Julia Roberts, Ben Is Back (PR: 9)
11. Toni Collette, Hereditary (PR: 8)
12. Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 13)
13. Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 12)
14. Carey Mulligan, Wildlife (PR: Not Ranked)
15. Keira Knightley, Colette (PR: 15)
Dropped Out:
Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Best Supporting Actor
1. Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy (PR: 1)
2. Mahershala Ali, Green Book (PR: 2)
3. Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 4)
4. Sam Elliot, A Star Is Born (PR: 3)
5. Daniel Kaluuya, Widows (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 7)
7. Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther (PR: 9)
8. Sam Rockwell, Vice (PR: 8)
9. Nicholas Hoult, The Favourite (PR: 6)
10. John C. Reilly, Stan and Ollie (PR: 11)
11. Russell Crowe, Boy Erased (PR: 10)
12. Armie Hammer, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 12)
13. Jason Clarke, First Man (PR: 14)
14. Steve Carell, Vice (PR: Not Ranked)
15. Oscar Isaac, At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 15)
Dropped Out:
Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (moved to Lead Actor)
Best Supporting Actress
1. Claire Foy, First Man (PR: 1)
2. Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 2)
3. Emma Stone, The Favourite (PR: 3)
4. Rachel Weisz, The Favourite (PR: 4)
5. Amy Adams, Vice (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased (PR: 6)
7. Natalie Portman, Vox Lux (PR: 8)
8. Sissy Spacek, The Old Man & The Gun (PR: 9)
9. Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 7)
10. Margot Robbie, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 13)
11. Marina de Tavira, Roma (PR: 11)
12. Elizabeth Debicki, Widows (PR: 10)
13. Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace (PR: 14)
14. Kathy Bates, On the Basis of Sex (PR: Not Ranked)
My weekly Oscar predictions are below for your perusal! The whirlwind festival season of Venice/Telluride/Toronto has come to an end and there’s precious few Academy contenders left to screen as the races come into more focus.
Here are some significant developments over the week:
The rise of Green Book after it won the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival. The Peter Farrelly directed race relations drama has vaulted into the Best Picture contest as it rises from #10 on last week’s list to #5. It replaces Boy Erased in my listing of the nine predicted Picture nominees. We are not entirely sure yet that it’s Viggo Mortensen for lead Actor and Mahershala Ali for Supporting Actor, though that appears to be the case. Mortensen is now a predicted nominee (going from #8 to #4) and that means I took Robert Redford’s performance in The Old Man & The Gun out. Ali rises from #5 to #2 in Supporting Actor.
In Best Director, I’ve gone back to Spike Lee being nominated for BlacKkKlansman over Barry Jenkins for If Beale Street Could Talk.
The Best Actress five remains the same, but I’ll note that Yalitza Aparicio’s work in Roma is sneaking up there as far a predicted nominee.
Word is out that Natalie Portman in Vox Lux will be campaigned for in Supporting Actress and not lead. My rankings reflect that change.
Speaking of Supporting Actress, I now have both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in for The Favourite. Weisz replaces Nicole Kidman in Boy Erased (that film has taken a big hit as of late in my rankings and we’ll see if it recovers).
Stan and Ollie released its first trailer and while I don’t have it predicted for actual nominations, the film makes its first appearance as far as possible nods in Picture, Supporting Actor (John C. Reilly), and Original Screenplay.
The critically acclaimed Leave No Trace from earlier this year makes its inaugural showing for possible nominations in Picture, Supporting Actress (Thomasin McKenzie), and Adapted Screenplay.
Best Picture
1. A Star Is Born (Previous Ranking: 1)
2. Roma (PR: 2)
3. First Man (PR: 3)
4. The Favourite (PR: 4)
5. Green Book (PR: 10)
6. If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 5)
7. BlacKkKlansman (PR: 6)
8. Black Panther (PR: 9)
9. Vice (PR: 8)
Other Possibilities:
10. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 11)
11. Boy Erased (PR: 7)
12. Widows (PR: 12)
13. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 14)
14. Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 16)
15. The Sisters Brothers (PR: 15)
16. The Front Runner (PR: 13)
17. Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 23)
18. Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 19)
19. At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 17)
20. Beautiful Boy (PR: 21)
21. Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 18)
22. Stan and Ollie (PR: Not Ranked)
23. On the Basis of Sex (PR: 24)
24. Eighth Grade (PR: Not Ranked)
25. Leave No Trace (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Ben Is Back
Cold War
Peterloo
Best Director
1. Alfonso Cuaron, Roma (PR: 1)
2. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 2)
3. Damien Chazelle, First Man (PR: 3)
4. Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite (PR: 5)
5. Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 6)
Other Possibilities:
6. Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 4)
7. Peter Farrelly, Green Book (PR: 12)
8. Ryan Coogler, Black Panther (PR: 10)
9. Adam McKay, Vice (PR: 7)
10. Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 9)
11. Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers (PR: 13)
12. Steve McQueen, Widows (PR: 11)
13. Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (PR: 14)
14. Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased (PR: 8)
15. Josie Rourke, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Jason Reitman, The Front Runner
Best Actor
1. Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born (PR: 1)
2. Ryan Gosling, First Man (PR: 3)
3. Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 2)
4. Viggo Mortensen, Green Book (PR: 8)
5. Christian Bale, Vice (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Robert Redford, The Old Man & The Gun (PR: 5)
7. Steve Carell, Beautiful Boy (PR: 7)
8. Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody (PR: 12)
9. Hugh Jackman, The Front Runner (PR: 9)
10. Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased (PR: 6)
11. Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (PR: 13)
12. John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 11)
13. John C. Reilly, The Sisters Brothers (PR: 10)
14. Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther (PR: Not Ranked)
15. Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here (PR: 14)
Dropped Out:
Stephan James, If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Actress
1. Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born (PR: 1)
2. Glenn Close, The Wife (PR: 2)
3. Olivia Colman, The Favourite (PR: 3)
4. Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 4)
5. Viola Davis, Widows (PR: 5)
Other Possibilities:
6. Yalitza Aparicio, Roma (PR: 6)
7. Nicole Kidman, Destroyer (PR: 9)
8. Toni Collette, Hereditary (PR: 7)
9. Julia Roberts, Ben Is Back (PR: 10)
10. Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 13)
11. Saoirse Ronan, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 12)
12. Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 11)
13. Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns (PR: 14)
14. Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade (PR: 15)
15. Keira Knightley, Colette (PR: Not Ranked)
Dropped Out:
Natalie Portman, Vox Lux (moved to Supporting Actress)
Best Supporting Actor
1. Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy (PR: 1)
2. Mahershala Ali, Green Book (PR: 5)
3. Sam Elliot, A Star Is Born (PR: 2)
4. Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? (PR: 3)
5. Daniel Kaluuya, Widows (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nicholas Hoult, The Favourite (PR: 13)
7. Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman (PR: 8)
8. Sam Rockwell, Vice (PR: 6)
9. Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther (PR: 9)
10. Russell Crowe, Boy Erased (PR: 7)
11. John C. Reilly, Stan and Ollie (PR: Not Ranked)
12. Armie Hammer, On the Basis of Sex (PR: 11)
13. Ben Foster, Leave No Trace (PR: 12)
14. Jason Clarke, First Man (PR: 14)
15. Oscar Isaac, At Eternity’s Gate (PR: 10)
Dropped Out:
Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased
Best Supporting Actress
1. Claire Foy, First Man (PR: 1)
2. Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk (PR: 2)
3. Emma Stone, The Favourite (PR: 3)
4. Rachel Weisz, The Favourite (PR: 7)
5. Amy Adams, Vice (PR: 4)
Other Possibilities:
6. Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased (PR: 5)
7. Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians (PR: 10)
8. Natalie Portman, Vox Lux (PR: Not Ranked – moved from Lead Actress)
9. Sissy Spacek, The Old Man & The Gun (PR: 6)
10. Elizabeth Debicki, Widows (PR: 8)
11. Marina de Tavira, Roma (PR: 11)
12. Linda Cardellini, Green Book (PR: Not Ranked)
13. Margot Robbie, Mary Queen of Scots (PR: 14)
14. Thomasin McKenzie, Leave No Trace (PR: Not Ranked)
A growing trend in movies for the past few years (and a bit beyond) is the musical biopic that incorporates one of the band or artist’s songs into the title. The latest example will come out this fall with BohemianRhapsody, the behind the scenes story of Queen.
2019 will bring us Rocketman with Taron Egerton as the legendary Elton John.
We’ve seen this trend in years past. For instance, the 1980s saw LaBamba about Richie Valens.
The 1990s gave us Angela Bassett in her Oscar nominated role playing Tina Turner in What’sLoveGottoDoWithIt?
In 2005, we had WalktheLine with Joaquin Phoenix in his Academy nominated turn as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon winning as June.
More recent ones have been in the hip hop world with StraightOuttaCompton (N.W.A.) and AllEyezonMe (Tupac Shakur). There’s also GetOnUp with Chadwick Boseman as the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.
So this got me thinking. What would be some other movie/song titles if certain iconic musicians got their biopic? For this blog post’s purposes, I tried to focus on artists where I feel a big screen treatment on them is at least feasible. In other words, while RicoSuave might be a spectacular title, I don’t envision two hours on Gerardo coming anytime soon.
There is already a Madonna flick reportedly in the works and it takes its name not from a tune, but from one of her tours – BlondAmbition. I suppose MaterialGirl or LikeaPrayer could have worked, but BlondAmbition is just about perfect.
Some choices seem obvious. You gotta call the Bon Jovi story LivinonaPrayer, after all. And MyWay seems like the natural fit for Frank Sinatra. And BorntoRun for Bruce Springsteen. And there’s PianoMan for Billy Joel.
It doesn’t end there. Respect (Aretha Franklin) and FireandRain (James Taylor).
When it comes to some recently dearly departed legends, Prince presents a challenge because you can’t call it PurpleRain. And a number of his other massive hits don’t fit. WhenDovesCry is probably the name the studio would go for considering it’s his biggest hit. Personally, I rather like the thought of MyNameisPrince, taken from his Love Symbol album of 1992.
With Michael Jackson, Thriller would work but it’s hard to imagine ManintheMirror not being the choice.
For David Bowie, Starman seems like the winner, but that’s also the name of a fairly well-known 1980s science fiction effort starring Jeff Bridges. That may not matter, but if so, SpaceOddity or simply calling it ZiggyStardust might fit.
Tom Petty? How about FreeFallin or RunninDownaDream. George Michael? Faith or Freedom. Whitney Houston? Tough one. Perhaps a studio would want IWillAlwaysLoveYou. Maybe SoEmotional works as well.
Some bands have more than one title that seem appropriate. Aerosmith has three great ones: DreamOn, SweetEmotion, or WalkThisWay. With AC/DC – BackinBlack or Thunderstruck.
Guns n Roses is an interesting one. WelcometotheJungle is fantastic, but it was just the subtitle for the blockbuster Jumanji reboot. In this matter, you might have to go with their album name AppetiteforDestruction, which is ideal.
Metallica could have ForWhomtheBellTolls or EnterSandman. Nirvana might have SmellsLikeTeenSpirit as the studio choice, but I’m a little partial to ComeAsYouAre.
I like RunninwiththeDevil for Van Halen and I suppose StairwaytoHeaven would be the choice for Led Zeppelin.
Let’s move off rock. How about Britney Spears? That may depend on what direction the studio goes. It could be Toxic or Stronger. Maybe BabyOneMoreTime instead.
Stevie Wonder? Superstition or SirDuke are possibilities, but I like HigherGround.
With Bob Marley, maybe GetUp, StandUp or OneLove.
Circling back to hip hop, FightthePower is the clear pick for Public Enemy and the same may hold true for MamaSaidKnockYouOut with LL Cool J.
And then there’s my favorite… the Rick James biopic SuperFreak. Why hasn’t this been made already?
I could go on, but you get the idea. Let’s see if any of these suggested titles end up playing out in the future. Maybe there will be surprises… BarbieGirl: TheAquaStory, anyone?
A decade into its multi-billion dollar cinematic universe, Avengers: InfinityWar invites viewers to marvel at its gathering of superhero titans to fight another – a villain from planet Titan who reverses one frequent MCU debit (a weak villain). It’s an experience that yields many positive results packed with the action and humor we’ve come to anticipate from the best of this franchise. This movie is massive and it feels that way. The 19th entry in the MCU that started with 2008’s IronMan, here we have nearly all the significant characters from its catalog banding together. If you ever wondered how Thor (Chris Hemsworth) would get along with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the answer is humorously provided. How do the egos of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) meld? You’re about to find out. What happens when the original Avengers and others pick up their weapons alongside Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) in Wakanda? Giddyup!
All of this runs the risk of InfinityWar coming off as gimmicky, but it mostly doesn’t. That’s because directors Anthony and Joe Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely do a remarkable job sticking these giants into the blender and creating something that goes down smooth. This is not necessarily a sequel to 2015’s Avengers: AgeofUltron or 2016’s CaptainAmerica: CivilWar (essentially the third Avengers flick). Rather it’s a follow-up to almost every MCU title. It’s important to know what happened in the actual Avengers pics and CivilWar, but I’d suggest having knowledge of the Guardians, Panther, and so on. Lucky for Disney and Marvel Studios, you probably do. The gathering of these comic book and box office behemoths leads InfinityWar to often feel like the continuation of a long running TV serial – albeit one with huge stars and an unlimited budget.
What brings all the characters together is Thanos (Josh Brolin). He has the proportions of the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and a similar sized ambitions of world destruction. Thanos is hell-bent on collecting the Infinity Stones, six potent gems that would render him all-powerful and capable of wiping out populations of many galaxies. After the breakup of the Avengers in CivilWar two years ago, it’s Thanos that causes Mr. Stark and Captain America (Chris Evans) to put their differences aside. Thus begins the jigsaw puzzle of matching up Guardians and Asgardian gods with Wakanda kings and mystical doctors and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man (Tom Holland).
As you may recall, Thanos has history with one particular character – Gamora (Zoe Saldana). She’s his adopted daughter after he decimated her home planet when she was a little girl. For those who might have assumed the Guardians of the Galaxy would have a glorified cameo in this universe, that is certainly not the case. It’s Gamora’s backstory with Thanos that puts meat on his character’s bones and assists in making him one of the franchise’s best villains. Brolin, for his part, gives the performance his menacing all in crafting him.
Delving too far into what happens in InfinityWar would feel like cheating in any review. Part of the fun here is discovering just how these dozens of heroes and villains coexist. Some general observations: Thor alongside Groot and Rocket is a joy, as is witnessing Groot as a bratty teen with its attention rooted to a video game device. The return to Wakanda and its whip smart inhabitants feels welcome just weeks after Panther’s stand-alone effort. And after 10 years of Tony Stark onscreen in numerous MCU titles, Downey Jr.’s portrayal of him is still as strong as ever. There’s never been a moment in the decade where it felt like Downey was slumming it. He’s the heart of this franchise.
The conclusion of InfinityWar leaves a lot open for the sequel that will arrive next year. When the credits roll before the inevitable post-credits sequence, we witness something both powerful and perhaps not as powerful as it seems after careful thought (saying more would be a spoiler). There’s no doubt, however, that this comic book all-star game is a winner.
This weekend is all about Avengers: Infinity War at the box office as it barrels toward a potentially record-setting debut. The film looks, at the least, poised to set the all-time opening weekend record for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is the 19th picture in the MCU as the multi-billion dollar franchise is about to hit its ten-year anniversary.
Infinity will certainly make its mark financially, but could Academy voters take notice? In short – probably not. The pic stands at 85% currently on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s a bit below the original Avengers from 2012 (92%) and a bit above 2015 sequel Age of Ultron (75%). No MCU title or any comic book adaptation has managed a Best Picture nomination and I see no reason to think this will.
Having said that, the Marvel folks stand their best opportunity yet to score a nod in the biggest category of them all. And that would be Black Panther, which was released in February. It stands a real shot. Looking through the Oscar history with this franchise, The Avengers scored a Best Visual Effects nomination in 2012 and lost to Life of Pi. No nominations were given to Ultron.
Bottom line: Infinity War could find itself in the mix for Visual Effects and possibly even the Sound categories. Yet any real MCU love from voters will go to King T’Challa.
