Fanboys Anonymous

Season 2 of Marvel's Jessica Jones is set to premiere at 3am EST on Netflix, and per usual, this post will be documenting my running commentary of thoughts as I binge-watch every episode. I'll be adding notes almost as a stream of consciousness and when everything has concluded, I'll be wrapping everything up with a full season recap and review to see just how good or bad the overall package was and the hits and misses in a Reviewpoint podcast video.

I invite you to follow along and to leave your thoughts in the comments below just the same!

Episode 1 - "AKA Start at the Beginning"

- Thank you for the recap. Just don't remind me of the parts last season that sucked, like the siblings.
- I hope this isn't one of those things where they basically ignore all of The Defenders and act like this is a follow-up solely to season one.
- Big fan of how they acknowledge that Jessica is developing enough of a reputation that the client thinks she'd murder for money.
- Ouch, this singing act is embarrassing for "Patsy", but Trish is still hot, so loss/win.
- And so begins the first time during this marathon that I want to eat what they're eating on screen. Pizza, I mean, not Trish...well....
- Trish is a damn good friend. Stop being a bitch to her, Jessica.
- Please tell me the lizards with human skin are the main villains of this season. Stop the dinosaur people!
- The Whizzer??!!? Name drop! Sorry you're not the actual Whizzer, even if you're wearing yellow.
- Muscles McCheng seems suspicious right from the start.
- "Hi, I'm a child. I'm going to be in danger at some point in the next few episodes. Please save me when that time comes, but not before you fuck my dad."
- I've said this before, but I'll reiterate it: I'm so glad they gender-swapped Hogarth.
- Hogarth's peers are assholes. I hope they die.
- "You can say IGH, Ian, they're not Voldemort." LOL
- Maybe, if you're looking for listeners, you should talk about Spider-Man or any of the other heroes in New York readily available to you and not just Jessica?
- Oh no, they're being tracked by the evil Asthmatic Man! Speaking from experience, if you want to take him out, throw dust in his face. That always fucks up my asthma.
- Whizzer mentions a pet mongoose? Okay, bonus points for the reference.
- Griffin Sinclair is funny. I hope he's not a villainous asshole like everybody always ends up being on these shows when I enjoy them.
- Holy shit, he's actually Whizzer?!!!?!?!?
- Well, there goes The Whizzer. RIP dude.
- This Hogarth subplot better not be something that drags its ass out and becomes like two whole episodes of pointless filler. These Netflix shows always have more content that goes nowhere just for the sake of eating up time and I'm suspicious as hell that this is one of those threads.
- I like Malcolm more this time around.
- Uh oh, a hallway. I've been conditioned to think multiple people will fight Jessica now.
- Toxic Avenger much?

Episode 2 - "AKA Freak Accident"

- "Nice ass" dude, really?
- Oh, it worked hahaha
- Hate Trish's mom. Mission accomplished.
- Not the worst funeral ever, I'm sure.
- Whizzer is Robert Frank in the comics. I wonder why they changed his name. He could have easily just been Robert L. Frank
- Oh hey, Emil. Reference to his father.
- With great power comes great mental illness was such a stupid thing. It shouldn't have been in the script.
- Yeah, I'm not into this Hogarth subplot yet and this weird dance number isn't helping.
- Just fuck already. You're not going to stay away from each other.
- Well, now I hope Max dies, too.
- The sad part is that I want to believe Will and want to see him get redeemed.
- Well, there goes Will. At least he was redeemed in death, sort of.

Episode 3 - "AKA Sole Survivor"

- Free hot dogs? Sweet.
- "Aren't relationships great?" When you're not fucked up, yeah, they are.
- Jeri's business partner has some messed up hair.
- Hey! Foggy! Awesome!
- Is this show sponsored by Red Bull?
- I've never had an empanada. I should eat one.
- I get it. You want to be "inclusive."
- Hey kid, do you want to trade that Captain America figure for a Nomad one? It's new.
- IGH being the good guys? Nah.
- Is it wrong that I kind of want Trish and Malcolm to bang?

Episode 4 - "AKA God Help the Hobo"

- Is there a rule that there needs to be coffee and some kind of cookies or danishes or donuts or something at any therapy meeting? I'm legitimately asking that. Also, surprisingly, that doesn't make me want any of that food.
- That ball is so fucked.
- Told ya. RIP ball.
- So that woman is definitely going to be the one in the custody battle, right?
- Gotta make sure that Dell logo is visible, since you just showed the Apple one.
- I've got an alternative treatment for ALS: become a member of The Hand.
- Must be nice to just shill out 300 bucks like that.
- Good, we're moving past the eviction storyline. I didn't want this to drag on for another 8 episodes.
- Why do I get the feeling they're going to bang right now, like I had expected before?
- Bingo. Oh wait, that's Griffin and Trish. You got me.
- Let's go, Malcolm. Good job standing up for yourself.
- I still would enjoy having some kind of a true villain, instead of dealing with stuff like Hogarth's disease and the lingering Toxic Avenger who pops up maybe 30 seconds per episode.
- I don't know why I'm thinking about this now, as it's completely unrelated, but Whirlwind needs to be in the MCU at some point.
- Give me a reason to be more interested in this "evil Jessica parallel" woman. Right now, I don't.

Episode 5 - "AKA The Octopus"

- You could use a good lawyer, Jessica. Why don't you call Matt Murd-oh...wait..sucks.
- Now burn the wig. I'm sure it has blood on it.
- This whole piano thing isn't making me care about this evil woman. It's just taking up time. A lot of time. Like, please end.
- Ugh, this is going to be entirely connective tissue filler for this episode, isn't it? Just transitional material to get from the first part of this season to the second third?
- Somebody get Malcolm a new TV? Dude deserves it.
- Thank you? Also, why is this the second time Trish has had her eyes open and looking another way when Griffin kissed her? She doesn't have any reason to be suspicious of him right now.
- I wonder if Oscar's mom makes empanadas.
- Octopussy on my mind.
- Squid-like creatures always freak me out. They're so alien looking.

Episode 6 - "AKA Facetime"

- You're ruining your clothes with that paint.
- Can we have Kilgrave back yet? I'm bored and I definitely feel like this is dragging.
- Jessica hasn't fired Malcolm in a while.
- Griffin wasn't a bad guy. Don't shit on him.
- Wait a minute, are Trish and Malcolm actually going to bang?
- So we needed to have an obligatory "male only" thing that gets taken down a peg, right? Don't get me wrong, anything that would do that is stupid, but I just get a little tired of everything being so politically motivated rather than the pure story.
- Haha Malcolm and Trish are banging. Also, they really dig the idea of "woman tears belt off guy" don't they?
- She doesn't recognize her own mom?
- Anyway, now is a good time to take a break. I'm tired, and this is clearly a halfway point. Time to get some sleep and pick this back up later on.

Episode 7 - "AKA I Want Your Cray Cray"

- Trish can have my cray cray
- I was digging the advancement in the story of Jessica's mom, but this side story of Trish's alcoholism isn't something I feel like going down a long multi-episode hours and hours worth of content for. That's my problem with this type of platform on Netflix, where I feel like there's enough material for a solid 6-9 episodes, but there's 13 hours to fill and we get long-winded extraneous stuff. I already get that Trish struggled with substance abuse. I don't need 4 hours dedicated to it, you know?
- Jessica is going to fuck the bartender.
- Well, Sterling is surely going to screw Jessica over, and/or die.
- Blue shoes? Poor fashion sense, Alisa.
- Also, typing that out makes me groan at the idea that her name is Alias rearranged. Not their fault. She's apparently in the comics as Alisa Jones.
- Oh shit. I didn't expect Sterling to die THAT quick. Well, at least he kind of had it coming to him.
- Wow, they're going with the belt thing again? Okay, it's official, there's a fetish going on here.
- I'll admit, the film projection part was cute. I really think the friendship between Trish and Jessica is the best thing going for this show and one of the best things in the Netflix series collectively.
- I know I'm not really supposed to like Karl, but I actually think he's a nice guy, overall.

Episode 8 - "AKA Ain't We Got Fun"

- You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs.
- See, I do like the idea that Trish has abuse problems and Malcolm has recovered from it and can act as a source of help, and I like this storyline. I just wish it were a bit more compact.
- The Raft!!!!!!! Thank you for mentioning that! We need more references to the MCU like that.
- Ryback rules.
- Okay, I was literally about to think that nobody's done anything with Hogarth's partners and now, Malcolm is taking care of that. *golf clap* to the writers for picking up that thread right at the moment that I started questioning it. Nice job.
- Side note, I'd like a Luke Cage appearance.
- At this point, I'm definitely expecting Karl to turn heel, Alisa to struggle with her allegiance between he and Jessica, and for both Karl and Alisa to die, because Jessica can't have too many family members still around and she's becoming too charming.
- Way to go, Malcolm. Good manipulative skills.
- Damn it, Malcolm. Don't do the drug.
- Everyone just sleeps with everyone. Saw this coming.

Episode 9 - "AKA Shark in the Bathtub, Monster in the Bed"

- Totally forgot about Cheng and didn't suspect him to be the shooter, but they had set up that he was in the military and has a power complex, so good job providing the foundation for this.
- Butter and jam spaghetti? Not going to eat that, either.
- Oh no, let's deal with Oscar's bullshit for a while. I'm so concerned.
- Daaaaaaamn Trish. Now that's quitting.
- Stan Lee on a bus this time.
- Those boots are going to be so scuffed up...
- Gimme some Hellcat.
- In a lot of ways, I want this next episode to be the final one, as I feel like a lot of the stories have been mostly wrapped up. Why do I feel like I'm in for a lot of distraction to act as filler?

Episode 10 - "AKA Pork Chop"

- Two seconds into this episode, Alisa is already a better Lex Luthor than Jesse Eisenberg.
- Take the deal, Alisa.
- This is so frustrating. I wanted the "hash everything out" scene to actually not end with putting a pin in everything. It would be nice if everyone just sucked it up.
- Did anybody check up on Cheng?
- Oh my god, I don't care about this needless side track of the prison guard. You're wasting my time. I know this can't possibly amount to anything worthwhile. It's just filler.
- Dealing with this whole "she killed him" story is going to waste an entire episode coming up, isn't it?

Episode 11 - "AKA Three Lives and Counting"

- Please don't make me right about this whole subplot with the prison guard. I don't want 120 minutes of going around in circles just to eat up time.
- FINALLY some Kilgrave.
- Never mind.
- Kind of want some scrambled eggs. The food cravings have returned.
- Oh hey, Kilgrave is back.
- I had forgotten that Jessica killed Reva Connors.
- LOL at Malcolm's voicemail including his job title.
- Was that the Megatron trench?
- Good guy Karl. I'm glad he ended up a good guy overall.
- Fuck yeah, Malcolm. You're trying to do the right thing. Quit and teach her a hard lesson.
- "I'll be around if you need me." Please? Like, multiple episodes?

Episode 12 - "AKA Pray for my Patsy"

- Really, Alisa? You had to kill the cop? What a bitch.
- TURK!!! The man!
- Harlem Shake?
- I didn't think they'd kill Ben Urich, so I don't want to think that Trish is 100% safe, but yeah, I'm not buying the "I think I'm dying" bit.
- How anticlimactic would it be if Jessica just popped her mom in the head instead of this talk?

Episode 13 - "AKA Playland"

- Seriously, why are they pulling the "with great power comes great responsibility" stuff? That's making it seem like Jessica Jones knows Spider-Man is a fictional character. It's not cute, it's world-breaking.
- Forgot about Chao. Millard Graves? Look at Malcolm getting his shit together.
- Well that's an underwhelming finish for Malcolm and Hogarth, assuming that's it. All that for just that?
- What the fuck? Trish shot her? Okay, I didn't see that coming.
- Underwhelming end to this season, too.

The 90th Academy Awards were presented on March 4, 2018 and honored the best in film for 2018. Here are the results of all of the winners in their respective categories.

BEST PICTURE: The Shape of Water

BEST ACTOR: Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour

BEST ACTRESS: Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Allison Janney for I, Tonya

BEST DIRECTOR: Guillermo Del Rio for The Shape of Water

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Get Out

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Call Me By Your Name

BEST FILM EDITING: Dunkirk

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Blade Runner 2049

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Blade Runner 2049

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Shape of Water

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Phantom Thread

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: Darkest Hour

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: The Shape of Water

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "Remember Me" from Coco

BEST SOUND EDITING: Dunkirk

BEST SOUND MIXING: Dunkirk

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Coco

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM: Dear Basketball

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Icarus

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: A Fantastic Woman

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: The Silent Child

The 38th annual Golden Raspberry Awards looked back on the films released in 2017 and determined which were the worst movies, actors, actresses and more. Here are the results of the "winners" for the 2018 Razzies Awards:

2018 Razzies Awards Winners

WORST PICTURE

Baywatch
The Emoji Movie
Fifty Shades Darker
The Mummy
Transformers: The Last Knight

WINNER: The Emoji Movie

WORST ACTOR

Tom Cruise in The Mummy as Nick Morton
Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as Captain Jack Sparrow
Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades Darker as Christian Grey
Zac Efron in Baywatch as Matt Brody
Mark Wahlberg in Daddy's Home 2 and Transformers: The Last Knight as Dusty Mayron and Cade Yeager

WINNER: Tom Cruise as Nick Morton in The Mummy

WORST ACTRESS

Katherine Heigl in Unforgettable as Tessa Connover
Dakota Johnson in Fifty Shades Darker as Anastasia 'Ana' Steele
Jennifer Lawrence in Mother! as Mother
Tyler Perry in Boo 2! A Madea Halloween as Madea
Emma Watson in The Circle as Mae Holland

WINNER: Tyler Perry as Made in Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Javier Bardem for Mother! and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as Him and Captain Armando Salazar
Russell Crowe for The Mummy as Dr. Henry Jekyll
Josh Duhamel for Transformers: The Last Knight as Col. William Lennox
Mel Gibson for Daddy's Home 2 as Kurt Mayron
Anthony Hopkins for Collide and Transformers: The Last Knight as Hagen Kahl and Sir Edmund Burton

WINNER: Mel Gibson as Kurt Mayron in Daddy's Home 2

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Kim Basinger for Fifty Shades Darker as Elena Lincoln
Sofia Boutella for The Mummy as Ahmanet
Laura Haddock for Transformers: The Last Knight as Viviane Wembly
Goldie Hawn for Snatched as Linda Middleton
Susan Sarandon for A Bad Moms Christmas as Isis Dunkler

WINNER: Kim Basinger as Elena Lincoln in Fifty Shades Darker

WORST DIRECTOR

Darren Aronofsky for Mother!
Michael Bay for Transformers: The Last Knight
James Foley for Fifty Shades Darker
Alex Kurtzman for The Mummy
Tony Leondis for The Emoji Movie

WINNER: Anthony Leondis for The Emoji Movie

WORST SCREENPLAY

Baywatch - Damian Shannon, Mark Swift, Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant; based on Baywatch by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz and Gregory J. Bonann
The Emoji Movie - Tony Leondis, Eric Siegel and Mike White
Fifty Shades Darker - Niall Leonard; based from the novel by E. L. James
The Mummy - David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, Dylan Kussman, Jon Spaihts, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet; based on The Mummy franchise
Transformers: The Last Knight - Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, Ken Nolan and Akiva Goldsman; based on Hasbro's Transformers action figures

WINNER: The Emoji Movie - Tony Leondis, Eric Siegel and Mike White

WORST REMAKE OR SEQUEL

Baywatch
Boo 2! A Madea Halloween
Fifty Shades Darker
The Mummy
Transformers: The Last Knight

WINNER: Fifty Shades Darker

WORST SCREEN COMBO

Any combination of two characters, two sex toys or two sexual positions in Fifty Shades Darker
Any combination of two humans, two robots or two explosions in Transformers: The Last Knight
Any two obnoxious emojis in The Emoji Movie
Johnny Depp and his worn-out drunk routine in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Tyler Perry and either the ratty old dress or worn-out wig in Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

WINNER: Any two obnoxious emojis in The Emoji Movie

SPECIAL ROTTEN TOMATOES AWARD: THE RAZZIE NOMINEE SO BAD YOU LOVED IT!

Baywatch

Welcome to another edition of 6 Flicks Picks, wherein I list all of the upcoming films that are scheduled to be released in the United States for the month which is about to begin and break down which ones I'll be watching in theaters, which ones I'll wait to rent at home, and which ones I'll be skipping out on entirely. After going through the list, I'll choose which six films stand out to me as the ones I want to see the most, even if there are more or less than six that interest me.

Note: The list below is based primarily off the expanded nationwide USA release dates on IMDB as well as some other random outlets if possible, so some information may be different. If I am missing some of the limited releases or the dates conflict in some fashion, please let me know in the comments below and any adjustments and corrections will be made!

Without further ado, another new month means another new set of films, so what's coming soon to theaters in March 2018?

Red Sparrow

Synopsis: Ballerina Dominika Egorova is recruited to 'Sparrow School' a Russian intelligence service where she is forced to use her body as a weapon. But her first mission, targeting a CIA agent, threatens to unravel the security of both nations.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Death Wish

Synopsis: A family man becomes a vigilante killing machine when his family is violently attacked by robbers.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Foxtrot

Synopsis: A troubled family face the facts when something goes terribly wrong at their son's desolate military post.

Will I watch? = No

They Remain

Synopsis: Two scientists who share a romantic history are tasked with investigating unnatural animal behaviour on the site of a Manson Family-style cult's compound.

Will I watch? = No

Submission

Synopsis: A cynical college professor takes a keen interest in a talented young writing student.

Will I watch? = No

Souvenir

Synopsis: A forgotten European Song Contest singer, fading away in a pâté factory, falls in love with a young aspiring boxer. Together they decide to attempt her comeback.

Will I watch? = No

Dance Academy: The Movie

Synopsis: This 2017 movie follows the original dance academy TV show and tracks where the characters are in their lives now.

Will I watch? = No


A Wrinkle in Time

Synopsis: After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him.

Will I watch? = Maybe

The Strangers: Prey at Night

Synopsis: A family staying in a secluded mobile home park for the night are visited by three masked psychopaths, to test their every limit.

Will I watch? = No

The Hurricane Heist

Synopsis: Thieves attempt a massive heist against the U.S. Treasury as a Category 5 hurricane approaches one of its Mint facilities.

Will I watch? = No

Gringo

Synopsis: GRINGO, a dark comedy mixed with white-knuckle action and dramatic intrigue, explores the battle of survival for businessman Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) when he finds himself crossing the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal.

Will I watch? = No

Thoroughbreds

Synopsis: Two upper-class teenage girls in suburban Connecticut rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems-no matter what the cost.

Will I watch? = No

The Leisure Seeker

Synopsis: A runaway couple go on an unforgettable journey in the faithful old RV they call The Leisure Seeker.

Will I watch? = No

Leaning Into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy

Synopsis: Leaning into the Wind follows artist Andy Goldsworthy on his exploration of the world and himself through ephemeral and permanent workings on the landscape, cities and with his own body.

Will I watch? = No


Tomb Raider

Synopsis: Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Love, Simon

Synopsis: Everyone deserves a great love story. But for Simon it's complicated: no-one knows he's gay and he doesn't know who the anonymous classmate is that he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, scary and life-changing.

Will I watch? = No

7 Days in Entebbe

Synopsis: Inspired by the true events of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, and the most daring rescue mission ever attempted.

Will I watch? = No

Flower

Synopsis: A sexually curious teen forms an unorthodox kinship with her mentally unstable stepbrother.

Will I watch? = No

Josie

Synopsis: Hank, a solitary man living a dull existence in the sleepy, Southern town raises eyebrows when he develops a questionable relationship with Josie, a recently transplanted high school student.

Will I watch? = No

I Can Only Imagine

Synopsis: The inspiring and unknown true story behind MercyMe's beloved, chart topping song that brings ultimate hope to so many is a gripping reminder of the power of true forgiveness.

Will I watch? = No

Journey's End

Synopsis: Set in a dugout in Aisne in 1918, it is the story of a group of British officers, led by the mentally disintegrating young officer Stanhope, as they await their fate.

Will I watch? = No

Ramen Heads

Synopsis: In 'Ramen Heads,' Osamu Tomita, Japan's reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles, and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. In addition to Tomita's story, the film also profiles five other notable ramen shops, each with its own philosophy and flavour, which exemplify various different aspects the ramen world. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen's historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish. This is a documentary record of 15 months in the lives of Japan's top ramen masters and their legions of devoted fans.

Will I watch? = No


Pacific Rim Uprising

Synopsis: Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Isle of Dogs

Synopsis: Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his dog.

Will I watch? = No

Unsane

Synopsis: A young woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution, where she is confronted by her greatest fear--but is it real or a product of her delusion?

Will I watch? = No

Sherlock Gnomes

Synopsis: Garden gnomes, Gnomeo & Juliet, recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments.

Will I watch? = No

Paul, Apostle of Christ

Synopsis: The story covers Paul, portrayed by Faulkner, going from the most infamous persecutor of Christians to Jesus Christ's most influential apostle.

Will I watch? = No

Midnight Sun

Synopsis: Based on the Japanese film, Midnight Sun centers on Katie, a 17-year-old sheltered since childhood and confined to her house during the day by a rare disease that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly. Fate intervenes when she meets Charlie and they embark on a summer romance.

Will I watch? = No

Hichki

Synopsis: Hichki presents a positive and inspiring story about a woman who turns her biggest weakness into her biggest strength.

Will I watch? = No

Final Portrait

Synopsis: The story of Swiss painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti.

Will I watch? = No

Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town

Synopsis: A woman at rock bottom must find her way across Los Angeles in order to crash her ex-boyfriend's engagement party.

Will I watch? = No

I Kill Giants

Synopsis: Barbara Thorson struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.

Will I watch? = No

Ismael's Ghosts

Synopsis: The story follows a filmmaker whose life is sent into a tailspin by the return of a former lover just as he is about to embark on the shoot of a new film.

Will I watch? = No

Back to Burgundy

Synopsis: After a 10 year absence, Jean returns to his hometown when his father falls ill. Reuniting with his sister Juliette and his brother Jérémie, they have to re-build their relationship and trust as a family again.

Will I watch? = No

A Bag of Marbles

Synopsis: The adventure of a Jewish kid and of his brother escaping the Nazi persecution in the occupied France.

Will I watch? = No

The Endless

Synopsis: Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought

Will I watch? = No

Getting Grace

Synopsis: Grace, a teenage girl dying of cancer crashes a funeral home to find out what will happen to her after she dies but ends up teaching the awkward funeral director, Bill Jankowski how to celebrate life.

Will I watch? = No


Ready Player One

Synopsis: When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Wade Watts finds the first clue and starts a race for the Egg.

Will I watch? = Yes

Acrimony

Synopsis: A faithful wife (Taraji P. Henson) tired of standing by her devious husband (Lyriq Bent) is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.

Will I watch? = No

God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness

Synopsis: Pastor Dave (David A.R. White) responds to the unimaginable tragedy of having his church, located on the grounds of the local university, burned down.

Will I watch? = No

Lean on Pete

Synopsis: A teenager gets a summer job working for a horse trainer and befriends the fading racehorse, Lean on Pete.

Will I watch? = No

Finding Your Feet

Synopsis: On the eve of retirement a middle class, judgmental snob discovers her husband has been having an affair with her best friend and is forced into exile with her bohemian sister who lives on an impoverished inner-city council estate.

Will I watch? = No

Outside In

Synopsis: An ex-con struggling to readjust to life in his small town forms an intense bond with his former high school teacher.

Will I watch? = No

The China Hustle

Synopsis: An unsettling and eye-opening Wall Street horror story about Chinese companies, the American stock market, and the opportunistic greed behind the biggest heist you've never heard of.

Will I watch? = No

Gemini

Synopsis: A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity.

Will I watch? = No

Bad Samaritan

Synopsis: A pair of burglars stumble upon a woman being held captive in a home they intended to rob.

Will I watch? = No


Which films make the cut?

Well, despite this having so many options, I didn't feel like it had a ton of potential that I personally am invested in. Oddly, it seems like the theme of this month is a combination of "psychotic" and "guy has a relationship with a young girl". Strange. Anyway, given the list...

6. Red Sparrow — Honestly, I don't know. This doesn't seem all that interesting to me, but all of the other potential options were just slightly beneath it. I know I won't be seeing this.

5. Pacific Rim Uprising — Never saw the first one, but I've had it in my queue ever since it came out. I just oddly keep not being in the mood for it. Now that this is coming out, maybe I'll give it a shot.

4. Tomb Raider — I only played the original game and saw the two Angelina Jolie movies, but hey, it's got some potential to be a decent enough adventure flick and may go against the grain and not be a terrible video game adaptation, either, from what others have told me who are fans of this rebooted franchise.

3. Death Wish — I remember seeing the trailer for this and chuckling at how it was presented, so maybe it can be a fun, dumb action movie to shut my brain off and watch with a Movie Pass.

2. A Wrinkle in Time — Now this is actually something that did look interesting to me, and I can definitely see myself checking it out, particularly with Movie Pass being an option. I don't think it will be amazing, nor do I have any real anticipation for it, but it looks kind of neat for a fantasy film and it has some good stock behind it with the filmmakers and such.

1. Ready Player One — If I see anything this month, it will be this. I never read the source material, but we're talking a mix of geek culture the likes of which we've never seen before, directed by Steven Spielberg. Of course this is a watch.

For the fifth year in a row, Fanboys Anonymous is proud to be joining the efforts for The Dacetacular Gaming for a Cause charity game-a-thon event hosted by our very own Chris "The Dace Man" Dace!

This year, we will once again be gaming for The Messages Project but also splitting the donations with the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department in Camden County, NJ.

Free Fundraising Thermometer by:
Easy Fundraising Ideas

• On February 15, 2014, The Dace Man Show kicked off their inaugural charity event and was able to raise $900 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
• On February 28, 2015, the team raised $1,200 for Young Audiences New Jersey & Eastern Pennsylvania breaking the previous years total by $300!
• On March 12th, 2016 The Dace Man Show raise $1800, doubling their first year's total and topping their previous year's total by $600, for the Alzheimer's Association - Delaware Valley Chapter!
• On February 25th, 2017, The Dace Man Show Partnered with The Messages Project and raised a total of $2,440 for children of incarcerated parents that could potentially be at risk.

• Saturday February 17th @ 12:00 PM EST - False Finish Productions
• Sunday February 18th TBA
• Monday February 19th @ 8:00 PM EST - DemiLaryn from DeathBlossoms
• Tuesday February 20th @ 8:00 PM EST -The Dace Man Show Live!
• Wednesday February 21st @ 10:00PM EST - Mega Powers Wrestling w/ Mike Paden
• Thursday February 22nd @ 9:00PM EST - YellzxBellz
• Friday February 23rd @ TBA - Greg Ciafardoni & Vince Ciafardoni

For every $5.00 donated you will be automatically entered into win one of these awesome prizes! Check back regularly because prizes are added every week leading up to the event!
• ​Opening Day Tickets to a Major League Baseball Game. (We realize our fanbase has grown outside the realm of New Jersey and the incredible Philadelphia fan base, so The Dace Man Show will provide you with Opening Day tickets to your local team)​
• ​(2) $25 Amazon Gift Cards
• (10) Dace Man Shirts (Various Sizes) designs below
• Lunacy Brewing Company Tour for Two
• Federal Distilling Tour Experience for Two
• Dia De Los Burritos Gift Card ($15)
• 8 x 10 Autographed Photo of NXT Superstar Aleister Black
• 8 x 10 Autographed Photo of NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon
• Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Combo - Atomic Blonde
• Handmade DollBetty by Chaos and Cat Hair
• $25 gift card for Kitchen 519
• $10 gift card for Bakery 519
• Echo Dot (2nd Generation) - Black
• More prizes to be announced!

Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST on Dace Man & Friends Twitch

On the latest edition of the Fanboys Anonymous REVIEWPOINT podcast, host Tony Mango breaks down the hits and misses of Marvel's Black Panther by discussing what worked, what didn't, and whether you should see it or skip it.

After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he's drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.

Make sure to subscribe/follow on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this with your friends and geek out with us!

On the latest edition of the Fanboys Anonymous REVIEWPOINT podcast, host Tony Mango breaks down the hits and misses of Maze Runner: The Death Cure by discussing what worked, what didn't, and whether you should see it or skip it.

Thomas leads some escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions that the Gladers have been asking since they arrived in the maze.

Make sure to subscribe/follow on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this with your friends and geek out with us!

On the latest Fanboys Anonymous podcast, host Tony Mango gives his thoughts and predictions on the possible movie trailers, commercials and advertisements that may air during Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018.

Make sure to subscribe/follow on whatever platform you're listening, leave your comments on the videos or this post, share this with your friends and geek out with us!

Welcome to another edition of 6 Flicks Picks, wherein I list all of the upcoming films that are scheduled to be released in the United States for the month which is about to begin and break down which ones I'll be watching in theaters, which ones I'll wait to rent at home, and which ones I'll be skipping out on entirely. After going through the list, I'll choose which six films stand out to me as the ones I want to see the most, even if there are more or less than six that interest me.

Note: The list below is based primarily off the expanded nationwide USA release dates on IMDB as well as some other random outlets if possible, so some information may be different. If I am missing some of the limited releases or the dates conflict in some fashion, please let me know in the comments below and any adjustments and corrections will be made!

Without further ado, another new month means another new set of films, so what's coming soon to theaters in February 2018?

Winchester

Synopsis: Eccentric firearm heiress believes she is haunted by the souls of people killed by the Winchester repeating rifle.

Will I watch? = Maybe

A Fantastic Woman

Synopsis: Marina, a waitress who moonlights as a nightclub singer, is bowled over by the death of her older boyfriend.

Will I watch? = No

The Cage Fighter

Synopsis: A blue-collar family man breaks the promise he'd made to never fight again. Now forty years old, with a wife and four children who need him, Joe Carman risks everything to go back into the fighting cage and come to terms with his past.

Will I watch? = No

Bilal: A New Breed of Hero

Synopsis: A thousand years ago, one boy with a dream of becoming a great warrior is abducted with his sister and taken to a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change. Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero who earned his remembrance in time and history.

Will I watch? = No

A Ciambra

Synopsis: In A CIAMBRA, a small Romani community in Calabria, Pio Amato is desperate to grow up fast. At 14, he drinks, smokes and is one of the few to easily slide between the region's factions - the local Italians, the African refugees and his fellow Romani. Pio follows his older brother Cosimo everywhere, learning the necessary skills for life on the streets of their hometown. When Cosimo disappears and things start to go wrong, Pio sets out to prove he's ready to step into his big brother's shoes but soon finds himself faced with an impossible decision that will show if he is truly ready to become a man.

Will I watch? = No


Fifty Shades Freed

Synopsis: The third installment of the 'Fifty Shades of Grey' trilogy.

Will I watch? = No

The 15:17 to Paris

Synopsis: American soldiers discover a terrorist plot on a Paris-bound train.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Peter Rabbit

Synopsis: Feature adaptation of Beatrix Potter's classic tale of a rebellious rabbit trying to sneak into a farmer's vegetable garden.

Will I watch? = No

Aiyaary

Synopsis: Witness the story of two Indian Army officers, a mentor and his protégé on this Republic Day.

Will I watch? = No

Before We Vanish

Synopsis: Three aliens travel to Earth in preparation for a mass invasion, taking possession of human bodies.

Will I watch? = Maybe


Black Panther

Synopsis: T'Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.

Will I watch? = Yes

Early Man

Synopsis: Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of Dug, along with sidekick Hognob as they unite his tribe against a mighty enemy Lord Nooth and his Bronze Age City to save their home.

Will I watch? = No

Samson

Synopsis: After losing the love of his life to a cruel Philistine prince, a young Hebrew with Supernatural strength defends his people, sacrificing everything to avenge his love, his people, and his God.

Will I watch? = No

The Party

Synopsis: Janet hosts a party to celebrate her new promotion, but once the guests arrive it becomes clear that not everything is going to go down as smoothly as the red wine.

Will I watch? = No

Loveless

Synopsis: A couple going through a divorce must team up to find their son who has disappeared during one of their bitter arguments.

Will I watch? = No

Nostalgia

Synopsis: A mosaic of stories about love and loss, 'Nostalgia' explores our relationships to the objects, artifacts, and memories that shape our lives.

Will I watch? = No

Oh Lucy!

Synopsis: A lonely woman living in Tokyo decides to take an English class where she discovers her alter ego, Lucy.

Will I watch? = No

Double Lover

Synopsis: Chloé, a fragile young woman, falls in love with her psychoanalyst, Paul. A few months later she moves in with him, but soon discovers that her lover is concealing a part of his identity.

Will I watch? = No

Tehran Taboo

Synopsis: In their desperate search for freedom and happiness, four young people from Tehran, Iran are forced to break the taboos of a restrictive, islamic society.

Will I watch? = No


Annihilation

Synopsis: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don't apply.

Will I watch? = Yes

Game Night

Synopsis: A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves trying to solve a murder mystery.

Will I watch? = Maybe

Hannah

Synopsis: Intimate portrait of a woman drifting between reality and denial when she is left alone to grapple with the consequences of her husband's imprisonment.

Will I watch? = No

The Lodgers

Synopsis: 1920, rural Ireland. Anglo Irish twins Rachel and Edward share a strange existence in their crumbling family estate. Each night, the property becomes the domain of a sinister presence (The Lodgers) which enforces three rules upon the twins: they must be in bed by midnight; they may not permit an outsider past the threshold; if one attempts to escape, the life of the other is placed in jeopardy. When troubled war veteran Sean returns to the nearby village, he is immediately drawn to the mysterious Rachel, who in turn begins to break the rules set out by The Lodgers. The consequences pull Rachel into a deadly confrontation with her brother - and with the curse that haunts them.

Will I watch? = No

Beast of Burden

Synopsis: Sean Haggerty only has an hour to deliver his illegal cargo. An hour to reassure a drug cartel, a hitman, and the DEA that nothing is wrong. An hour to make sure his wife survives. And he must do it all from the cockpit of his Cessna.

Will I watch? = No


Which films make the cut?

6. Before We Vanish — Um...what?

5. The 15:17 to Paris / Nostalgia — It's a bit of a cheat, but I can't really decide. I'm allowing this tie because truthfully, I don't want to see either of these, so it isn't as though I'm trying to sneak in more than six films, but more so that I just can't decide on anything but the top two. With Nostalgia, it could be heartwarming in a depressing way. With 15:17, I'm just curious how the people can portray themselves when they weren't actors.

4. Winchester — The story of the house is interesting and my girlfriend wants to see it, so this wins a spot for sure.

3. Game Night — This is totally a Valentine's Day film and there's a chance it's funny, as the trailer got me to hope that those weren't the funniest parts but showed enough of potential.

2. Annihilation — I'm purposely trying not to learn too much about this movie, as it could be another Arrival where I'm pleasantly surprised. It looks interesting, though, and seems like it could skirt the line between being sci-fi neat without being sci-fi overbearing.

1. Black Panther — This is the true standout and the only thing I've actually already purchased tickets for, well in advance. 10 tickets as always. Black Panther was one of my favorite parts of Captain America: Civil War and this movie looks awesome.

The nominees for the 90th Academy Awards have been announced, so it's time for us to talk about some of the surprises, snubs and our predictions of which movies will take home an Oscar in 2018.

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE START:

Before we even get into anything, let me preface things by saying that this is one of those years like the 84th Academy Awards where I just don't find damn near anything to be interesting, and I not only haven't seen almost any of these movies, but I really can't see myself sitting through them because I know I won't like them.

This is because there seems to be two motivating factors behind the nominations this year: it's either a boring historical drama (like always), or it's some kind of political statement where the movie probably is being revered for its subject material rather than the film's execution itself.

Example, I hear outcries that Wonder Woman should have been nominated for Best Picture. If you replace the lead protagonist with a male, you'd all come to the realization that the movie isn't really all that good. I agree 100% that the film is important because it helps break barriers as far as having a female director and being a female-led superhero film, but that doesn't mean it matches up to The Shawshank Redemption. Please.

If a movie looks good enough to me, with or without an agenda, I'll see it. I really enjoyed Hidden Figures and Fences last year. I didn't, in retrospect, enjoy Moonlight as much and didn't want it to win Best Picture. A combination of these from this year is Battle of the Sexes, which I thought looked kind of interesting and it's not only a historical piece, but it's also about female empowerment. I didn't see it yet, but then again, I haven't seen Blade Runner 2049 or Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle either, and I wanted to see those, so...

I look at the list of nominees from this year and outside of a few examples, they all look to me like they were nominated because someone read the synopsis and said "I like the message that's going for" or "that seems like it would be an Oscar thing" rather than "I like this movie as a whole better than every other movie this year in comparison."

Get Out was fun as hell, and I enjoyed The Shape of Water and I liked I, Tonya more than I thought I would (but I'm glad it wasn't nominated for Best Picture). I'll probably try to watch some of these movies, even if I have to shut them off midway through.

Lastly, I just want to point out that when it comes to any "artsy fartsy" movie, as some would describe them—particularly those that fall under the Oscar-bait categories I'm talking about here—they don't stand the test of time. Nobody is talking about Brooklyn. Nobody ever brings up The King's Speech as the best movie ever. Have you heard anyone say a damn thing about The Artist or Moonrise Kingdom?

No. You didn't. Unless you're part of the film community that turns its nose to anything "mainstream" and revels in the idea that you're so much more sophisticated and classy.

Spotlight is a movie I didn't enjoy and I never need to watch again and wish I had that time back. Les Misérables was surprisingly delightful. Shit happens.

CHECKLIST OF MOVIES BELOW:

* = I've seen the film
(#) = number of total nominations

* The Shape of Water (13)
* Dunkirk (8)
* Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (7)
Darkest Hour (6)
Phantom Thread (6)
Blade Runner 2049 (5)
Lady Bird (5)
Call Me by Your Name (4)
* Get Out (4)
Mudbound (4)
* Star Wars: The Last Jedi (4)
Baby Driver (3)
* I, Tonya (3)
Beauty and the Beast (2)
Coco (2)
The Post (2)
Victoria & Abdul (2)
All the Money in the World (1)
Coco (1)
Ferdinand (1)
* Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (1)
* Kong: Skull Island (1)
* Logan (1)
Loving Vincent (1)
Marshall (1)
Molly's Game (1)
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (1)
The Big Sick (1)
The Boss Baby (1)
The Breadwinner (1)
* The Disaster Artist (1)
The Florida Project (1)
The Greatest Showman (1)
War for the Planet of the Apes (1)
Wonder (1)

THOUGHTS AND PREDICTIONS:

Now, onto my predictions, which I'll be updating as time goes on and I potentially watch any of these movies.

BEST PICTURE

THOUGHTS: I think Get Out can be ruled out. I enjoyed it, but it's not Best Picture. The Shape of Water stands a chance, but I can see a couple other things taking it out of the competition. I don't think Dunkirk deserves it, or is really even in the discussion, as the same movie without the context of it being a war film which also happens to be directed by Christopher Nolan would probably get zero attention in comparison to what it got. Having not seen Darkest Hour or The Post or Call Me by Your Name or Phantom Thread or Lady Bird, but not seeing much of a point to really watch them as they probably stand not chance, I definitely put Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri as the favorite, for sure.

PREDICTION: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST ACTOR

THOUGHTS: We can probably rule out Denzel Washington, who I think gets a nomination for basically being just always rock solid. Daniel Day-Lewis might be more of an honorary thing. Daniel Kaluuya was a total shock for me, and he won't win. This is really between Chalamet and Oldman, and I think it's a matter of whether the voters want to go with the story of the young kid with the positive message or if they want to go with pure acknowledgment. No nomination for James Franco for The Disaster Artist, though, which is surprising considering his Golden Globe win. Nothing for Tom Hanks for The Post, either.

PREDICTION: Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour

BEST ACTRESS

THOUGHTS: This is going to Frances McDormand. C'mon. Sally Hawkins is a nomination for recognition. Margot Robbie is a motivator of "we know you're killing it, keep up the good work" and the same applies to Saoirse Ronan. Meryl Streep is just Meryl Streep so she always has her name on this list. This is a one woman race, though.

PREDICTION: Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

THOUGHTS: The fact that two men are nominated for the same movie makes me think one of them will win, if not just by pure statistics, and between the two, Sam Rockwell is in the film longer and has a more dynamic character, overall. I don't think Richard Jenkins has it, even though I liked his character a lot in The Shape of Water. I'm also not sure if the Christopher Plummer nomination was because he's going to win it or because they just want to acknowledge how he stepped into a production so late and rushed a performance and somehow pulled it off. Personally, I think someone who was skipped over was Paul Walter Hauser for I, Tonya. He stole that movie to me and nailed his character to a ridiculous level.

PREDICTION: Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

THOUGHTS: Frankly, I don't see why Octavia Spencer was nominated. I don't think Lesley Manville has this for the same reason as Mary J. Blige—I haven't heard anything about their performances, so either I'm totally out of the loop on those two, or they must not be that great. To me, this is probably between Allison Janney and Laurie Metcalf, and honestly, I don't know which one stands out more (mostly because I didn't see Metcalf's performance)...but because of her Golden Globe win, I'll go with Allison Janney.

PREDICTION: Allison Janney for I, Tonya

BEST DIRECTOR

THOUGHTS: This is an extremely hard one to call. Don't count out Jordan Peele. I don't think it will be Christopher Nolan or Paul Thomas Anderson, but they aren't out of the running by any means. If I had to pick, I'd go with Guillermo del Toro, but with the whole political climate going on right now, Greta Gerwig might win just because she's a woman and that could give her some extra votes from people who could have seen the exact same movie and if it were directed by a man, wouldn't vote for it. Then again, there still might be people who vote AGAINST her purely because she's a woman, so maybe that will balance itself out in the most ridiculous way because neither political vote judges the film itself.

PREDICTION: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THOUGHTS: These are some of the hardest to predict, as they can go one way or the other. Either they go to the exact same movies that win everything else like Best Picture, or they go to the runner-up as a consolation prize. Did The Big Sick get the nomination and that's good enough? I can see the same thing happening with Get Out, but in the past, when I've been hesitant to trust the oddball choice, I've been proven wrong, so maybe I need to give some credit where it is due that it might happen, especially since it won for the Writers Guild of America Awards.

PREDICTION: Get Out

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

THOUGHTS: Copy and paste what I said about Original Screenplay and the whole consolation prize idea, but since only one of these films is nominated for Best Picture, I think that narrows it down quite a bit. If that happens and it's a statement, they could go with something other than Call Me By Your Name, but that's the one I think stands out. It's nice to see Logan get some love as the first comic book movie to get a serious nomination in a long time. I still don't get how Captain America: The Winter Soldier didn't earn this category nomination a few years ago and I'm bummed about that.

PREDICTION: Call Me By Your Name

BEST FILM EDITING

THOUGHTS: Good lord, I have no idea. I'm going to assume that if something was nominated for this and not much else, it must stand out, which means Baby Driver could get the win, even though that might just mean they liked it enough to nominate it. I don't think it will be I, Tonya or Three Billboards and I think I can even rule out The Shape of Water. I think this goes to Dunkirk even though I wasn't a fan of it having a split narrative and confusing timeline.

PREDICTION: Dunkirk

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

THOUGHTS: Not only am I surprised Kong: Skull Island got on this list, I'm also shocked Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets didn't get nominated as I've heard that that is gorgeous. Maybe I'm bitter about the story told in Star Wars: The Last Jedi but I don't even want it to win this award and I'll argue that Leia floating through space was enough of a reason to ignore it even if the rest of the movie looked pretty great and just fell flat in other ways. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 should be skipped, I think, since it all feels a bit too fake. I haven't seen War for the Planet of the Apes, and I can imagine a world where they give this award to that in honor of all the CGI work they've done with the apes over the course of the three films, but I'm definitely leaning toward Blade Runner 2049 being the most obvious pick here.

PREDICTION: Blade Runner 2049

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

THOUGHTS: Cinematography isn't the same animal as Visual Effects, but they do have some parallels and it isn't crazy to think Blade Runner 2049 could win both. It's interesting, though, that that's the only one to get nominated for both awards, which helps its chances. Dunkirk wouldn't be too too shocking, nor would The Shape of Water.

PREDICTION: Blade Runner 2049

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

THOUGHTS: Blade Runner 2049 and The Shape of Water seem like bigger feats to me than Dunkirk as we've seen a million war films already. Beauty and the Beast...well, they had the animated film for reference. Darkest Hour isn't something that has as much work to need done on it than the first two I mentioned, so I think it's between them.

PREDICTION: The Shape of Water

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

THOUGHTS: I never seem to get this one right, so don't bet any money on me being correct. My gut instinct is to say Beauty and the Beast because they love their dresses, but they also love their period pieces and that's just going to screw with my mind and make me second guess myself. Victoria & Abdul seems like it would strike a lot of chords. Phantom Thread is literally about clothes, though...

PREDICTION: Phantom Thread

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

THOUGHTS: Um....I have no idea what Victoria & Abdul is. Wonder doesn't strike me as the thing that would beat out Darkest Hour considering the buzz Gary Oldman has. If the makeup didn't work, he wouldn't be in such high contention for Best Actor.

PREDICTION: Darkest Hour

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

THOUGHTS: Hans Zimmer tends to always do great work, but nothing stood out to me from Dunkirk, John Williams used to be amazing but is kind of phoning it in lately in my opinion, and I don't remember any of the score for Three Billboards even though I just got done watching it a few minutes before writing this. The Shape of Water didn't have anything astounding to me, but I do remember it resonating more than the rest.

PREDICTION: Alexandre Desplat for The Shape of Water

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

THOUGHTS: The only two that I've heard any buzz about are "Remember Me" from Coco and "This is Me" from The Greatest Showman. In the past, that's been a good indicator of which has the advantage going into the voting, but I've been surprised before. Given the choices, I think "This is Me" might win since that film isn't nominated for anything else, so that must stand out a bit. Plus, it is a musical after all, so it better do its job right. But, hell, I'm really tossing a coin here and I don't feel confident at all that it isn't just going to Coco.

PREDICTION: "This is Me" from The Greatest Showman

BEST SOUND EDITING

THOUGHTS: There's no difference whatsoever in the nominees. It's the same playing field of five films, and so often, whatever wins ends up taking both. At this point, I don't know why they don't just combine these categories into a Best Sound Design category, but someone who is more knowledgeable can explain that to me. Keep in mind that while I know there is a distinction to the job, I don't understand how Best Visual Effects can be combined instead of differentiating Best Practical Effects and Best CGI since those blend together, while Editing/Mixing is a blend. Anyway, Baby Driver, Blade Runner 2049 and Dunkirk to me have better chances than The Shape of Water and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Since it's a war film and from what I've heard, the emphasis is on the battles and not on any story, I'm going to lean towards Dunkirk.

PREDICTION: Dunkirk

BEST SOUND MIXING

THOUGHTS: Look up.

PREDICTION: Dunkirk

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

THOUGHTS: Really? The Lego Batman Movie doesn't get a nomination??? Come on! The Boss Baby and Ferdinand look so stupid to me, I've literally never heard of The Breadwinner or Loving Vincent and that means Coco wins by default.

PREDICTION: Coco

THE REST OF THE CATEGORIES

Including:
Best Animated Short Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Documentary Short Subject
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Live Action Short Film

THOUGHTS: These are the categories that I never know anything about. Everything listed is a completely foreign entity to me, so I typically go into the ceremony not having seen a single still image of the films. It's always a total shot in the dark as I basically either decide not to try to predict them at all, or I pick one at random. I have no idea which movies should have been nominated but weren't, which films should not have been nominated but were, or anything else like that. Essentially, I could put all of them up on a dart board and whatever I hit, those are my picks, and I'd probably do just as well as if I tried to guess blindly on my own merits. If you know anything about any of those films, feel free to enlighten me in the comments section so I can try to check them out if I can get access to any of them before the ceremony takes place.


Last year, we saw a distinct response to the #OscarsSoWhite situation and with this year's primary focus seemingly shifting to the LGBT community and women empowerment, I don't know how that's going to factor in on a grander scope. I assume that will be the focal point of the speeches, but as far as the awards themselves, I don't know if it will translate to wins and losses. If we see Lady Bird killing it, then we know it did, because holy shit, I shut that movie off at the 3:12 mark and didn't want to see a single second more as I felt like it would be wasting my time with pointless angst that I've already seen before. If we see Get Out sweeping, we know #OscarsSoWhite is still prevalent. Then again, maybe this is going to be one of those years where everything is so random because there aren't standout obvious choices for anything, so the people like myself who are trying to guess what other people are thinking have no ability to jump into their brains and guess correctly. I'm just glad Star Wars: The Last Jedi wasn't nominated for Best Picture as I clearly had my problems with it.