Most Snubbed: 7 Movies I Thought Deserved Oscars (2018 Edition)

Well, this is turning out to be quite an interesting Oscars. There are so many nominations that are genuine surprises that it's hard to really say the Academy got much of it wrong. Firstly, there are the multiple nominations for 'Get Out'. Horror, almost never gets nominated, and a horror movie with a predominantly black cast, by a first time director, with liberal white people as the villains? This is like the time Eminem rapped "You think I give a damn about a Grammy" and then won a Grammy for it.

Still, no matter how much they got right, (like finally giving Guillermo Del Toro a best director nomination, and recognizing a female director in Greta Gerwig) they were a few things I thought they didn't get right. 7 to be exact.

At this point, it's pointless to expect a motion capture performance to be acknowledged by the Academy. The technology is mostly used in films that don't exactly scream 'Oscar-worthy'. That said, for the last decade, Andy Serkis has made it impossible to ignore his work with the character Caesar. He plays the role with such immense gravitas and that is no different than in 'War for the Planet of the Apes'.

For a final performance, it's perfect. 

'The Big Sick' is one of the best films to come out last year. It's been praised for being a story that needed to be told, and in such an endearing, and at times heartbreaking way. I don't think any of it works without the fantastic work of Zoe Kazan. Although this is the story of her co-star Kumail Nanjiani meeting his wife, Zoe Kazan is the one that makes you fall in love. She's charming when she needs to be and makes the movie's relationship feel familiar, for the good and the bad.

If you didn't fall in love with her you're inhuman. 

Look, I know, okay? I know. There were a lot of great performances this year. Plenty that went without nominations. I could've given this to Ray Romano for 'The Big Sick', Josh Gad for 'Marshall', or any of the stellar supporting cast in 'The Post'. Instead, I'm giving it to LilRel Howery, who had the hardest job of all in the most iconic film of 2017. He made a film about the harsh realities of racism, easier to understand with his very human and natural performance. Maybe it's his role inherently that does that, and there's not much to LilRel's performance. That's a valid argument. But my counter-argument is his pitch-perfect delivery, and expression when he declares he is TS-mothafuckin-A.

He handles shit. 

I like comic book movies as much as the next guy, but I'd hardly be the one to rally for their inclusion in the Academy Awards. I'm very content with leaving them as the spectacles they are. Still, I will champion a film that does its best to break the mold. No film, not even Nolan's 'The Dark Knight', came closer to that than 'Logan'. It's only fitting that the heart of that film, played by Dafne Keen, should be recognized. She gave us a character that was convincing in every strong emotion she was faced with. Add that to her age, and the fact that she spends most of the film completely silent, and you have a winner in my book.

Say different. I dare you.

Edgar Wright seemingly can do no wrong, yet he seems unable to be recognized for it. His movies are unlike any other, and that's true with 'Baby Driver' as well, which delivers some of the best-directed car sequences of the last decade. Beyond that, 'Baby Driver' is a film that has such an incredible use of a soundtrack, as Wright applies his hyper-visual directing style to match up with his well-curated list of songs. It's the most effective direction of music since 'Birdman'.

"You're welcome" - Edgar Wright (presumably)

If you weren't already aware, this list is not for the uninitiated. Here at DamianMichaelMovies.com, we tend to do off-kilter things, like suggest you should check 'Transformers: The Last Knight' out on cable, because why should we be the only ones to suffer? Well one movie that made up for some of the misery that was 2017, was 'The Lego Batman'. A film that took Batman, a character that's been a part of film history for decades and gave him his best treatment yet, all while knocking him down several pegs. It's a great script and finds a tremendous balance between references, humour, and genuinely moving character work. In a damn Lego movie.

I like to think of 2017 as the year that genre films came to play. Tired of being set aside as kids films, mindless action, and the bottom of the barrel. Logan, Get Out, The Shape of Water, The Big Sick, all these are genres that are thought not deserving of the lifetime praise that you earn when you get nominated for an Oscar. I can think of no greater achievement in that regard that 'Blade Runner 2049'. This was a movie that was entire, unapologetically, sci-fi. It was harsh, dark, and sublimely beautiful. I gushed about this film when it came out, and thought for sure that by now I'd be soured on it. Yet, it remains my favourite film of 2017. It's almost 3 hours long, but I could watch it again and again.

I expected this to be one of the worst of the year. How I love being wrong. 

I had a hard time building this list once again this year, which is a sign that the awards seem to be getting better at the selection. That makes this piece less fun to write, but it's better for the industry as a whole. Sure, I don't expect some of the surprising nominations to win. Gary Oldman will almost certainly win for Churchill despite recent allegations of abuse, and I don't see Jordan Peele taking away the Best Director Award. However, something about this year makes me feel like there's a turning of the tide. Maybe that's naive, but hey, a guy can dream.

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'Black Panther' (2018) Review: A Game changing Masterpiece

G.O.A.T: A film that is unique, special, and incredibly important.

It seems the phrase "Best Marvel movie yet" loses it's meaning more and more. It's something that's proclaimed with almost every iteration in the cinematic universe. Mostly for different reasons. This creates a constant one-upmanship among the films. As a viewer, it's seemingly great that. We're treated to great films at a near constant rate, but there does exist the potential for that greatness to become old news real fast. Basically, if every movie is special, no movie is.

There's no way to know how it will affect 'Black Panther'. It's certainly a test of time. I will say that objectively speaking, I believe 'Black Panther' to be Marvel's best achievement in filmmaking. I don't think that's likely to change due to how realistic this work of impossible science fiction feels.

The movie with the indestructible suit, and the magic healing space rock.
Also the one with the most stakes of any Marvel movie.

The Marvel Universe has shown us many unbelievable things. The Norse God of thunder? Real. Robots that can walk through walls? They’ve envisioned it. A talking raccoon guarding the galaxy? Make it so. They’ve even shown us the realm of magic. However, if you thought the world was finished growing, the franchise is about to expand even further with its latest film, ‘Black Panther’.

At the centre of it all is not the Black Panther himself, but rather his home, Wakanda. The country is
a rich and vibrant world all on its own. It's also fully realized. Wakanda feels more lived in than
Asgard has in three Thor films. The set and costume design in this film does a tremendous job
of giving the environment and its inhabitants a history. You feel as though every striking fabric
has a purpose.

The film is a shoe-in for costume design or the Oscars are getting burned to the ground.

That level of immersion goes a long way in making ‘Black Panther’ a great film. It makes it easier to swallow when the movie goes to some complex and emotional places. For an action movie, it takes on concepts that are often shied away from in the films typically nominated for Academy Awards. Bringing them up is one thing, but having your character's actions be driven by very real world motivations gives this film a palpable resonance. It simply speaks to the audience on a deeper level than these films tend to.

The characters are not simply avatars for action. They're breathing, thinking personas that you come to know intimately, even if they're given just a morsel of screentime. So much so that anyone from Lupita Nyong'o's 'Nakia', to Daniel Kaluuya's 'W'Kabi', could've taken centre stage and delivered just as fulfilling a film.

With such realism and depth, it's no surprise that the film moves with glorious purpose. Pacing is paramount for the panther. The greatest type of script is one that has each line serve a function, and that's on display with this film. You either learn about the characters, the story, or both with every moment on screen. Nothing feels wasted in 'Black Panther'. That's a relief in a film with less action in it than 'Thor'.

When you're no longer in the best Marvel movie since the last Marvel movie.

Of the action scenes here, they range from good to great, with only a few minor issues. Graphically they're mostly solid, but now and again you are reminded that nothing on screen is actually happening. There is one James Bond-esque sequence, in a casino no less, that has the best action in the film. Trouble is, it happens so early on and is never really topped in the rest of the film.

The movie will have you not just engaged but deeply invested. T’Challa’s plight becomes that of the audience. Fitting, considering much of the audience is seeing themselves on the big screen in a way they never have before. As kings, heroines, and brimming with intelligence, charm, and oozing with intense and well thought out character development. In fact, the only characters lacking development are those not from Wakanda, which, I have to hope was intentional.

Sadly, he is the character with the easiest name to remember. 

Very rarely is a film able to do what 'Black Panther' does. The women are not sexualized, but their feminity is never questioned. Instead, it's portrayed as a thing of strength. The men are granted moments of weakness, and an opportunity to express doubt, struggle and emotion. The cast is allowed to play roles that there ought to be more of. Danai Gurira plays a general, Letitia Wright plays a supergenius inventor. 'Black Panther' is one of the best cast movies in a long time, with actors that know their roles and play them exceptionally well.

Normally, for a comic book movie, you hope for a few things. You hope it's well balanced, with good action, and maybe makes you want to see it at least a second time. ‘Black Panther’ supersedes all that, and delivers perhaps the best superhero film of the decade. I’ll put it this way; when leaving ‘Black Panther’, any excitement I had for ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ dissipated. I only wanted to know when I was going to experience ‘Black Panther’ again.

Rating: G.O.A.T.

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'The Shape Of Water' (2017) Review: Beautifully Different

Big Screen Watch: Perhaps the most unique film of 2017

If I told you about the best film of the year, what would I say? Certainly not that it's 'The Shape of Water'. No instead, what I will say is that 'The Shape of Water' is a movie that is unlike any other, which is par for the course with director Guillermo Del Toro. It's set in the early 1960s and follows the strange love story of a woman and a man. Only the woman is a human and the man, is covered head to toe in scales.

Bae.

If that description is enough to scare you off, then you have no business seeing 'The Shape of Water'. It is definitely a film that explores the unconventional, to say the least. With a story so submerged in fantasy, you'd think the film would be more of a fairy tale. In fact, while 'The Shape of Water' can feel very surreal at times, I was surprised at just how gritty the film was.

The first half of the film shows this the most. You spend ample amount of time watching Sally Hawkins character Eliza Esposito silently go about her day as a cleaning lady at the facility where she finds her finned lover. What you benefit from this is a real sense of what this world is. More importantly, who the people in it are.

Eliza is a mute, communicating mostly by sign language with her roommate, played by Richard Jenkins, and her coworker, played by Octavia Spencer. Both brought a sense of humanity to this movie, as their relatable characters grounded an otherwise unbelievable tale. It's a pity then that the film doesn't succeed at this on all accounts, particularly as it relates to Michael Shannon's character, a villain too obvious for a Disney movie. Michael Shannon already exudes creepiness. Why would you play that up?

Even well lit he's unsettling.

From the moment he steps into frame, there's no mistaking the character. Enveloped in shadow, and clad almost entirely in black, with a dark hat. The character helps to bring across the movie's storybook quality. Its villain is as evil as he can b because there needs to be one for the fairy tale. In that way, it works, but so much of 'Shape of Water' dives into developing real characters that it nevertheless feels out of place.

It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't given so much screentime. I'd appreciate it if he was treated as a figurehead. A literal object of opposition, but instead the film gives him so much screen time that it only repeats itself. Having a one-note character so prominent in the film just becomes grating. Still, there was plenty I still enjoyed in 'Shape of Water'. Its marvelous aesthetic beauty is surpassed only by its touching message of kindness and empathy, in the face of adversity. All that and a near perfect score by Alexandre Desplat.

Seen here trying to get into the mind of a fish man with "hand fins"

'Shape of Water' is a movie that takes its time to tell its story. Perhaps a little too much time in parts. While some might find the film's pairing unnerving, underneath the surface there is something entirely relatable to it. Many people feel like outsiders in their lives and strive to find a person to connect with. While I didn't always connect with 'Shape of Water', I commend it for daring to be different. It plays with an old type of story and creates something that is entirely its own.

Rating: Big Screen Watch 

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'The Cloverfield Paradox' (2018) Review: Easy Come, Easy Go

Catch It On Cable: I mean it's not like you had a choice, but even if this were on the big screen I'd say wait for Netflix.

After what seemed like the beginning of a descent into development hell, the third chapter in the loosely aligned Cloverfield saga has emerged. The film 'The Cloverfield Paradox' was previously known as 'The God Particle', which tells you a fair bit about the film already. Set immediately prior to the original 'Cloverfield', the movie shows us a desperate last-ditch attempt by humanity to solve the world's energy crisis, demonstrated of course by...pretty long lines at the gas station.

What follows is, unfortunately, much of what you've come to expect. There's a ship, a crew, and a mission. A bunch of technical jargon is hurled at you a mile a minute, and nothing goes as planned. I don't want to be reductive in saying 'The Cloverfield Paradox' is your standard space exploration horror flick...but it kind of is. That's not to say there aren't elements of it that I didn't enjoy, but the whole time I couldn't shake the feeling that this had all been done before.

And quite recently too, just can't seem to recall where...

What hasn't been done before, at least not very often, is having the lead in a movie of this type being played by a person of colour. Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays the lead role of Hamilton, and she's joined by quite the cast. David Oyelowo as the crew's captain, Daniel Bruhl, John Ortiz, Chris O'Dowd, Askel Hennie, Ziyi Zhang and Elizabeth Debicki all play different types of scientists. They're well-acted roles, and the film has a diverse cast, but aside from that, there's nothing to discern them from any other crew on any other ship, in any other movie.

Just can't seem to remember where I've seen this...

It's a pity that this happened with 'The Cloverfield Paradox'. The film series thus far had seemed to take advantage of the audience's familiarity with sci-fi horror tropes. Each installment in the past took an existing idea but presented it from another perspective. One that was wholly unique and gave you something you already knew, in an entirely new form.

'Cloverfield' is not just another a giant monster movie. It's a giant monster movie that sticks with regular people affected by an incredible disaster. You're not concerned with the military, or the government response any more than the average person ought to be in the situation. You become deeply invested in the characters and their survival. For all 2014's 'Godzilla' failed to present the lizard king as akin to a natural disaster, 'Cloverfield' made it seem effortless.

Lame.

The same goes for '10 Cloverfield Lane'. Remember in 'Independence Day', immediately after the destruction of the White House, there's a sense that the world has been completely lost? What if you could see a story where the characters ran with that idea, gave up hope, and burrowed underground. What would those people be like? That's '10 Cloverfield Lane', and it's an entirely more intelligent film than the ones it takes its cues from.

Ugh.

But with 'The Cloverfield Paradox', you aren't given a clever take on the space exploration movie, you're just given yet another space exploration movie. One that doesn't seem to know what its central plot point is. Throughout the movie, you will be witness to a series of strange and, extremely unsettling scenarios. They're inventive, and play on your feelings of uneasiness for things that ought to be one way, but aren't. The problem is, the movie moves so quickly from one scenario to the next, you quickly shake off that uneasiness, and sort of just sit in for the ride.

That's partially also due to the movie's tone. It feels like it should be darker than it is, but just the way the film is lit doesn't exactly convey that. It doesn't help that the characters never truly feel like they're affected by the things they see. When Steve Buscemi gets a bout of space dementia in Armaggedon, it's stupid. It comes out of nowhere and feels entirely unearned. To use it is a lazy way to convey tension and conflict within a character. I would've killed for someone to get space dementia in 'The Cloverfield Paradox'.

I think this movie broke me a little.

On the whole, 'The Cloverfield Paradox' is not a very good film. It is also not a very bad film. It is simply a movie that is. Things happen, and then they're moved on from. The visuals stick with you, but not at all because of the context the movie gives them. There's plenty of creativity in 'The Cloverfield Paradox', but not very much of it ties together.

Rating: Catch It On Cable

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37. Movie Money 04/02/2018

Movie gods, forgive me, for I have sinned.

Last week I reported that Jumanji January was over. That finally, the long and exhaustive run being had by 'Jumanji:Welcome to the Jungle'. A movie that was bested by a Star Wars movie, only to best it back after only 3 weeks. I assumed that finally, after being knocked off the #1 spot yet again, it would throw in the towel, celebrate its phenomenal run, and mosey on out the top 5. Oh movie gods, I have doubted your wisdom, for this week Jumanji is once again, the #1 movie of the week. It's made $11m this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $352.6m and $855.7m worldwide. What a run.

For the rest of the top 5, it's less impressive developments all around. At #2 we have last weeks big winner, 'The Maze Runner: The Death Cure' with $10.2m this weekend bringing its domestic total to $39m and a $182.6m worldwide. Not at all bad considering its $62m budget, but considering that the first two made almost double that amount, it's safe to say this is the last we'll see of The Maze Runner kids.

Beyond that the #3 spot went to 'Winchester' with a domestic and worldwide total of $9.2m. No word on its budget but considering horror movies rarely cost an arm and a leg, I doubt the film won't at least break even, despite harrowing reviews. #4 was maintained by 'The Greatest Showman' with $7.8m this weekend, making bank with a domestic total of  $137.3m and a worldwide total of $290.4m. Finally at #5, changing at the last minute is 'The Post'. This post previously belonged to 'Hostiles' which brought in $5.1m, but 'The Post' has reigned supreme by a hair with $5.2m.

That's the report for this week and here's the podcast:

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36. Movie Money (29/01/2018)

Jumanji January is finally over!

With new releases starting to trickle out like this week's 'The Maze Runner', perhaps the 2018 box office will finally be worth discussing. This week the #5 movie was none other than 'The Post', slipping down from its #4 spot, and earning a smooth $8.8m, bringing its domestic total to $58.5m, and worldwide it has brought in $83m. It's likely the film will finish with around $100m. #4 we have 'The Greatest Showman' taking a bump up this week from the #5 spot. The Hugh Jackman musical has made $9.5m this weekend and has amassed a staggering $126m domestically, and $259m worldwide. That's pretty impressive for a movie that had a disappointing opening of merely $15m.

At #3, we have 'Hostiles' rocketing into the top five from the #23 spot, thanks to its huge cinema expansion. The Christian Bale film brought in $10.2m and has a domestic total of $12m, just over a quarter of it's $40m budget. #2 is the top dog of the last month, 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle', bringing in $16.4m this weekend, with a domestic gross of $338m, and an even more impressive worldwide gross of $822m, on a budget of $90m. The film that took it down is 'Maze Runner: The Death Cure', the thrilling conclusion to the saga that started 4 years ago. The threequel made $23m on its opening weekend, about half of its $62m budget, but has more than recouped that, with a worldwide total of $105.5m.

That's the box office this week and if you'd like to hear Shawna and Damian discuss in more detail, you can listen below. We also discuss this year's Oscar nominees!

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'All The Money In The World' (2017) Review: Cut A Deal On This One

Half Price: A movie worth seeing, but get a deal on it before you do

What would you do if you had all the money in the world? That’s a question that for most people remains purely hypothetical, but in 1973 that was the reality of J Paul Getty. The film touts Mr. Getty’s wealth as being more than has ever been owned in human history when he lived. While that might not be empirically accurate it makes for a good tagline. Still, it’s more than enough to pay for the safe return of his kidnapped grandson. But when asked how much he would give up in order to see his grandson again he simply responds “nothing.”

And the reward for most gangsta MF of 2017 goes too...

That’s the events that kick off ‘All The Money In The World’, a story about the pitfalls of greed, wealth, and the importance of family. It’s also the film that was supposed to star Kevin Spacey, but now stars Christopher Plummer who reportedly filmed his scenes in a matter of 9 days. That changeover might be the best thing that could’ve happened for the film, as this is certainly Christopher Plummer’s show. The 88-year-old actor elevates the production with a complex and rewarding performance.

In fact, Plummer is so good, he puts his co-stars to shame. It’s not that Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams are bad. On the contrary, Williams' take on the frustrated mother of a kidnapped child is touching. Mark Wahlberg as the ex-CIA agent hired to find the boy is his least obnoxious performance in years. Everyone does their best in the movie, especially Charlie Plummer, Christopher Plummer’s real life grandson, who plays the character of John Paul Getty III. His skill comes in being sympathetic even though his first appearance on screen is the measured depiction of the most obnoxious rich ponce in existence. 

Normally I'm against using watermarked images but this seems too perfect. 

There’s plenty to love about ‘All The Money In The World’. It’s not a true story that makes you question its authenticity, however inauthentic it may be. The problem is, the movie is entirely too long. 40 minutes cut from the runtime could have made this the best movie of the year. As it stands, it’s still one of the best, but for the movie about getting the best deal you can, perhaps see it at a discount.

Rating: Half Price

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'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017) Review: Steady Your Pitchforks

After the end of ‘The Force Awakens’, it’s safe to say, the films are decidedly safe. Since its return, the franchise has remade one movie and made another as a tangential story add-on. So, walking into ‘The Last Jedi’, I was as underwhelmed as one can be for a ‘Star Wars’ film. That is to say, extremely excited, but not as excited as I should’ve been.

Thankfully, ‘The Last Jedi’ is exactly what should have always been. Picking up what feels like literal minutes after the last installment, ‘The Last Jedi’ is a righteous venture in well-paced adventure. The first 15 minutes of the film are not for the faint of heart, and it stands as perhaps the best opening to a Star Wars film yet. It only goes up from there, as ‘The Last Jedi’ combines what made the previous films so iconic, all the while feeling wholly unique.

Me looking at 'The Last Jedi' breaking all my preconceptions

The film is a testament to expert timing. For a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes, it never feel as though it drags. That’s not to say the film is your typical popcorn fare. There’s action to spare yes, but it’s not overblown. Rian Johnson has seemed to have taken note from last years ‘Rogue One’ and opted for a film that treats its sweeping epics as a backdrop, rather than the main focus.

The film is much more interested in its characters, their internal struggle, and of course, the force. Expect a lot of talk about the force. If you’ve never been a fan of the series’ ill-defined, mysterious plot device, ‘The Last Jedi’ is not the film for you. To that end, the film mostly succeeds at crafting an enjoyable narrative, but a few glaring moments keep it from feeling as tight as it could have been.

Just a few

There's a distinct theme of legacy in 'The Last Jedi'. Something a franchise this beloved is more than familiar with. While many will feel slighted by the way the film handles its rich and storied history, it's at the very least consistent. The beginning, middle, and end of 'The Last Jedi' all work towards bringing its core message through, loud and clear. By the end I felt a resounding understanding of the film, what it was trying to say, and how it made me feel. It was far more thoughtful than I'd anticipated.

The characters in the film are the avatars by which that main message is delivered. At the same time though, they're subject to subplots that have less effectual success. It's not to say that the individual character arcs are bad, but they are a bit obvious, and at times heavy handed. Still, it's a blessing that I never felt as though the movie felt unbalanced. In fact, with all that's going on in 'The Last Jedi', it's a wonder it's not falling apart at the seams.

It's almost as if a mystical presence is binding the film's elements together

I suppose there's something to be said for the way the cast sells the film. Of course, returning members like Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill are more than versed in their characters, but new cast members only improved from their last appearance. Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron is given more material than the last film, and the film is better for it. Oscar Isaac is not an asset to be wasted.

The light side all has players that do their jobs well. The dark side though, continues to feel like their in a completely different film.

Kylo Ren is far more sympathetic this time around, and seeing Adam Driver's face gives the audience more to go off of. The problem, if you can call it that, lies in Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux. His performance feels like his note was to always go bigger and louder. In a film that takes time to delve into characters, is light on action, and employs a healthy dose of nuance, it's incredibly jarring to see what feels like the id of your average neo nazi brought to life. Then again, the character is played mostly for laughs so, I suppose that's something.

Sometimes you're to take him seriously but...that's impossible.

‘The Last Jedi’ is a Star Wars film through and through. It has all the staples that have made the series great, but at the same time, it eradicates so many things holding it down. It’s by no means perfect, and at times, its plot suffers for the sake of character moments that feel unearned or needlessly convoluted. That said, the film is one of the best looking movies of the year, and crafts images never before seen in a ‘Star Wars’ film. I’d definitely recommend seeing it in the cinema.

Rating: Big Screen Watch

Here's a spoiler discussion I had with Shawna from Movie Money:

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35. Movie Money 18/12/2017

Well, it's finally here. The biggest film of the year. A a title previously yearned for by Justice Leagues, Furiously Fast cars, Beauties and Beasts. Some came closer than others, but none could match up to the might of a galaxy far far away. Yes the #1 film this weekend was 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi', bringing in a domestic opening of $220m, and a worldwide gross of $450m. A domestic open second only to its predecessor 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. While sequels typically do better than the film that came before it, 'Force Awakens' benefitted from being the return to franchise that had been dormant for 10 years, and a continuation of a story with over 30 years of anticipation behind it.

Not exactly news that this made bank.

There's no doubt that 'The Last Jedi' will make lots of money in the weeks to come, especially when its biggest competition is a sequel to Jumanji. With that said the rest of the top 5 demands discussion. #2 belongs to 'Ferdinand'. The friendly bull gained $13.4m domestically and has achieved a worldwide gross of $19.5m. Doesn't bode well for the film's $111m budget. #3 is 'Coco' dethroned from its top spot bringing in just under $10m with $9.4m, and bringing its domestic total to $150.7m, and its worldwide cume to $450.6m.

At #4 we have the wonder that is 'Wonder', bringing in $5.4m, and reaching $109.2m domestically, and $153.6m worldwide. Impressive. Lastly, there's the 'Justice League' which brought in $4.1m this weekend, with a domestic total of $219.4m and a worldwide gross of $635.9m. Unimpressive.

That's the report and here's the podcast discussion where Shawna and Damian discuss the top 5, the Disney/Fox deal, and Star Wars The Last Jedi.

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34. Movie Money 11/12/2017

For the past 3 weeks, the top 3 movies of the week have been the exact same. 'Coco' at number 1, 'Justice League' at number 2, and 'Wonder' at number 3. 'Thor: Ragnarok' has been at either 4 or 5, to round out the box office, with the odd companion every other week. All I'm saying is, it's a good thing next week has two big releases, so the box office gets shaken up a bit.

At number 5 we have 'Thor Ragnarok', possibly its last week in the top 5 winning $6.3m. It's had a phenomenal run and has surpassed $800m worldwide. It passed $300m this week domestically making 'Thor' one of the most successful movies of the year. At number 4 there's 'The Disaster Artist' which made an impressive $6.4m this weekend after getting a wider release. Thing is, on only 800 theatres, it's pretty phenomenal that the movie should get this kind of business.

At number 3, there's 'Wonder' which has made $8.4m this week, and has brought it's worldwide total to $120m, with a domestic total of $100m. 'Justice League' continues to underperform at $9.5m, and is almost certainly going to do less than its predeccesor 'Man of Steel', which made around $660m, wheras 'Justice League' has made $614m. Finally the number 1 movie is again 'Coco', with $18.3m this weekend, and a worldwide total of $389m. The top 3 films seem to have cornered the market on crying audiences. 'Wonder' for the crying moms, 'Coco' the rest of the family, and 'Justice League', Warner Bros. Executives.

That's the report this week and here's the podcast:

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'Murder On The Orient Express' Is A Classic Reborn. - (2017) Review

Half Price: A perfect movie to take your parents to.

For the second time in nearly 50 years, the Agatha Christie novel ‘Murder On The Orient Express’ has been adapted to film. The story follows the incomparable detective Hercule Poirot, and his impossibly huge moustache. Hercule finds himself aboard The Orient Express, a magnificent train packed to the brim with passengers from all over the world, travelling peacefully, until, in the dead of night, one of them meets an untimely end. Unfortunately for the killer, Hercule Poirot is probably the world’s greatest detective. (Sorry Batman).

He's used to being sad.

What follows is a simple whodunit, as the detective makes his rounds interrogating the various passengers. The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also plays the lead detective. He’s not the only notable cast member as the movie is filled with eye popping actors. Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer. ‘Murder On The Orient Express’ has a rather impressive ensemble, though it leaves something to be desired.

No one does a bad job per se, but no one was particularly impressive either. In fact, each of these actors have had better performances this year alone in different projects. The most engaging of the lot is Branagh himself as the eccentric but brilliant detective, whose obsessive compulsive disorder makes ordinary life unbearable, but solving crimes simple. The actors give you enough of their characters to play your own personal game of clue as the story unfolds, but they tend not to stick with you after the credits roll.

A veritable who's who of "Who's who?"

The best part of the film comes through its impressive direction. Branagh uses a handful of interesting and engaging shots that utilise the claustrophobic train setting to his advantage. You feel like an uninvited voyeur creeping through the corridors, catching a glimpse of various interrogations through a curtain or a window. If only this style wasn’t broken by a series of mostly unnecessary and incredibly dull exterior shots of the train running on its track. In case you weren't sure if that's what trains do I suppose. 

At the end of the day, ‘Murder On The Orient Express’ was a fine film. It’s incredibly well designed, and meticulously detailed in its production. There’s a sense that the intention was to make a film that you’d only see nowadays during the classic movie hour on cable television. I’d say that goal was met, and is best seen on a quiet afternoon, while one enjoys a good old fashioned murder mystery.

Rating: Half Price

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'Thor Ragnarok' Ragna-rocks! (Had to do it.) - (2017) Review

Big Screen Watch: An absolute pleasure to watch, great from start to finish!

After being mostly absent from the silver screen for the last two years, ‘Thor Ragnarok’ sees the return of the God of Thunder. Quite unlike we’ve seen him before. The movie opens up with the Norse God covered in chains, and describing a plot to protect his homeworld of Asgard. It should be simple work, but for the Goddess of Death, Hela. What follows is a galactic trek not dissimilar to one taken by the 'Guardians of the Galaxy', as Thor assembles his team, cutely named “The Revengers”

The most noteworthy member of that team is the Incredible Hulk. Yes that’s right, the movie may have Thor’s name on it, but there are more than a couple superheroes in this film. Thankfully, for everything that’s packed into ‘Thor Ragnarok’, the final product is a well-balanced ride. 

One that's fun, unlike in the case of a seesaw. 

Whereas most action adventure movies have a concrete story and pepper in a comic relief scene or two, this movie does the opposite. It’s a laugh fest from start to finish with a few scenes put in to establish a narrative. That’s not to say ‘Thor Ragnarok’ is hurting for substance. In fact, for all it’s non stop humour, I was particularly impressed with how invested I was in the story, even if the movie at times treats it as an afterthought.

As for the humour, 9 out of 10 times I would be upset. Upset that I was laughing so hard I couldn’t catch the next joke in the dialogue. ‘Thor Ragnarok’ never takes itself too seriously and begs you not to either. It’s perfectly comfortable embracing the more ridiculous elements of the franchise for what they are.

Hemsworth is probably glad he can dash a smile or six.

While that's the movie's greatest strength, it's also somewhat of a bummer. I left 'Thor Ragnarok' feeling delighted, and no doubt wanting to see it again, but part of me wished it wasn't the irreverent buddy comedy it is. In a franchise with 'Guardians of the Galaxy', 'Ant-Man', and now 'Spider-Man Homecoming', the MCU could do well with the overtly serious fantasy epic that the Thor films could have been. That's a film that was never quite realized, and thanks to 'Thor Ragnarok', it's likely to never be. The closest 'Thor Ragnarok' comes to giving you that film is to use that Shakespearean melodrama as a set up for a punchline. It's as if 'Thor Ragnarok' was written by Tony Stark himself.

As much as I might grumble to myself about missed opportunities of the last decade, I do appreciate 'Thor Ragnarok' daring to be different. Not just for the 'Thor Franchise' itself, but the film takes an unconventional approach to how films of this ilk typically play out. There's an A story, a B story, and then there are the multiple character arcs that need playing out. Many times the B story became the A story, and one character would seemingly be the main priority over everything else. That sounds like a confusing mess, but somehow, it works. 

Take it from kitten. Confusing mess is fun mess. 

What I absolutely, unequivocally loved in 'Thor Ragnarok', was the gorgeous set design. Of course, the line between a practical and digital environment blurred into obscurity ages ago, but the fact is, everything in 'Thor Ragnarok' has a distinct vision behind it. It's as if the characters stepped into an 80s arcade game designed by Jack Kirby. Funnily enough, for a movie that's embracing how ridiculous it is, its environments go a long way to making this world feel real. 

'Thor Ragnarok' also does right by its characters. In fact, the only thing that I would say the movie does wrong is that it spends too little time with each of them. They feel fully developed, and there's a balance here that rivals even a more complex ensemble like 'The Avengers'. It's only that the characters are so rich that I wanted to spend even more time with them after the credits rolled. Then again for a Marvel movie, that's not always out of the question.

After 10 years, people still walk out early. 

For what felt like the longest time, the character of ‘Thor’ was never truly defined. His best moments came from interactions with others, but a strong sense of who Thor was never truly came across. ‘Thor Ragnarok’ may have the Hulk, but it’s certainly Thor’s show, as Chris Hemsworth gets to show off his perfect comic timing, and delivers his best turn as Thor yet.

Rating: Big Screen Watch

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The Saw Franchise Tortures The Audience in 'Jigsaw' - (2017) Review

Read A Book: Nothing is worse than a stupid movie acting like it's smarter than you.

Years ago it was a Halloween tradition for a Saw movie in the cinema. Back in 2004, the series tried to change the slasher game. It put you in the minds of the victims and gave you a moral quandary or two along the way. You didn’t revel in the violence like a night at Crytal Lake. Over the years, the series moved so far away from that original germ of an idea, it became a whole different animal. Jigsaw’s rules became idiotic but were presented as profound.

Now, after all this time, Jigsaw returns in ‘Jigsaw’. The new film talks a lot about the legacy of the Jigsaw killer, the impact he left on the world after all this time. The symbolism between fans of the Saw films and fans of Jigsaw itself worked 10 years ago, but these days it feels like a fantasy land. Perhaps that’s the point since the movie is entirely populated with moments that defy what we know as reality.

Throw out everything. Physics, sociology, it's all irrelevant.

Everything from character interactions, physics, and even the movies brain dead psychology feel ingenuine. Typically in an idiotic horror movie, you can still enjoy yourself and ignore the more distracting fallacies. Not so here. Here if you’re distracted by the tv movie acting, you can’t exactly ignore it to focus on the nonsensical story. If a movie is the greater sum of its parts, ‘Jigsaw’ is a busted monster made up of garbage.

‘Jigsaw’ doesn’t even deliver on the basic necessities of the modern ‘Saw’ film. The kills are lame. Any moment of suspense feels like the movie tripped into it accidentally. It never even lasts long as you’re able to tell how something will end up 5 seconds after the situation presents itself. You know which character will do what, and why, and when, and how. ‘Jigsaw’ underestimates the intelligence of the audience, and thinks it’s serving up high-grade shock value. The only thing shocking in ‘Jigsaw’ is Tobin Bells landing strip soul patch.

It's even more unsettling on the big screen.

Blood and gore is mostly missing in this movie. It feels like someone wanted to make a PG-13 Saw movie, but couldn’t write dialogue without curse words, and just gave up. It feels sanitized, and not the fun gore fest you’d expect. I cringed once or twice at the sight of blood and winced here and there, but like a modern horror film uses a cheap jump scare, the kills and maiming in ‘Jigsaw’ feel underserved.

There’s a moment in ‘Jigsaw’ when the killer himself utters the words “The game is simple. The best ones are”. How true that remains for this series that started with chained up victims and a saw blade, and ended up with death machines to ostentatious for a Bond villain. The only good thing about ‘Jigsaw’ is it comes in at under 90 minutes. Another reason this should’ve gone straight to video. Not even Netflix, not even blu-ray, not even DVD. Video. VHS video. ‘Jigsaw’ is such a waste of time it belongs on a dead format.

Rating: Read A Book.  

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'Happy Death Day' The Perfect Halloween Treat - (2017) Review

Half Price: A really delightful horror movie. Fun, funny and light on the fright.

In 1993, there was a movie released called ‘Groundhog Day’. It starred Bill Murray, and was directed by Harold Ramis. It was about a weatherman who gets stuck repeating the same day over and over, waking up to the same song as each day restarts. Since then, a number have movies have adopted the classic’s premise for their own stories. They are the movies we refer to as “It’s like ‘Groundhog Day’ but”.

It's almost as if we're stuck watching the same movie over and over.

This year alone saw the release of ‘Before I Fall’, which applied the format to a high school melodrama, and 2014’s ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ borrowed the idea for a sci-fi backdrop. This time, the day goes on repeat for a young girl named Theresa (Tree for short), except she doesn’t just fall asleep and wake up in the next day. She has to die first.

‘Happy Death Day’ takes that plot device that worked so well over twenty years ago and put it in the middle of a slasher film. Whenever the day repeats, it’s like looking at the beginning of a different horror movie each time. That makes for some very fun moments as Tree tries to figure out who’s been killing her. Never has there been a montage so gruesome as the one that's seen here, but I'm certainly glad we've reached this point in society. From this moment on montages must be this intense. Literally, life or death. 

The next Creed is gonna be wicked.  

As these movies go, Tree is a very unlikable protagonist when the film starts. It’s what makes it so satisfying to watch her die over and over. While the first 20 or so minutes of the film are a little more than tedious, it’s the price you pay for a film that really picks up in the second half. After the leg work is put in, ‘Happy Death Day’ becomes a fun, mildly scary, horror movie.

It's a movie that you don't expect to be as good as it is, while also having moments of being exactly what you thought it would be. For every surprisingly emotional performance, there was the broad over the top charicature, shallower than my bank account. 'Happy Death Day' never gets too high off the ground, but it makes for a nice float among the clouds. Sometimes, that's just what you need on the scariest day of the year.

Imagine if the Jack o Lantern's smiled with you instead of at you :)

It’s a PG-13 horror movie, with an intriguing premise, hardly any blood and gore, and only runs for about an hour and a half. It’s the perfect film to see if you want a fun movie this Halloween that won’t give you nightmares. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommend seeing it in a dark cinema, with lots of people in it. 

Rating: Half Price

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