New 'Dial of Destiny' Trailer Looks Like Classic Indiana Jones

This is a better trailer than the original one- but is anyone interested in seeing this? I have to wonder at this point. I guess we’re not that far way from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull having made over $317 million in 2008, but let’s face it- the box office world from 15 years ago and now couldn’t possibly be more different. Do people want another Indiana Jones movie? I’d still like for it to be good. The de-aging doesn’t look too bad in this, at least from the trailer.

Two Elements Fall in Love in Pixar's New Movie 'Elemental'

Another thing I’m getting tired of is Pixar’s obsession with movies about colorful blobs. Inside Out, Soul, now this. It almost looks like a parody. But I also noticed they seem to be something of a romantic comedy and the only near romances I ever remember Pixar doing are WALL-E and maybe the first 15 minutes of Up. It’s not their thing usually, so maybe it is different in that aspect?

New 'Little Mermaid' Trailer Premieres During the Oscars

I hesitated posting this just because…frankly, it looks awful. An ugly CGI mess with no reason to exist, as it aims solely to recreate famous images from the cartoon and butcher the famous music. I fully expect it to be just as horrible as the live action remakes of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. But this one hurts me more because it’s my favorite of the Renaissance movies. Sigh.

OSCAR PREDIX, Part 5: Best Picture and Director

Unfortunately these are not as fun to talk about today because they are pretty much set in stone, as you’ll see.

BEST PICTURE

All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
TÁR
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking

We go by the precursors here, and the fact of the matter is, EEAO has won the DGA, PGA and SAG (where it set a record by winning 4 prizes, the first time that’s ever happened at SAG). It’s a guild sweeper and no guild sweeper has ever lost Best Picture. It’s true that BAFTA did not like it much at all, and only gave it a single award in editing, but they also didn’t like Birdman back in 2014, which won all the guilds too and then the Oscar. When you have a guild sweeper they pretty much can’t be beaten. Of course, nothing’s ever possible until it happens, but I simply have no reason to predict anything else. If even one of the guilds had gone another way, I might be able to make a case for something, but no real alternative has emerged. Even the BAFTA favorite, All Quiet on the Western Front, has virtually no guild presence.

Winner: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Alternate: Top Gun: Maverick

Dark Horse: All Quiet on the Western Front

BEST DIRECTOR

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
The Daniels, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, TÁR
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness

This is similar to Best Picture in that there’s no clear alternative to the Best Picture frontrunner. At BAFTA they gave director to All Quiet’s Edward Berger, who wasn’t even nominated here. That means the DGA winners, the Daniels, are the frontrunners to win and I don’t even know who could challenge them. Theoretically, Steven Spielberg could do it, but he’s won nothing for The Fabelmans this whole season. Maybe Todd Field comes out of nowhere as a place to honor Tar that’s not Cate Blanchett? I could kinda imagine that, but it would be a huge surprise. I don’t really see it happening.

Winner: The Daniels

Alternate: Steven Spielberg

Dark Horse: Todd Field

Oscar Predix, Part 4: Acting

Now these are the fun categories this year, because you could argue they’re all up in the air except for one. And that’s because BAFTA and SAG this year matched 0-4, which hasn’t happened in 20 years. What does that mean? We’re going to have to reason it out, which makes it more fun.

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, TÁR
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

The toughest race of the night. You can write off Ana de Armas, Riseborough, and Michelle Williams, no matter what weird controversy exists because of Riseborough’s out of nowhere nomination. She stands no chance with the whole Academy voting. It’s between Michelle Yeoh, who stars in the Best Picture frontrunner and would make history as the first Asian Best Actress winner, and Cate Blanchett, vying for her third Oscar in a career best performance which would be its film’s (likely) only Oscar win. Very difficult. Yeoh won the SAG over Blanchett, but Blanchett has BAFTA (both were Globes winners in different categories). BAFTA has traditionally picked the winner in a split race, and Tar has 6 nominations so it’s definitely strong enough to put Blanchett over the top. Can history win the day or are there enough international voters in the Academy now that think they already voted for EEAO in enough categories and will go with Blanchett in this one? I think Michelle Yeoh might have enough momentum in this last week of voting to carry her though to a historic win.

Winner: Michelle Yeoh

Alternate: Cate Blanchett

BEST ACTOR

Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living

Another two person race here with Best Actor. Brendan Fraser won SAG and Critics Choice for The Whale, while Austin Butler took the Golden Globe and BAFTA. I think ultimately in these cases it comes down to the strength of the film, and Elvis is a Best Picture nominee that could win a few Oscars on the night. The Whale did not make it into Best Picture and I think that’s ultimately what counts the most.

Winner: Austin Butler

Alternate: Brendan Fraser

Dark Horse: Colin Farrell (this is unlikely since he lost BAFTA to Butler though- if he was going to win anywhere it should have happened there; that it didn’t indicates the international voters are behind Butler)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Another one that’s completely up in the air! This one is even more open because we have three different winners in the precursors. Angela Bassett took the Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards (both non-industry voters) while Kerry Condon won the BAFTA and Jamie Lee Curtis won the SAG. Oy. So who prevails? I think JLC winning SAG indicates there’s a split vote for the “overdue narrative” that will go some to her, some to Bassett. Bassett’s film is also not a Best Picture nominee. But JLC has competition with co-star Hsu from EEAO. BAFTA voters on the other hand are lined up behind Condon, whose film is a Best Picture contender and might be the only place to award it on Oscar night. BAFTA has often predicted a surprise winner in this category before, so I’m thinking Kerry Condon will take it.

Winner: Kerry Condon

Alternate: Jamie Lee Curtis

Dark Horse: Hong Chau – I think this is possible if the vote splits all over the place and we get a winner who hasn’t won anything yet

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

This one is easier to call. Ke Huy Quan has won everything except BAFTA, but in that case, the combination of Golden Globe, Critics Choice, SAG plus being in the Best Picture frontrunner is more important. He’s the closest to a lock in the acting categories. Anything else would be a big surprise.

Winner: Ke Huy Quan

Alternate: Barry Keoghan (BAFTA winner)