CBS’s Evil continues its first season with episode 12, “Justice x 2” (formerly titled “100 Days”). Season one episode 12 was directed by Rob Hardy from a script by Dewayne Darian Jones and will air on Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT.
“Justice x 12” guest stars include Darren Pettie, Brooke Bloom, Marti Matulis, Kristen Connolly, and Dan Bittner. Emayatzy Corinealdi, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Jordana Spiro, Jayne Houdyshell, Michael Hayden, Teal Wicks, and Derek Gaines also guest star in episode 12.
Evil season one stars Katja Herbers (Westworld, The Leftovers) as Kristen Bouchard, Mike Colter (Luke Cage, The Good Wife) as David Acosta, Christine Lahti as Sheryl Luria, Aasif Mandvi (Blue Bloods, A Series of Unfortunate Events) as Ben Shakir, Michael Emerson (Person of Interest, Lost) as Leland Townsend, and Kurt Fuller is Dr. Boggs. Brooklyn Shuck (Rise, I Shudder) plays Lynn Bouchard, Skylar Gray (Me, Myself and I) is Lila Bouchard, Maddy Crocco is Lexis Bouchard, and Dalya Knapp plays Laura Bouchard.
Peter Scolari and Patrick Brammall are season one recurring guest stars as Bishop Thomas Marx and Andy Bouchard, respectively.
“Justice x 2” Plot – As Leland assists convicted serial killer Orson Leroux with having his conviction overturned, Kristen is called into court to testify while her daughter, Laura, undergoes emergency heart surgery. Also, while paying a visit to a woman in need of spiritual advice, David fears for his safety after witnessing her evil instincts firsthand.
The Season 1 Plot, Courtesy of CBS:
“Evil is a psychological mystery that examines the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion. The series focuses on a skeptical female psychologist who joins a priest-in-training and a carpenter as they investigate the Church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries, including supposed miracles, demonic possessions and hauntings. Their job is to assess if there’s a logical explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work.”
Brad Pitt stars in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ (Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures)
The 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards mudded the Oscar picture a bit. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood took home the Best Picture and Original Screenplay awards, while Sam Mendes and Bong Joon Ho tied for Best Director for 1917 and Parasite, respectively.
Overall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood earned four awards, 1917 picked up three, and Joker, Dolemite is My Name, Avengers: Endgame, and Parasite each won two.
On the television side, Succession and Fleabag scored top honors as Best Drama and Best Comedy of 2019.
Hosted by Taye Diggs and voted on by the Critics Choice Association (of which I’m a member), the 25th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards were held on Sunday, January 12, 2020 and aired live on the East Coast on The CW Network (tape-delayed on the West Coast).
25TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS NOMINEES AND WINNERS – FILM
BEST PICTURE
1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story WINNER: Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite
Uncut Gems
BEST ACTOR
Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
Robert De Niro – The Irishman
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name WINNER: Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems
BEST ACTRESS
Awkwafina – The Farewell
Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o – Us
Saoirse Ronan – Little Women
Charlize Theron – Bombshell WINNER: Renée Zellweger – Judy
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman WINNER: Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS WINNER: Laura Dern – Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
Florence Pugh – Little Women
Margot Robbie – Bombshell
Zhao Shuzhen – The Farewell
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Julia Butters – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood WINNER: Roman Griffin Davis – Jojo Rabbit
Noah Jupe – Honey Boy
Thomasin McKenzie – Jojo Rabbit
Shahadi Wright Joseph – Us
Archie Yates – Jojo Rabbit
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Bombshell WINNER: The Irishman
Knives Out
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite
BEST DIRECTOR
Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
Greta Gerwig – Little Women TIE – WINNER: Bong Joon Ho – Parasite TIE – WINNER: Sam Mendes – 1917
Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie – Uncut Gems
Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
Rian Johnson – Knives Out
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won – Parasite WINNER: Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Lulu Wang – The Farewell
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY WINNER: Greta Gerwig – Little Women
Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony McCarten – The Two Popes
Todd Phillips & Scott Silver – Joker
Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit
Steven Zaillian – The Irishman
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jarin Blaschke – The Lighthouse WINNER: Roger Deakins – 1917
Phedon Papamichael – Ford v Ferrari
Rodrigo Prieto – The Irishman
Robert Richardson – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Lawrence Sher – Joker
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mark Friedberg, Kris Moran – Joker
Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales – 1917
Jess Gonchor, Claire Kaufman – Little Women
Lee Ha Jun – Parasite WINNER: Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Bob Shaw, Regina Graves – The Irishman
Donal Woods, Gina Cromwell – Downton Abbey
BEST EDITING
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie – Uncut Gems
Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker – Ford v Ferrari
Yang Jinmo – Parasite
Fred Raskin – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Thelma Schoonmaker – The Irishman WINNER: Lee Smith – 1917
BEST COSTUME DESIGN WINNER: Ruth E. Carter – Dolemite Is My Name
Julian Day – Rocketman
Jacqueline Durran – Little Women
Arianne Phillips – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson – The Irishman
Anna Robbins – Downton Abbey
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP WINNER: Bombshell
Dolemite Is My Name
The Irishman
Joker
Judy
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Rocketman
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1917
Ad Astra
The Aeronauts WINNER: Avengers: Endgame
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
The Lion King
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Abominable
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Missing Link WINNER: Toy Story 4
BEST ACTION MOVIE
1917 WINNER: Avengers: Endgame
Ford v Ferrari
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Spider-Man: Far From Home
BEST COMEDY
Booksmart WINNER: Dolemite Is My Name
The Farewell
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out
BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE
Ad Astra
Avengers: Endgame
Midsommar WINNER: Us
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Atlantics
Les Misérables
Pain and Glory WINNER: Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
BEST SONG TIE – WINNER: Glasgow (No Place Like Home) – Wild Rose TIE – WINNER: (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again – Rocketman
I’m Standing With You – Breakthrough
Into the Unknown – Frozen II
Speechless – Aladdin
Spirit – The Lion King
Stand Up – Harriet
BEST SCORE
Michael Abels – Us
Alexandre Desplat – Little Women WINNER: Hildur Guðnadóttir – Joker
Randy Newman – Marriage Story
Thomas Newman – 1917
Robbie Robertson – The Irishman
25TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS NOMINEES & WINNERS – TELEVISION
BEST DRAMA SERIES
The Crown (Netflix)
David Makes Man (OWN)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Pose (FX) WINNER: Succession (HBO)
This Is Us (NBC)
Watchmen (HBO)
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Mike Colter – Evil (CBS)
Paul Giamatti – Billions (Showtime)
Kit Harington – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Freddie Highmore – The Good Doctor (ABC)
Tobias Menzies – The Crown (Netflix)
Billy Porter – Pose (FX) WINNER: Jeremy Strong – Succession (HBO)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Olivia Colman – The Crown (Netflix)
Jodie Comer – Killing Eve (BBC America)
Nicole Kidman – Big Little Lies (HBO) WINNER: Regina King – Watchmen (HBO)
Mj Rodriguez – Pose (FX)
Sarah Snook – Succession (HBO)
Zendaya – Euphoria (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Asante Blackk – This Is Us (NBC) WINNER: Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple)
Asia Kate Dillon – Billions (Showtime)
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Tim Blake Nelson – Watchmen (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Helena Bonham Carter – The Crown (Netflix)
Gwendoline Christie – Game of Thrones (HBO)
Laura Dern – Big Little Lies (HBO)
Audra McDonald – The Good Fight (CBS All Access) WINNER: Jean Smart – Watchmen (HBO)
Meryl Streep – Big Little Lies (HBO)
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Barry (HBO) WINNER: Fleabag (Amazon)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Mom (CBS)
One Day at a Time (Netflix)
PEN15 (Hulu)
Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ted Danson – The Good Place (NBC)
Walton Goggins – The Unicorn (CBS) WINNER: Bill Hader – Barry (HBO)
Eugene Levy – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Paul Rudd – Living with Yourself (Netflix)
Bashir Salahuddin – Sherman’s Showcase (IFC)
Ramy Youssef – Ramy (Hulu)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate – Dead to Me (Netflix)
Alison Brie – GLOW (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Kirsten Dunst – On Becoming a God in Central Florida (Showtime)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep (HBO)
Catherine O’Hara – Schitt’s Creek (Pop) WINNER: Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Amazon)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Anthony Carrigan – Barry (HBO)
William Jackson Harper – The Good Place (NBC)
Daniel Levy – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Nico Santos – Superstore (NBC) WINNER: Andrew Scott – Fleabag (Amazon)
Henry Winkler – Barry (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES WINNER: Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
D’Arcy Carden – The Good Place (NBC)
Sian Clifford – Fleabag (Amazon)
Betty Gilpin – GLOW (Netflix)
Rita Moreno – One Day at a Time (Netflix)
Annie Murphy – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Molly Shannon – The Other Two (Comedy Central)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Catch-22 (Hulu)
Chernobyl (HBO)
Fosse/Verdon (FX)
The Loudest Voice (Showtime)
Unbelievable (Netflix) WINNER: When They See Us (Netflix)
Years and Years (HBO)
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Brexit (HBO)
Deadwood: The Movie (HBO) WINNER: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix)
Guava Island (Amazon)
Native Son (HBO)
Patsy & Loretta (Lifetime)
BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Christopher Abbott – Catch-22 (Hulu)
Mahershala Ali – True Detective (HBO)
Russell Crowe – The Loudest Voice (Showtime)
Jared Harris – Chernobyl (HBO) WINNER: Jharrel Jerome – When They See Us (Netflix)
Sam Rockwell – Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Noah Wyle – The Red Line (CBS)
BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kaitlyn Dever – Unbelievable (Netflix)
Anne Hathaway – Modern Love (Amazon)
Megan Hilty – Patsy & Loretta (Lifetime)
Joey King – The Act (Hulu)
Jessie Mueller – Patsy & Loretta (Lifetime)
Merritt Wever – Unbelievable (Netflix) WINNER: Michelle Williams – Fosse/Verdon (FX)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Asante Blackk – When They See Us (Netflix)
George Clooney – Catch-22 (Hulu)
John Leguizamo – When They See Us (Netflix)
Dev Patel – Modern Love (Amazon)
Jesse Plemons – El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix) WINNER: Stellan Skarsgård – Chernobyl (HBO)
Russell Tovey – Years and Years (HBO)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Patricia Arquette – The Act (Hulu)
Marsha Stephanie Blake – When They See Us (Netflix) WINNER: Toni Collette – Unbelievable (Netflix)
Niecy Nash – When They See Us (Netflix)
Margaret Qualley – Fosse/Verdon (FX)
Emma Thompson – Years and Years (HBO)
Emily Watson – Chernobyl (HBO)
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Big Mouth (Netflix) WINNER: BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix)
The Simpsons (Fox)
Undone (Amazon)
BEST TALK SHOW
Desus & Mero (Showtime)
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)
The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBC)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) TIE – WINNER: The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS) TIE – WINNER: Late Night with Seth Meyers (NBC)
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL
Amy Schumer: Growing (Netflix)
Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (Netflix) WINNER: Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons (ABC)
Ramy Youssef: Feelings (HBO)
Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby (Netflix)
Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia (Netflix)
Wanda Sykes: Not Normal (Netflix)
Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe and Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in ‘New Amsterdam’ season 2 episode 9 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
NBC’s so pleased with their popular medical drama New Amsterdam that they’ve given the show an extended renewal order. The network just announced New Amsterdam was renewed for three more seasons, ensuring fans will be able to watch the hit primetime drama through the 2022-2023 season.
According to the network, New Amsterdam is currently averaging 9.8 million viewers through season two episode nine.
The season two cast includes Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe, Janet Montgomery as Dr. Lauren Bloom, Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds, Anupam Kher as Dr. Vijay Kapoor, and Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome.
The medical drama is produced by Universal Television, Pico Creek Productions, and Mount Moriah. David Schulner, Peter Horton, Michael Slovis, and David Foster serve as executive producers.
Freema Agyeman took to Twitter to express her gratitude to the fans for tuning in. “NOT 1 MORE, NOT 2 MORE, BUT 3 MORE SEASONS????!!!!???!! BLIMEY!!! CONGRATS @nbcnewamsterdam TEAM!!! So proud & pleased! Incredible news! Thank you @NBC!!! And THANK YOU to all who are watching and keeping us in employment!! Big love!!”
The Series Plot:
“Inspired by the oldest public hospital in America, this unique medical drama follows the brilliant and charming Dr. Max Goodwin, the institution’s newest medical director who sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care. How can he help? Well, the doctors and staff have heard this before.
Not taking ‘no’ for an answer, Dr. Goodwin must disrupt the status quo and prove he will stop at nothing to breathe new life into this understaffed, underfunded and underappreciated hospital — the only one in the world capable of treating Ebola patients, prisoners from Rikers and the President of the United States under one roof — and return it to the glory that put it on the map.”
The CW’s Legacies returns from its winter break with season two episode nine, “I Couldn’t Have Done This Without You.” Directed by Carl Seaton from a script by Thomas Brandon and Hannah Rosner, episode nine airs January 16, 2020.
Legacies stars Danielle Rose Russell as Hope Mikaelson, Jenny Boyd as Lizzie Saltzman, Kaylee Bryant as Josie Saltzman, and Quincy Fouse as MG. Aria Shahghasemi is Landon Kirby, Peyton Alex Smith is Rafael Waithe, and Matt Davis is Alaric Saltzman.
The “I Couldn’t Have Done This Without You” Plot – THE RETURN OF THE NECROMANCER — Back and ready to wreak havoc, The Necromancer (guest star Ben Geurens) sets his plan for revenge in motion. To mend fences with Josie (Kaylee Bryant), Hope (Danielle Rose Russell) offers to help her learn more about the mora miserium. Elsewhere, Alaric (Davis) enlists Landon’s (Aria Shahghasemi) help to find out if Sebastian (guest star Thomas Doherty) is a threat to the school.
The Season 2 Plot:
Last season, viewers were thrilled to tap into a whole new passion for The Vampire Diaries / The Originals universe, when the third installment in the franchise launched with Legacies. Set in the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted, Legacies told the story of the next generation of supernatural beings as they learn what it means to be special in a world that may never understand. Typically a school for vampires like MG (Fouse), werewolves like Rafael (Smith) and witches like twins Lizzie (Boyd) and Josie Saltzman (Bryant), the kids and their beloved headmaster Dr. Alaric Saltzman (Davis) were stunned to come face to face with a series of monster and creatures they had only ever heard of in myth and lore. A dragon. A gargoyle. The Headless Horseman.
The evil behind the real-life resurrection of these formerly fictional beings proved to have a horrifying connection to the school’s newest student, Landon Kirby (Shahghasemi). This led his first and only love, Hope Mikaelson (Russell), the school’s shining star, to sacrifice her place at the school — and in the world — to protect Landon from a terrible fate.
Season two will show us a world without Hope Mikaelson and all the chaos that goes along with it. All the while, Hope will be trying to find her way back to the school she has learned to call home and the friends she has learned to love like family. It will be filled with new monsters and more romantic and emotional surprises than ever.
The Critics Choice Association (of which I’m a proud member) revealed the star-studded lineup of presenters for the 25th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards. Kate Beckinsale, Alison Brie, Kelly Clarkson, Brian Cox, Adam Devine, Sara Gilbert, Walton Goggins, and Lucy Hale are confirmed to take the stage during the awards show.
Chris Hardwick, Anne Hathaway, Sam Heughan, Nick Kroll, Eugene Levy, John Lithgow, Sebastian Maniscalco, Caleb McLaughlin, Kennedy McMann, Seth Meyers, Ashleigh Murray, Niecy Nash, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, Lupita Nyong’o, Catherine O’Hara, Edi Patterson, Tom Payne, Michael Sheen, JB Smoove, Bradley Whitford, and Scott Wolf are also set to present during the Critics’ Choice Awards honoring the best in television and films of 2019.
Eddie Murphy will be receiving this year’s Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award from Keegan-Michael Key. Kristen Bell’s The Good Place co-star Ted Danson will present her with the special #SeeHer Award.
Taye Diggs (All American) is hosting the awards show for the second consecutive year. The show will be broadcast live on the East Coast, and taped delayed on the West Coast, beginning at 7pm on January 12, 2020 on The CW Network.
For those looking for an insight into the 2020 Oscars, the CCA reports the Critics’ Choice Awards have historically been the “most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.”
The 25th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards are produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. The awards are voted on by members of the CCA (formerly known as the Broadcast Television Journalists Association and the Broadcast Film Critics Association) which is made up of 400 television, radio, and online critics.
The CW’s Riverdale will return after a six week winter break with season four episode 10, “Varsity Blues.” Episode 10 was directed by Roxanne Benjamin from a script by Aaron Allen and will air January 22, 2020 at 8pm ET/PT.
The season four cast is led by KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones. Madelaine Petsch is Cheryl Blossom, Marisol Nichols is Hermione Lodge, Mӓdchen Amick is Alice Cooper, Ashleigh Murray is Josie McCoy, Casey Cott is Kevin Keller, Mark Consuelos is Hiram Lodge, Skeet Ulrich is FP Jones, Charles Melton is Reggie Mantle, and Vanessa Morgan plays Toni Topaz.
“Chapter Sixty-Seven: Varsity Blues” Plot – SPIRIT WEEK — As Riverdale High prepares for the championship football game against Stonewall Prep, Betty (Reinhart) gets to work on a story about the rivalry between the schools. Archie (Apa) is conflicted when Mary (guest star Molly Ringwald) tells him about Uncle Frank’s (guest star Ryan Robbins) troubled past. Cheryl (Petsch) goes head to head with Ms. Appleyard (guest star Emily Tennant), the school’s new cheerleading coach, and Veronica (Mendes) hits a roadblock with her latest Luna Rum recipe.
Finally, Jughead (Sprouse) is forced to pick a side after the perks of attending Stonewall Prep begin to interfere with his personal life.
So-dam Park and Woo-sik Choi in ‘Parasite’ (Courtesy of NEON CJ Entertainment)
Winners of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists* EDA Awards have been announced and the riveting comedy/drama/thriller Parasite emerged as the big winner. Parasite not only earned the Best Film award, it also won for Best Director (Bong Joon-ho), Best Original Screenplay (Bong Joon-ho), and Best Non-English Language Film.
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists’ annual list of awards includes specific categories to recognize and call attention to the achievements of women in front of and behind the camera. Unlike the majority of year-end awards, the EDA Awards also calls out some of the year’s missteps in feature films.
AWFJ Best of Awards – These awards are presented to women and/or men without gender consideration.
Best Film
PARASITE
Best Director
Bong Joon-ho, PARASITE
Best Screenplay, Original
PARASITE, Bong Joon-ho
Best Screenplay, Adapted
LITTLE WOMEN, Greta Gerwig
“Your orders are to deliver a message calling off tomorrow morning’s attack. If you fail, it will be a massacre,” says General Erinmore (Colin Firth) to two British soldiers on the front during WWI in the dramatic action thriller, 1917.
During the height of battle in WWI, Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman, Game of Thrones‘ House Lannister) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) are given what seems to be an impossible mission: travel alone, deep into enemy territory, to deliver a message to stop 1,600 men from being slaughtered in an attack that’s actually a trap set by the Germans to wipe them out. Corporal Blake has an even deeper reason to care about saving the men from being sent to their deaths; one of the men who could be killed is his brother (played by Richard Madden, Game of Thrones‘ House Stark).
Racing against time, the two soldiers make their way across deserted battlefields and towns trying their best to survive the journey and stop the attack in time to save thousands of lives.
Gritty and suspenseful, 1917 is a powerful film with stunning cinematography, outstanding direction, and two standout performances. Director Sam Mendes filmed the movie using the single-shot technique and it works brilliantly, immersing the audience into the film and making them feel as though they’re right there in the trenches with Corporals Blake and Schofield.
George MacKay delivers an incredible, moving performance as Schofield, Blake’s good friend who wants to help save the 1,600 men, including Blake’s brother, but is terrified of being killed. MacKay’s facial expressions and body language as he travels across enemy territory perfectly convey his fear and dread.
The cinematography is breathtaking. Shot almost completely outside, the scenes of the two soldiers traveling through muddy and blood-soaked trenches, overcast terrain, and the journey through a battle-destroyed town is visually striking. The editing is flawless, making the film feel as though it’s happening in real time.
Thomas Newman’s score is magnificent and helps to heighten the sense of danger that could be lurking in the next trench or in the farmhouse seen in the distance. What John Williams’ score did for the movie Jaws, Newman’s score does for this film.
Compelling, gripping, and unrelenting, 1917 is a masterfully crafted film and a true cinematic triumph. It’s one of the best war films in years and captures the brutality, fear, horror, and heroism in war superbly. It’s also a sincere tribute to those who served in The First World War.
GRADE: A
MPAA: R for violence, some disturbing images, and language
NBC’s This Is Us returns after a patience-testing lengthy winter break with season four episode 10, “Light and Shadows,” airing January 14, 2020. Episode nine significantly expanded on the previous hints dropped about Rebecca suffering from memory loss. Episode 10’s teaser trailer makes it appear we’ll learn even more about her medical condition.
This Is Us‘ huge ensemble cast includes Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson, Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson, Sterling K. Brown as Randall, Chrissy Metz as Kate, and Justin Hartley as Kevin. Susan Kelechi Watson is Beth Pearson, Chris Sullivan is Toby Damon, and Jon Huertas is Miguel Rivas. Griffin Dunne returns as Jack’s brother, Nicky. Jennifer Morrison guest stars as Cassidy Sharp.
“Light and Shadows” Plot – Kevin searches for romance. Kate meets Toby’s Crossfit friends. Randall travels to LA to be with Rebecca.
Series Description, Courtesy of NBC:
“Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. This Is Us chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their 37-year-old kids Kevin (Hartley), Kate (Metz) and Randall (Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become, and how the connections we share with each other can transcend time, distance and even death.
From the writer and directors of Crazy, Stupid, Love. comes a smart, modern show that will welcome you into a family you feel you’ve known for years.”
Mandy Moore as Rebecca and Milo Ventimiglia as Jack in ‘This Is Us’ season 4 episode 10 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Chrissy Metz as Kate and Chris Sullivan as Toby in season 4 episode 10 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth in season 4 episode 10 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Milo Ventimiglia as Jack and Mandy Moore as Rebecca in season 4 episode 10 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)Mandy Moore as Rebecca and Elizabeth Perkins as Janet Malone in season 4 episode 10 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
Two weeks out from the premiere of season three, Netflix has just released a music video starring the cast of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The new three minute video features the original song “Straight to Hell” performed by Kiernan Shipka.
In addition to showing off Ross Lynch in a crop top, the new video includes never before seen footage from season three. Netflix also released a batch of new photos from the upcoming season along with the music video.
Returning cast members include Kiernan Shipka as Sabrina Spellman, Miranda Otto as Zelda Spellman, Lucy Davis as Hilda Spellman, and Ross Lynch as Harvey Kinkle. Gavin Leatherwood plays Nicholas Scratch, Chance Perdomo is Ambrose Spellman, Jaz Sinclair stars as Rosalind Walker, and Lachlan Watson is Susie Putnam.
The cast also features Michelle Gomez as Mary Wardwell, Richard Coyle as Father Faustus Blackwood, Tati Gabrielle as Prudence Night, Adeline Rudolph as Agatha, and Abigail Cowen as Dorcas.
Archie Comics’ Chief Creative Office Robert Aguirre-Sacasa (Riverdale) wrote the series and exective produces with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater, and Lee Toland Krieger.
Season three drops on January 24, 2020 for your binge-watching pleasure.
The Plot:
“Part Three finds Sabrina reeling from the harrowing events of Part Two. Though she defeated her father Lucifer, the Dark Lord remains trapped within the human prison of her beloved boyfriend, Nicholas Scratch. Sabrina can’t live with herself, knowing that Nick made the ultimate sacrifice and is suffering, burning in Hell under Madam Satan’s watchful eye. So with an assist from her mortal friends, “The Fright Club” (consisting of Harvey, Rosalind, and Theo), Sabrina makes it her mission to free him from eternal damnation and bring him back into her arms.
However, the Dark Lord’s unseating has sent shockwaves through the realms—and, with no one on the throne, Sabrina must assume the title of “Queen” to defend it against a challenger, the handsome Prince of Hell Caliban. Meanwhile, in Greendale, a mysterious carnival rolls into town, bringing with it a threat to the Spellmans and the coven: A tribe of pagans looking to resurrect an ancient evil…”
A scene from season 3 of ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’
