Review: Wonder Woman 1984

By Lynn Lee

Heading into this strange winter holiday season, Wonder Woman 1984 faces a daunting double challenge even for one of the world’s most iconic superheroes.  First, as a movie, does it live up to the widely acclaimed first Wonder Woman?  Second, will its performance – by whatever metrics apply in COVID times – justify Warner Bros’ decision to release the movie simultaneously in theaters and on its newly controversial streaming platform HBOMax?

The jury’s still out on the second question, but the answer to the first, alas, is no.  Wonder Woman 1984 is a mess.  Despite that fact, it’s also surprisingly enjoyable, due to the charisma of its cast and residual goodwill from its 2017 predecessor.  But as the movie that may shape the future not only of the Wonder Woman franchise but of movies as we know them, it’s a worryingly slender reed to bear such pressure...

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Linkward

Gal Gadot and celebrity friends sing "Imagine" to us from their quarantines
AV Club the Olympic Flame has arrived in Tokyo... but how will the Olympics go on?
Criterion has announced its June titles - Portrait of a Lady on Fire, whoooo!
France 24 Cannes has finally made the announcement. The long running festival will not be cancelled but postponed. It will now begin at the end of June instead of mid-Ma 

After the jump including coronavirus dread at movie theaters, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, the fate of Pixar's Onward, and more...

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Beauty Break: Tuxes and Gowns from the Oscars

We'll get to the nine golden ones, the nominated actresses tomorrow. But for now. Let's talk about other gowns and tuxes from the 92nd Oscars. Which were your favourite looks? 

Timothée, Anthony, Billy, Rami, and Mahershala

While a few of the men continued to mix it up (the past few years have been much more daring in terms of the red carpet for men) mostly we were black to the classic black and white tuxes of yore. Not that men don't look great in those...

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Oscar Night's Top Five Presenters

by Camila Henriques

One of the challenges of a hostless Oscar ceremony is having a presenter list capable of holding the show together. For film fanatics even that isn't enough. We crave the legendary movie stars as presenters (fewer and fewer each year) and moments like Julie Andrews following Lady Gaga’s tribute to “The Sound of Music” back in 2015 or Olivia de Havilland introducing the Family Album back in 2003. Those two still give us chills. Unfortunately, the Academy Awards this year were lacking in the legendary star department. Nevertheless, the show had truly memorable bits, and a couple of future host possibilities that the Board of Governors should take note of. With that in mind, here’s a top 5 presenters/duos list for the 92nd Oscars:

Honorable mentions: Steve Martin and Chris Rock reminding us that hey, there’s still former hosts the Academy could call, Salma Hayek holding the best Oscar in the house (Oscar Isaac, that is), and Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves giving us Something’s Gotta Give nostalgia...

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Scarlett's Black Widow Dough and 2018's Highest Paid Actresses

I always find Forbes annual list of highest paid actresses suspect because when you dig into it you realize the huge sums aren't necessarily for acting but for being spokespersons for various products or fashion houses. Of course that requires the celebrity that comes from acting hence the fusion of commerce and art. With some mainstays of the list, like Jennifer Aniston who is on it every year, the money is largely for commercials with the films being commercials for her celebrity to keep the commercial endorsement business going. With others the money is largely the frequent hit films (Melissa McCarthy). Franchises definitely help: Cate Blanchett and Scarlett Johansson both made Marvel money this past year, Angelina Jolie's big number is her upfront pay for Maleficent 2, and Gal Gadot's is her sudden cash-in on her new celebrity from helping to make Wonder Woman such a massive global hit in 2017. 

The 2018 list goes like so...

1. Scarlett Johansson $40.5 million
2. Angelina Jolie $28 million
3. Jennifer Aniston $19.5 million
4. Jennifer Lawrence $18 million
5. Reese Witherspoon $16.5 million
6. Mila Kunis $16 million
7. Julia Roberts $13 million
8. Cate Blanchett $12.5 million
9. Melissa McCarthy $12 million
10. Gal Gadot $10 million (first time on the list)

On the list last year but didn't manage it this time: Emma Watson, Emma Stone, Amy Adams, and Charlize Theron.

If you controlled the world which 10 actresses would be showered with money for 2018?