Golden Globe Predictions - Let's do it!

It's that time of year. The Golden Globe nominations arrive on Monday morning so it's time to throw caution to the wind and try and predict the ever unpredictable HFPA whims. I'm opting for double nods for both Scarlett Johannson (duh) and Shia Labeouf (whaaa?)

PICTURE DRAMA	PICTURE COMEDY/ MUSICAL
• 1917 • Ford V Ferrari • The Irishman • Little Women • Marriage Story Potential Spoilers: Decided to predict Ford V Ferrari because the Globes usually surprise somewhere but in actuality The Two Popes or Joker OR BOTH are safer bets.	• Cats • Jojo Rabbit • Knives Out • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood • Rocketman Potential Spoilers: Booksmart, Dolemite is My Name, Hustlers

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"The Two Popes" rising...

by Nathaniel R

"I have four more Oscars nominations than you. I've also won!"

Yours truly is still trying to get back into the swing of daily life after the always delightful Middleburg Film Festival. At the conclusion of the festival, the votes were counted and The Two Popes emerged as the Audience Award winner. You may recall that Green Book won that prize just last year before it went on to very leggy box office (final international tally $321.7 million on only a $23 million budget) and the Best Picture Oscar win.

The Two Popes is a less controversial crowd-pleaser and surely an Oscar nomination threat for two categories...

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Zombieland: Double Tap

by Michael Frank

Zombieland: Double Tap doesn’t waste time telling you that you’re watching a zombie movie. The Columbia Pictures logo comes to life, fighting off multiple would-be enemies, leading to a Deadpool-esque opening credits sequence. It’s not new by any means, but it reminds you why you like zombie movies in the first place: they’re fun as hell. 

The rest of the film follows its opening: an enjoyable movie-going experience with a lack of plot, a lack of originality, yet just enough movie stars, inside jokes, and heart to make it worthwhile. Double Tap follows our leads from a decade earlier, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), as they traverse the new-look world that’s still full of zombies. The actors themselves have aged nicely as well, with Harrelson, Eisenberg, Stone, and Breslin all maintaining prolific and award-winning careers. If anything, they’re more likeable than they were 10 years ago, an difficult feat for a cast to pull off. They bring their full arsenal of charisma to their roles in Double Tap, giving generous performances to a film that cares more about its world than its characters...

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Ten Years of "A Serious Man"

by new contributor Michael Frank

The Coen brothers have always been masters of crafting a world the audience vaguely understands, but has never experienced. They create characters that are utterly ridiculous, acutely specific, yet still relatable to the common audience member. After 10 years, their dark comedy A Serious Man holds up better than even they could have imagined. It’s a twisted laughfest that agonizes and tickles for a wildly enjoyable 100 minutes. 

A Serious Man isn’t a movie that I’ve rewatched time and time again. It’s one I’ve jumped in and out of over the last 10 years, seeing a snippet here, a snippet there. If you jump into any part of the film, the atmosphere is always the same. You’re quick to realize the plight of Larry Gopnik, and the rapid shrinking of his happiness...

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"I'm so sorry..."