The First Eight Months: Part One

As of Sunday night, I have finally seen fifty (50) movies released in the United States in 2018. We haven't talked about the films of this year since April, so why don't we use this occasion to rectify that?

Previously written about (16): Annihilation, Are We Not Cats?, Black Panther, The Death of Stalin, Fifty Shades Freed, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Golden Slumber, Little Forest, Love, Simon, Paddington 2, The Princess and the Matchmaker, Ready Player One, Red Sparrow, Tomb Raider, Unsane, The Young Karl Marx

But you know what I haven't written about, until now?

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!

dir: Ol Parker

scr: Ol Parker, story by Ol Parker and Richard Curtis and Catherine Johnson

adapted from: the original musical play Mamma Mia! conceived by Judy Craymer and written by Catherine Johnson

seen: Regal LA Live 16

As Sophie deals with continuing her mother's legacy, we flashback to how young Donna came to Greece and collected her dot-dot-dots. This is not deep entertainment, but by God, Parker knows just how to deploy an ABBA new-mom ballad for maximum emotions. The dancing is great. The cast is having a ball. I saw it twice.

Brief notes on 16 other films - including Solo: A Star Wars Story, BlacKkKlansman, and Incredibles 2 - just after the jump...

Tales of the Weird and True

It's Awards Season and Star Wars weekend, which means a lot to talk about. Beginning with...

The Shape of Water

dir: Guillermo del Toro

scr: Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor

Del Toro's adult fairy tale is a dreamy ballet of misfits and monsters, a valentine to the bizarre that's directed right at my heart. Yes, they made that aquatic creature sexy - you could bounce a coin off it - but they also made every character, hero and villain alike, a fully-realized, complicated person that still exists within this fantasy world. Magical.

The Last Jedi , The Disaster Artist, I, Tonya, and more, after the jump....

The Fame Game: Original Score, 1980

And now, a special musical break with the nominees for Best Original Score. Michael Gore was the winner this year.



The nominees, in the reverse order of how I'd rank them (that mean's bottoms up):

Altered States
John Corigliano
**

first nomination; won for The Red Violin

Fame

Michael Gore
***
also won Best Original Song, where he had two nominations; later nominated for Terms of Endearment

Tess
Philippe Sarde

****
first and only nomination

The Empire Strikes Back
John Williams

****
15 previous nominations, three previous wins; another 35 nominations and two wins to follow

And finally, my vote for the win goes to....

The Elephant Man
John Morris

*****
second nomination following Best Original Song for Blazing Saddles

Tomorrow, the nominees for Best Actress: Ellen Burstyn (Resurrection), Goldie Hawn (Private Benjamin), Mary Tyler Moore (Ordinary People), Gena Rowlands (Gloria), Sissy Spacek (Coal Miner's Daughter).

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