2017 Oscar Predictions!

The 89th Academy Awards are just around the corner and on Sunday night, the Academy will reward some of the best films of the year on a glamorous stage. Like every year, many people are giving their thoughts and predictions for who will walk alway with some of Film's biggest prizes. For the second year running, my friends and I will be competing yet again to see who can get the most predictions right. Joining me again this year are Michael, Drew and last year's winner, Billy. We will be giving our picks on the main categories as we haven't seen the likes of the documentaries or short films. Now lets get onto the predictions!

We will be running through and talking briefly about thoughts considering some of the picks. We won't do this for every category but there will be a table at the end with the full list of our predictions.

Best Supporting Actor

Nominees: Lucas Hedges (Manchester By The Sea), Dev Patel (Lion), Jeff Bridges (Hell Or High Water), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

My Pick (Angus): Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Billy: Jeff Bridges (Hell Or High Water)

Drew: Lucas Hedges (Manchester By The Sea)

Michael: Dev Patel (Lion)

This category is the category I have most of a problem with. I was disappointed by the nominees in this list as I felt 2 of them should've been replaced with other actors in their respective films. I feel that Jeff Bridges and Michael Shannon should've been replaced by Ben Foster and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The performance that I enjoyed the most was Lucas Hedges in 'Manchester By The Sea' but my pick goes to Mahershala Ali considering his recent success at the SAG and Critic's Choice Awards. As you can see from the predictions, it is a fairly open race with all four of us choosing different actors from one another.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominees: Viola Davis (Fences), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Nicole Kidman (Lion), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Michelle Williams (Manchester By The Sea)

My Pick (Angus): Michelle Williams (Manchester By The Sea)

Billy: Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)

Drew: Viola Davis (Fences)

Michael: Viola Davis (Fences)

Again this was a very tough category to choose from as there was a great amount of talent on show. Octavia Spencer and Nicole Kidman were both great in their roles in their respective roles but for me, I felt that Viola Davis, Naomie Harris and Michelle Williams were just a level above them. For my decision, I let it come down to who was the most memorable and for me Michelle Williams stuck the most with me. The scene where she tries to patch things up with Casey Affleck is one of the best moments of the year and showcased her talent very well. Williams was fantastic throughout the whole film and is my choice for Best Supporting Actress.

Best Director

Nominees: Denis Villeneuve (Arrival), Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge), Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)

My Pick (Angus): Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Billy: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Drew: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Michael: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

As you can see, there seems to be a clear favourite within this category. Damien Chazelle should win the Oscar for Best Director as he created a marvellous and truly special film. The other directors in the category deserve to be in contention but Chazelle's work with 'La La Land' was above them. It is great to see Denis Villeneuve nominated for 'Arrival' nonetheless.

Best Actor

Nominees: Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea), Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Ryan Gosling (La La Land), Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic), Denzel Washington (Fences)

My Pick (Angus): Denzel Washington (Fences)

Billy: Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)

Drew: Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)

Michael: Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)

I would absolutely love it if Ryan Gosling were to win after he gave one of my favourite performances in 'La La Land'. However, I have no problem with any of these actors winning but there seems to be two frontrunners in the Best Actor race. I would have went with Casey Affleck but his chances of winning have went down since the Oscars have drawn closer. The last 12 winners of the SAG awards have gone onto win the Oscar the same year. Denzel Washington won the award this year which may indicate that he will pick up the Best Actor award on Sunday.

Best Actress

Nominees: Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Ruth Negga (Loving), Natalie Portman (Jackie), Emma Stone (La La Land), Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins)

My Pick (Angus): Emma Stone (La La Land)

Billy: Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Drew: Natalie Portman (Jackie)

Michael: Emma Stone (La La Land)

Again, this category seems to have two frontrunners with Natalie Portman and Emma Stone really standing out in this category. Amy Adams can feel hard done by as her exclusion is one of the biggest snubs, especially considering that Meryl Streep was nominated for 'Florence Foster Jenkins'. It is a close race but Emma Stone has been picking up awards along the way to the Oscars and I believe that the momentum is with her and that she will pick up the big prize.

Best Picture

Nominees: Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell Or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Lion, Manchester By The Sea, Moonlight

My Pick (Angus): La La Land

Billy: La La Land

Drew: La La Land

Michael: La La Land

First of all, there simply shouldn't be 9 nominees for a category, it should be kept to 5. Due to this, there are some films that have zero chance in winning this, despite being great in their own right. It's no surprise that we have all picked the frontrunner for Best Picture and I am glad to say that its my favourite out of all of the films in contention. 'La La Land' fully deserves the Best Picture award as I feel that it is the best film in the category.

The table below consists the rest of our predictions. For a full list of the nominees go to: http://oscar.go.com/news/nominations/oscar-nominations-2017-view-the-complete-list-of-nominees

Category	Angus	Billy	Drew	Michael
Best Picture	La La Land	La La Land	La La Land	La La Land
Best Actor	Denzel Washington (Fences)	Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)	Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)	Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea)
Best Actress	Emma Stone (La La Land)	Natalie Portman (Jackie)	Natalie Portman (Jackie)	Emma Stone (La La Land)
Best Supporting Actor	Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)	Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)	Lucas Hedges (Manchester By The Sea)	Dev Patel (Lion)
Best Supporting Actress	Michelle Williams (Manchester By The Sea)	Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)	Viola Davis (Fences)	Viola Davis (Fences)
Best Director	Damien Chazelle (La La Land)	Damien Chazelle (La La Land)	Damien Chazelle (La La Land)	Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Best Animated Movie	Kubo and The Two Strings	Kubo and the Two Strings	Kubo and the Two Strings	Zootopia
Best Cinematography	Bradford Young (Arrival)	Linus Sandgren (La La Land)	Bradford Young (Arrival)	Linus Sandgren (La La Land)
Best Costume Design	Mary Zophres (La La Land)	Madeline Fontaine (Jackie)	Mary Zophres (La La Land)	Madeline Fontaine (Jackie)
Best Film Editing	John Gilbert (Hacksaw Ridge)	Joe Walker (Arrival)	Jake Roberts (Hell or High Water)	Tom Cross (La La Land)
Best Makeup and Hairstyling	Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson (Suicide Squad)	Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson (Suicide Squad)	Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson (Suicide Squad)	Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson (Suicide Squad)
Best Music (Original Score)	Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)	Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)	Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)	Justin Hurwitz (La La Land)
Best Music (Original Song)	Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul: “City of Stars” (La La Land)	Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul: "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" (La La Land)	Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul: “City of Stars” (La La Land)	Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul: “City of Stars” (La La Land)
Best Production Design	Jess Gonchor and Nancy Haigh (Hail Caesar!)	David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (La La Land)	Patrice Vermette (Arrival)	David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (La La Land)
Best Visual Effects	Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones and Adam Valdez (The Jungle Book)	Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould (Doctor Strange)	Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould (Doctor Strange)	Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones and Adam Valdez  (The Jungle Book)
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)	August Wilson (Fences)	August Wilson (Fences)	Eric Heisserer (Arrival)	Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)	Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea)	Damien Chazelle (La La Land)	Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water)	Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea)

So who do you feel has made the best predictions and is most likely to get the most correct? I’d also like to hear or you think will win at this years Oscars and also, who you feel was snubbed this year! Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my blog, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

'John Wick: Chapter 2' Review

After carrying out brutal vengeance, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns to the quiet life of retirement until Italian gangster Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) shows up at his home. D'Antonio wants Wick to return favours from the past and take out a target for him. Wick reluctantly obliges and becomes a target in the assassin world for a large sum of money. 

Keanu Reeves looked to have finally escaped that typecast character he had been associated with ever since 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' with 2014's 'John Wick'. Three years later, Reeves is back alongside director and former stunt double Chad Stahelski to try and recreate the success of the first film in the series. The combination proved dividend as 'Chapter 2' can stand up next to the best action sequels of all time.

One of the main aspects that gained the first 'John Wick' a lot of praise is simply for how it filmed its action. The decision to focus more on stunts and choreography using wide angles was very successful in a time where fast cuts and shaky cam were dominating the action genre. Strangely, the film's main praise was that it simply showed you what was happening in the action which you would think was common sense. Instead, Stahelski put other action filmmakers to shame and he continues to do so in 'Chapter 2'. The films biggest strength yet again is the action work created between Stahelski, Reeves and countless stunt doubles and extras. The use of martial arts alongside weaponry is used to perfection, bringing sleek, stylistic, unique action to a genre where it is hard to continue to do something fresh. In ways that the 'Bourne' films inspired new techniques of action filmmaking, we can only hope that the 'John Wick' series has had the same effect.

What 'Chapter 2' succeeds well with is not create a complete carbon copy of the first film. It's been made pretty clear what the driving forces behind the first film were and with the trailers, many thought the same setup would've happened. However, the film continues to build upon the assassin world and with this, it brings a new story whilst still connected to the first film. There are enough new elements in this film that make it able to stand alone, unlike many others that really rely on what has happened in previous films. Stahelski's experience in the genre seems to have left a mark on him as he has seen first hand what can happen with action sequels. Thankfully, he learns from the mistakes others have made in the past and makes sure that he doesn't add to the list of awful sequels. 

What helps the film succeed is that the assassin underworld is very deep and interesting, leaving wanting you to see and learn more about it. Taking place alongside the present day, the world building is exceptional as Stahelski builds upon the Continental hotel with further services and ways that the assassins blend into everyday life. The settings in the film are perfectly suited to the film, creating magnificent looking areas to showcase the incredible action. The first film showcased a beautiful nightclub scene and 'Chapter 2' looks to match with some incredible scenes, including with the cleverly and masterfully down room of mirrors scene.

The tempo is kept fast paced for the most part with the final act delivering all across the board. The start of the film also establishes Wick exacting the final moments of his revenge, bringing the satisfying action early on. Between these points is where a lot more of the establishing of the story takes place which does slow the film down. This aspect is fine but the characters that we meet aren't overall improvements on the previous film. Ruby Rose' deaf character does bring something new and interesting to the story but the main villain D'Antonio isn't as great as Michael Nyqvist or even Alfie Allen's characters. There isn't as much hatred for these villains which just goes to show that there is no bigger crime in Film than killing a dog.


'John Wick: Chapter 2' is exactly what an action sequel should be like. If you're a fan of the genre then this is one that you should most definitely check out. Reeves is excellent as the titular character yet again but a whole lot of credit has to go to director Chad Stahelski. Stahelski puts most directors to shame and has a set a standard of action that everyone else has to match in this year of big money, action blockbusters.


Final Verdict = 

So have you seen 'John Wick: Chapter 2'? If so, what did you think of the film? I hope that this review was useful for if you were planning on seeing the film or not. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

'The Space Between Us' Review

A mission that aims to create a human civilisation is underway with one of the astronauts giving birth to the first Martian shortly after arriving.  Unfortunately, the mother dies leaving a child without family on a different planet. Gardner (Asa Butterfield) is kept a secret from Earth to avoid backlash from the public. At 16 years old, the decision to bring Gardner to Earth is made as he becomes close to a girl Tulsa (Britt Robertson) via video and text chat. After it becomes clear that Gardner may be sent back to Mars due to health reasons, he runs away to find Tulsa in hope to help find his father and where he belongs in the world.

The tale of a person coming to Earth for the first time is an interesting idea as there are many things to explore and interact with that you wouldn't get with usual extraterrestrials. You don't have to waste any time with hiding the character new to Earth or developing communication. The concept itself is very solid, yet 'The Space Between Us' cannot back that up.

Director Peter Chelsom brings us one of the strangest films this year despite having a decent story behind it with 'The Space Between Us'. The film is unmistakably a romance with sci-fi elements within it, yet it is pretty hard to figure out who this film is aimed toward. With its romance elements, the film could've easily looked to have targeted a more female-dominated demographic, making this a complete rom-com. However, the film focuses mainly on Asa Butterfield's character Gardner and the romance aspects are a fairly small part of the film. The film also combines sci-fi elements but again, not a lot to make the film a definitive sci-fi movie. Amongst these elements are comedy moments, some action scenes and some deep drama. The biggest problem with 'The Space Between Us' is that it fails to combine everything smoothly making the film very tonally inconsistent. The film never commits fully to any of its aspects making some unintentionally hilarious moments due to moments feeling so out of place. This is most evident with the incredibly hilarious action scene featuring a plane crash which really came out of nowhere. Due to moments like these, it's hard to take the film seriously which it desperately needs you to especially as it reaches the end of the film.

Despite this, there is a charm to 'The Space Between Us' that stops it from being an unbearable film. There are doses of quality with some clever jokes, good performances and the basic story is an intriguing one. There is a good film within this concept, it's just that all of the pieces weren't necessarily right for this film. Asa Butterfield leads this film as he continues to build his name and credibility and he doesn't do himself any harm in this film. Butterfield does well reacting and playing off seeing Earth for the first time. The biggest problem is ultimately the script which jumps between moods too quickly, making the character seem foolish and very odd but not in a good way. Britt Robertson also is victim to the script as she plays very little part in the first hour of the film, only showing up a handful of times. Her character's background is very sceptical too as it brings up a trope of someone being unliked for seemingly no reason when in reality, they'd probably be the most popular person. Despite this, the character does progress well showing a troubled side throughout the film, showcasing trust issues despite wanting to get attached. Robertson's character Tulsa is a great example of the film's failings, there are moments that are well done but after that, there are a couple of bewildering moments.


Ultimately, there are things to enjoy about 'The Space Between Us'. There is an odd charm to it but there is no denying that the film has some terrible elements within it. This by no means is a good movie but it's most definitely not the worst. There is a good movie that could be made around this idea but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for 'The Space Between Us'.

Final Verdict = 

So have you seen 'The Space Between Us'? If so, what did you think of the film? I hope that this review was useful for if you were planning on seeing the movie or not. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

'Resident Evil: The Final Chapter' Review

The T-virus that was unleashed by the evil Umbrella Company has spread all over the world, infecting everything that it touches. Former Umbrella employee and now rogue warrior Alice (Mila Jovovich) continues to do whatever she can to take down the corporation for good. With a handful of survivors to help her, Alice will go into a final battle at the depths of Raccoon City.

'Resident Evil 7: Biohazard' has recently just been released on many gaming platforms. The survival-horror game has been met with good reviews with the likes of IGN and Gamespot giving the game a fair amount of praise. The horror elements have been praised for a tense atmosphere providing a great experience for the player. With a new movie being released simultaneously, you'd hope that the quality of the latest game would transfer into the film. Unfortunately for us film fans, 'Resident Evil: The Final Chapter' has brought us one of the worst movies of the year. If you are a fan of terribly filmed action or lazy, predictable horror movies, then you will love the latest 'Resident Evil' film. If there has ever been such an atrocity to two film genres at once, it is this film.

'The Final Chapter' starts off with a recap of the previous films, much like 'Underworld: Blood Wars' did earlier this year. This gives you a chance to remember all the terrible moments in the previous films before you get to experience a whole new level of terrible. And you don't have to wait too long as Mila Jovovich bursts onto the screen, allowing the final chapter to begin. The first scene features a giant winged creature screeching ever so loudly as it looks to feast upon Alice. The scene is completely ridiculous as Alice faces off with the monster in the only way she can, with a huge vehicle. The action, as a must with all bad action movies, is jumpy and hard to look at without getting a headache. This only is a taster as it gets worse as the film progresses. In a month where a film like 'John Wick 2' is being released - a film that will show you what is happening - 'Resident Evil' provides a contrast showing exactly what an action movie should not do. The action takes inspiration from the likes of 'Tak3n' where it tries to fit as many cuts as possible into a single moment of action. Due to this, it feels as if you are constantly being blasted by different images as you can't make out what is actually happening in the scene. This, unfortunately, makes the film insufferable as it doesn't let down throughout the whole movie. If you can't see what is going on and the action is a very large part of the film, you cannot expect it to be a pleasant experience. This filmmaking is lazy, unbearable, headache inducing and most importantly, lacking any sort of quality.

I guess that it isn't surprising to see that the laziness from the action was carried on throughout the horror elements of the film too. In horror, there are tropes that make you roll your eyes such as jump scares, fake scares, loud noises for scares and fake deaths. Guess what? This film has each and every single one of them and is all that they use throughout the film. This becomes so predictable as you know all of the film's tricks and can see exactly what is going to happen. There are so many moments when the music starts to slowly disappear and then a few seconds later there is a huge noise in the films attempt to try and scare you. Sometimes there isn't even anything happening, it's a just a noise from far away which makes it even less worthwhile. The first time it happens you hope that's it but the film beats this trope to death and it never gets any more effective. It's incredible to think that Paul W.S. Anderson has been making these kinds of films for two decades and still isn't able to shoot competent horror or action.

And what Anderson shows a lack of quality in directing, he matches in screenwriting, providing a terrible screenplay for this film. The dialogue for one is laughably bad, there are plenty of moments that will have you chuckling and even laughing out loud at how bad they are. As far as the story goes, it is clearly just being made up as the film goes on. The story does whatever is necessary to keep characters showing up or try to swerve the audience especially with its ending. What doesn't help the film is that the film takes itself a bit too serious at times which is completely out of tone compared to the ridiculous events that are going on. It's expectant that a film series like this would be running out of ideas at its sixth film and with Anderson on board, its no surprise that there is a lack of creativity. Thankfully, this is apparently the last film of the series, although the ending of the film does not suggest that entirely.

'The Final Chapter' sends the 'Resident Evil' franchise out with a whimper as this tragic franchise seems to have lived its final life. Hopefully, we won't be seeing this franchise for a while and hopefully without Anderson being linked to the franchise at all. You won't see a more poorly shot or edited film this year, making 'The Final Chapter' one of the worst and most unbearable films of recent times.

Final Verdict =

So have you seen 'Resident Evil: The Final Chapter'? If so, what did you think of the film? I hope that this review was useful for if you were planning on seeing this film, I recommend that you stay far away from this one. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor