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demifiendrsa · 1 year

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Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 | Official Trailer

Star Wars: Visions volume 2 will stream on Disney+ on May 4, 2023.

Volume 2 shorts:

“Sith” by Rodrigo Blaas at El Guiri Studios (Spain)

A former Sith apprentice, leading a peaceful, but isolated life, is confronted by the past when her old master tracks her down.

ÚRSULA CORBERÓ as Lola

LUIS TOSAR as Sith Master

ÚRSULA CORBERÓ and LUIS TOSAR also voice their characters in the Spanish dub.

“Screecher’s Reach” by Paul Young at Cartoon Saloon (Ireland)

A young girl, seeking reprieve from her days in a rural workhouse, discovers a legendary haunted cave with her friends. The cave’s dark pull will change the trajectory of her life forever.

EVA WHITTAKER as Daal

ALEX CONNOLLY as Baython

NOAH RAFFERTY as Quinn

MOLLY MCCANN as Keena

ANJELICA HUSTON as Sith Mother

NIAMH MOYLES as Ghost

“In the Stars” by Gabriel Osorio at PunkRobot Studio (Chile)

Two sisters, the last of their kind who live in hiding on their ravaged land, squabble about how to survive with the Empire encroaching. On a water run, the sisters must fight back when they are discovered.

VALENTINA MUHR as Koten

JULIA OVIEDO as Tichina

KATE DICKIE as Officer

AMPARO NOGUERA as Officer

VALENTINA MUHR and JULIA OVEIDO also voice their characters in the Spanish Dub

“I Am Your Mother” by Magdalena Osinska at Aardman Animations (United Kingdom)

Young pilot Anni, who is embarrassed by her sweet, but clingy mum, must team with her for a madcap family race at the academy. Along the way, their relationship is tested by the elements, their old ship, other racers...and each other!

MAXINE PEAKE as Kalina Kalfus

CHARITHRA CHANDRAN as Annisoukaline Kalfus

DAISY HAGGARD as Dorota Van Reeple

BEBE CAVE as Julan Van Reeple

DENIS LAWSON as Wedge Antilles

“Journey to the Dark Head” by Hyeong Geun Park at Studio Mir (South Korea)

A hopeful mechanic and disillusioned young Jedi team up for a risky and unlikely quest to turn the tide of the galactic war, but dark forces tail them.

Korean language cast:

JANG YE NA as Ara / Young Ara

LEE KYUNG TAE as Toul

YUN YONG SIK as Bichan

CHWANG KWANG as Interpreter

CHOI SOO MIN as Master Duta

SHIN YONG WOO as Master Leesagum / Shopkeeper

LIM CHAE HEON as Training Partner

LEE SO YOUNG as Master Moru / Another Jedi

English Dub cast:

ASHLEY PARK as Ara / Young Ara

EUGENE LEE YANG as Toul

DANIEL DAE KIM as Bichan

ALBERT KONG as Interpreter / Jedi Master A

GREG CHUN as Shopkeeper / Master Leesagum / Training Partner / Padawan

JONELLA LANDRY as Master Duta

JUDY ALICE LEE as Master Moru / Another Jedi

“The Spy Dancer” by Julien Chheng at Studio La Cachette (France)

The premier dancer at a famous, Imperial-frequented cabaret uses her unique skill-set to spy for the Rebellion, but the presence of a mysterious officer threatens to derail her mission.

CAMILLE COTTIN as Loi’e

LAMBERT WILSON as Jon

KAYCIE CHASE as Hétis

RUDI-JAMES JEPHCOTT as The Officer

BARBARA WEBER-SCAFF as Mee’ma & Additional Voices

BRUCE SHERFIELD as Additional Voices

TAYLOR GASMAN as Additional Voices

“The Bandits of Golak” by Ishan Shukla at 88 Pictures (India)

Fleeing from their village by train and pursued by ferocious Imperial forces, a boy and his force-sensitive younger sister seek refuge in a vibrant and dangerous dhaba.

SURAJ SHARMA as Charuk

SONAL KAUSHAL as Rani

NEERAJ KABI as Inquisitor

LILLETE DUBEY as Rugal

SAHIL VAID as Maghadi and Scavenger

RICHARD JOEL as Scavenger

SUMANTO RAY as Conductor, Jangori Leader and Dhoona

RAJEEV RAJ as Helper

AVIRAL KUMAR as Stormtrooper

ISH THAKKAR as Stormtrooper and Alien

AADITYA SHARMA as Stormtrooper and Alien

SHIVANI DARBARI as Crowd

“The Pit” by LeAndre Thomas and Justin Ridge at D'ART Shtajio (Japan) and Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States of America)

A fearless young prisoner, forced to dig for kyber by the Empire, plans a risky escape for he and his people.

DAVEED DIGGS as Crux

ANIKA NONI ROSE as Eureka / Mother

JORDYN CURET as Livy

CEDRIC YARBROUGH as Old Prisoner

STEVE BLUM as Commander

MATTHEW WOOD as Stormtroopers

“Aau’s Song” by Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke at Triggerfish Animation Studios (South Africa)

An alien child who longs to sing is raised by her loving, but stern father to stay quiet because of the calamitous effect her voice has on the crystals in the nearby mines.

MPILO JANTJIE as Aau (dialogue)

DINEO DU TOIT as Aau (singing)

TUMISHO MASHA as Abat

CYNTHIA ERIVO as Kratu

FAITH BALOYI as Attu

Poster

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indigo-wild-flower · 1 year

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Gif packs

Project status:

"Gun" Atthaphan Phusawat: The Three Gentlebros (1/18)

Hwang Hyunjin: Stay m/v + shooting (1/2)

Kim Jisoo: Stay m/v + shooting (1/2)

Kim Seungmin: Ex m/v + shooting (1/2)

"Love" Pattranite Limpatiyakorn: Bad buddy: the series (1/12)

"Tay" Tawan Vihokratana: The Three Gentlebros (1/18)

Yang Jeongin: Ex m/v + shooting (1/2)

Current projects:

Shin Hye-sun: Angel's last mission: love

"Ohm" Pawat Chittsawangdee: Bad Buddy: the series

Fukushi Sota: Hoshi Kara Kita Anata

"Nanon" Korapat Kirdpan: Bad Buddy: the series

Kim Myung-soo: Angel's last mission: love

Luke Ishikawa Plowden: Three Gentlebros

Park Ji-hoon: Weak Hero Class 1

Hong Kyung: Weak Hero Class 1

"Bright" Vachirawit Chiva-aree: Astrophile

"Mai" Davika Hoorne: Astrophile

"Off" Jumpol Adulkittiporn: Astrophile

Lalisa Manoban: Stay m/v

Jennie Kim: Stay m/v

Park Chaeyoung "Rosé": Stay m/v

Bang Chan: Ex m/v

Han Jisung: Ex m/v

Lee Sung Kyung: Sh**ting stars

Upcoming packs:

Lee Jaehyun in A to Boyz Hyunjae ver.

Kim Young Dae in Sh**ting stars

Perth Tanapon Sukumpantanasan in Never let me go

Pond Naravit Lertratkosum in Never let me go

Chimon Wachirawit Ruangwiwat in Never let me go

Park Sojin in Sh**ting Stars

Lee Jung Shin in Sh**ting Stars

Im Changkyun in Overdrive m/v

Selena Gomez in Boyfriend m/v

"James" Supamongkon Wongwisut in Bed Friend the series

"Net" Siraphop Manithikhun in Bed Friend the series

Vanessa Hudgens: Inside Vanessa Hudgens's L.A. Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest

"First" Kanaphan Puitrakul in Only friends the series

"Khaotung" Thanawat Rattanakitpaisarn in Only friends the series

"Force" Jiratchapong Srisang in Only friends the series

"Neo" Trai Nimtawat in Only friends the series

"Kitty" Chicha Amatayakul in AUG Cover Shoot Behind the scences

Danielle Marsh in Super Shy m/v

Yoon Hyunsuk in Wave m/v

Lee Byounggon "BX" in Wave m/v

Kim Seunghun in Wave m/v

Kim Yonghee in Wave m/v

Bae Jinyoung in Wave m/v

Lee Chaemin in Pertama kali di variety show | Fun-Staurant | KBS WORLD TV 230626

Upcoming series:

Reborn Rich

유기견 보호센터 첫 방문기

Kiss of Life - Shhh m/v

Hailee Steinfeld - Vogue makeup

Win Metawin - Closer m/v

Potential FC:

Lee Dong-wook

Matthew Daddario

Manu Rios

Lily Collins

Lee Sang-yeon

Abigail Cowen

Noah Centineo

Lee Jae-wook

Park Seo-joon

Krystal Jung

Im Siwan

Minnie Mills

Joong Archen

Lee Han-gyul

Jeon Jeong-guk

Go Minsi

Choi Yeonjun

Arón Piper

Kang Minhyuk

Kim Younghoon

Nam Yoonsu

Liza Soberano

Saint Paramee

An Yujin

Hou Minghao

Rowoon

Park Sung Hoon

Maris Racal

Bie Thassapak Hsu

Yang Yang

Becky G

Kim Chaewon

Jane Ramida

Emeraude Toubia

Kaylee Kaneshiro

Choi Byungchan

Jang Ki-yong

Kathryn Newton

Margot Robbie

Kayavine

Yokohama Ryusei

Lee Joon

Jung Wooyoung

Lee Juyeon

Jeong Eunji

Felix Mallard

Cha Eunwoo

Earth Pirapat

Lee Ji Eun "IU"

Pavel Phoom

Park Sung Hoon (II)

Kim Namjoon "RM"

Yoo Taeyang

Lee Donghun

Kim Jiwoong

Xiao Zhan

Ricky Shen

Wang Ziyi

Park Junhee

Song Kang

Barcode Tinnasit

Kim Woosung

Lizeth Selene

Felip Jhon Suson

Lizge Cömert

#gif pack #gif packs #roleplay help #thai fc #korean fc #japanese fc #kdrama #tdrama #jdrama #kpop packs #plans

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nightsidewrestling · 1 year

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M.L.B Bios: Krystal / Kristine Beau Cobb

M.L.B's Guitarist and Third Vocalist Krystal (Jan 1989)

The guitarist and third vocalist of the M.L.B (Mega Level Bitches), Kris is the only white member of the group, and the only member of the group born in Honolulu, she's also the only member born in Hawaii. She moved to Compton in March 1988, and has had to quickly get used to the chaos of the neighbourhood. Kris met all four of the other girls soon after moving into the neighbourhood

"I was gonna give you something if you came by the store."

Name

Full Legal Name: Kristine Beau Cobb

First Name: Kristine

Meaning: Scandinavian and Georgian form of 'Christina' (From 'Christiana', the Latin feminine form of 'Christian', which comes from the medieval Latin name 'Christianus' meaning 'A Christian'.) as well as an English and German variant of 'Christine' (which is the French form of 'Christina')

Pronunciation: kris-TEEN

Origin: Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Georgian, English, German

Middle Name: Beau

Meaning: Means 'Beautiful, Handsome' in French

Pronunciation: BO

Origin: English, Dutch

Surname: Cobb

Meaning: From a medieval English byname meaning 'Lump'

Pronunciation: KAHB

Origin: English

Alias: Krystal

Reason: Stage Name

Nicknames: Kris, Krissy/Krissie, Kristi/Kristie/Kristy, Private, Soldier, Army Barbie

Titles: Miss, Private

Characteristics

Age: (As of Jan 1989) 18 (As of Jan 20 1989) 19

Gender: Female. She/Her Pronouns

Race: Human

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: White (Irish-Italian. 2nd Generation American)

Birth Date: January 15th 1970

Sexuality: Bisexual

Religion: Christian

Native Language: English

Spoken Languages: English, Hawaiian, Irish, Italian, Spanish, French

Relationship Status: Single / Dating (After 02 Jan 1989)

Astrological Sign: Capricorn

Voice Actor: Kate Bosworth (Speaking), P!nk (Singing)

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Honolulu, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA

Current Location: Compton, Los Angeles County, California, USA / On Tour

Hometown: Compton, Los Angeles County, California, USA

Appearance

Height: 6'6" / 198 cm

Weight: 214 lbs / 97 kg

Eye Colour: Blue

Hair Colour: Blonde

Hair Dye: None

Body Hair: N/A

Facial Hair: N/A

Tattoos: (As of Jan 1989) 3

Piercings: Ear Lobe (Both), Double Lobe (Left), Helix (Right), Navel

Scars: None

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None

Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Clean

Illnesses/Disorders: Autistic, Gigantism

Medications: None

Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Friends: Azahar Gutiérrez, Deja Dickson, Dolores Park, Esther Hutchinson, Nālani Kekoa, O'Shea Jackson

Colleagues: Azahar Gutiérrez, Deja Dickson, Dolores Park, Esther Hutchinson, Nālani Kekoa, Ikaika Kekoa, James Kelly, JoshuaPrice, Amanda Sanders, Dae-Seong Kim, Luis Pérez, Michael Coleman, Jessica Henderson

'Rivals': Andre Young, Antoine Carraby, Eric Wright, Lorenzo Patterson, O'Shea Jackson

Closest Confidant: Nālani Kekoa

Mentor(s): Gwen Cobb, Roberto Cobb, Ikaika Kekoa

Significant Other: None / (As of Jan 2 1989) O'Shea Jackson

Previous Partners: None of Note

Parents: Roberto Cobb (49, Father), Gwen Cobb (50, Mother, Née Mac an Bhaird)

Parents-In-Law: None

Siblings: None

Siblings-In-Law: None

Nieces & Nephews: None

Children: None

Children-In-Law: None

Grandkids: None

Great Grandkids: None

Music Career

Debut: 1988

Retired: N/A

Genre: Rap / Hip-Hop

(Fictional) Records, Albums & Singles: 'Mega Level = Major Label' (Album, October 1988), Untitled Work in Progress (Due To Be Released Late 1989)

Songs (Record/Album/Single - Song Title - Track Length): 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Fighting Words' - 2:52 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'In My Feelings' - 2:24 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Twins' - 3:32 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Strong Female Leader' - 3:05 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Use Your Voice' - 3:58 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Booty' - 3:22 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Silence, Please' - 2:27 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Go Away (Come Back)' - 3:18 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Broken Dreams' - 4:20 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Touching You' - 3:20 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'No Other' - 3:48 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'My Man' - 2:50 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Mind Melting' - 3:28 'Mega Level = Major Label' - 'Go My Way' - 3:32

#M.L.B #original character #Cobb #Krystal #Mega Level Bitches #Music Fanfiction #N.W.A Fanfiction #AO3 Fanfiction #My other fanfiction I'm currently working on

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m4niackkyun · 1 year

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“Dad..?”

“Mhm?” the man replied although he was preoccupied with the documents on his desk.

“...Who's Naosuke...?”

Krshk..

His hand unconsciously gripped the piece of paper in his hand hard enough for it to crumple. Still maintaining his calm exterior, he glanced at the boy beside him—who was busy fiddling with his fingers, a familiar habit in which reminded him of his wife and how she'd frequently prick on the supple skin whenever she was nervous. Guess a fruit doesn't fall far from the tree..

“Where've you heard that?”

“Mom...she'd..she'd call me by that name sometimes..”

The curled haired man chuckled lightly, “Maybe it's a new nickname she came up for you,” he replied, attempting to brush of the young one's worries.

“...Well I don't like it. I...I don't like the way she says it, it's like...it's almost as if she's calling someone else...even from the way she looks at me is like she's hoping for something, for someone...? I don't—I don't understand...” he explained as he curled up into a ball from where he sat.

��Dae-Jung... Lee Dae-Jung...that's my name...why is it so hard to understand...why is it do hard to acknowledge me for me..?”

James got up from his chair after noticing the way his eyes glistened. Crouching down to his level as their eyes met, “Hey kiddo, it's alright, mhm? We'll talk about this to your mother, yeah?” he gave him his signature toothy smile as reassurance. The ravenette didn't respon, the frown on his face deepening instead.

It won't matter...she'll get sad again, I don't want her to be..

#[fdau]#yoo naosuke #fdau james #kkyun's blurbs

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themovieblogonline · 3 months

Link

#Avatar #AvatarTheLastAirbender #netflix #Avatar Netflix

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goodcryunicorn · 9 months

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ACTIVE MUSES!

while i work on my muses bio here are the ones that are ready for all interactions:

red = original character

$#*! my dad says (Edison Goodson III, Henry Goodson, Victoria Goodson)

2 broke girls (Caroline Channing, Jessica Levine, Josephine O'Connell, Max Black)

3rd rock from the Sun (Dick Solomon, Harry Solomon, Mary Albright, Nina Campbell, Sally Solomon, Tommy Solomon)

6 underground (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven)

007 (Aki, Alec Trevelyan, Christmas Jones, Eve Moneypenny, Felix Leiter, Giacinta Johnson, James Bond, Le Chiffre, Madelaine Swann, Manuela, Max Denbigh, Nadia Pavlov, Q, Solitaire, Teresa di Vicenzo)

7th Heaven (Ariel Camden, Lucy Camden, Mary Camden, Matt Camden, Ruthie Camden, Simon Camden)

8 mile (Alex Latourno, David Porter, Jimmy Smith)

8 Simple rules (Bridget Hennessy)

9-1-1 (Abby Clark, Athena Grant, Bobby Nash, Elaine Maynard, Evan Buckley, Henrietta Wilson, Patrick Nash, Simon Doss)

10 things i hate about you (Bianca Stratford, Chasity Church, Kat Stratford, Patrick Verona)

12 suicidal teens (Anri, Satoshi)

13 going on 30 (Jenna Rink, Matt Flamhaff)

13 reasons why (Clay Jensen, Hannah Baker, Jessica Davis)

16 wishes (Abby Jensen, Jay Kepler)

17 again (Alex O'Donnell)

18 again (Hong dae Young, Jung da Jung)

21 jump street (Douglas Penhall, Fugazy, Greg Jenko, Jane Keaton, Judy Hanson, Judy Hoffs, Patrick Benson, Tom Hanson)

24 (Audrey Raines, Chloe O'Biran, David Palmer, Eric Bauer, Eric Carter, Jack Bauer, Kate Morgan, Kim Bauer, Lara Simone, Michael Mahoney, Michelle Mahoney, Nicole Carter, Rebecca Ingram, Sherry Palmer)

#to be deleted

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ladyimaginarium · 11 months

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Happy Father's Day!

This was made for our& constellation / system in mind — as plural people. Please don't treat them& like rp muses. Singlets can reblog but don't clown. Okay to reblog as fandom. Do not reblog this as headcanons, roleplay, aesthetics, kins, F/Os, IRL/Me or D/A's. We& are a mixed, multigenic DID system and we& are not your aesthetic. || Father Caregiver flag © @bunnelbaby!

#constellation.#lgbtqia2s+/mogai/liom.#fictives.#marius marcovich / marco adriano / spas.#theodoros d'angelo.#worick arcangelo.#miles mayer.#delico abaddonato.#jinhai yang.#louis lacroix.#james dae young.#its so cute ilism & ty for allowing me& to use your f.lags !! :>#we'd& add more but we're& multitasking so lmfao #hennyways happy f.athers day to those who celebrate it! it's a complicated h/oliday for us& but we& appreciate our& s.ystem m.ember fathers

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imaginarianisms-a · 3 years

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ii. TWDG MUSE TAG DROP!!

#A GIRL IN HELL. ( CLEMENTINE MARIA JASMINE CREE. )#A WHISPER IN THE DARK. ( JAMES DAE YOUNG. )#I'M HERE TO COLLECT YOUR HEARTS; IT'S THE ONLY REASON THAT I SING. ( LOUIS. )#REGRETS COLLECT LIKE OLD FRIENDS. ( MINERVA STELLA WILLIAMS. )#A WHITE FLAG WAVES IN THE DARK BETWEEN MY HEAD AND MY HEART. ( AASIM ANAND ACHARYA. )#NO MORE DREAMING OF THE DEAD ; DEATH ITSELF WAS UNDONE. ( JAMES FAIRBANKS. )#note: may add more if i& feel like there's more to add !

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sleepykittypaws · 2 years

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2023 Theatrical Holiday Premieres

Updated: December 6, 2023 (NOTE: Will try to keep schedule mostly up-to-date for this last year, but no longer following production)

Switch (a.k.a. Seuwichi; holiday movie starring Oh Jung-se and Kim Mi-kyung; directed by Ma Dae-Yoon; Korean language remake of 2000′s The Family Man; A spoiled actor experiences a new life when he meets a mysterious taxi driver on Christmas Eve) - Jan. 4, South Korea

Plane (New Year’s-set action movie starring Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yonson An and Tony Goldwyn; directed by Jean-François Richet; A New Year’s Eve storm causes a plane to crash lang on an island occupied by dangerous criminals, forcing the pilot to work with a convict to protect his passengers) - Jan. 13 (Trailer)

One Fine Morning (a.k.a. Un Beau Matin; French-language, partially holiday-set movie starring Pascal Lea-Seydoux, Melvil Greggory, Nicole Poupaud and Garcia; written and directed by Mia Hansen-Love; A widow and single mom juggles caring for her family, including her father with dementia, and a new affair with an old friend of her late husband’s) - Jan. 27, limited (Trailer)

Stars Fell Again (holiday-set sequel to 2021′s Stars Fell on Alabama starring James Maslow, Ciara Hanna, Cecilia Kim and Johnnie Mack; co-written and directed by V.W. Scheich; A year after they reunited at a high school reunion, Bryce is ready to pop the question with a Christmas proposal, but family drama interferes with his plans; filmed in Atlanta) - Feb. 3, limited (Trailer)

The Young Santa Claus (avant garde holiday origin story written, directed and starring Sidin Mido Salkic; A young indigenous man comes out of the sea with no memory, freezing, and puts on a Santa suit for warmth, finding himself instantly transformed; filmed in Australia) - Feb. 15, Melbourne premiere

A Disturbance in the Force (documentary from filmmakers Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak on how the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special came to be) - Mar. 11, SXSW (Website)

Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures (Portuguese language drama starring Beatriz Batarda, Kris Hitchen, Bob Elliott, Romeu Runa, Victor Lourenço, Nuno Lopes and Rita Cabaço; directed by Marco Martins; Set in 2019, the story of Portuguese migrants who descend on the UK to work in turkey production factories in the lead up to Christmas, along with a woman who used to be one of them, now married to a local hotelier) - Mar. 16, limited (Trailer)

The Naughty List (small budget, partially crowd funded, Australian holiday movie about a girl who holds Santa hostage until she gets a “nice list guarantee”) - Apr. 16, Australian Premiere (Instagram, Facebook)

Hellmark (Hallmark horror parody short starring Tanya Jade and Giles Panton; directed by Jessica Lauren Doucet; A traditional Christmas rom-com takes a turn) - Apr. 16, Crazy 8s Gala (Instagram)

To Catch a Killer (partially holiday-set thriller starring Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn; directed by Damián Szifron; co-written by Jonathan Wakeham and Szifron; A troubled Baltimore police detective tracks down a New Year’s Eve serial killer) - Apr. 21 (Trailer)

With Joyful Ring (holiday short film starring Matthew Rhodes and Elena Hollander; written and directed by Gary Karapetyan; A lonely and depressed widower makes an effort to reconnect with the world at Christmas) - April 22, Myrtle Beach International Film Festival (Trailer)

R.M.N. (Romanian-French movie directed by Cristian Mungiu; A man who has been working overseas returns to his small, Romanian village for Christmas, only to find his former friends and neighbors caught up in fear and prejudice, which comes to a head when new foreign workers come to town) - April 28, limited (Trailer)

L’immenmsita (partially holiday-set, Italian drama starring Penelope Cruz, Vincenzo Amaro and Luana Giuliani; co-written and directed by Emanuele Crialese; A mother and her children move to Rome in the 1970s; filmed in Italy, where it was released theatrically in 2022; first U.S. release) - May 12, limited (Trailer)

Jingle Hell (holiday horror short starring Keith Szarabajka, Shalini Bathina and Poonam Basu; directed by Sean Cruser; written by Tyler Beveridge; A married couple spending their holidays in a remote cabin must fight off a Christmas Eve killer) - June 8, Marina Del Ray Film Festival

Another Year Together (holiday movie starring Alexandra Turshen, Kiva Dawson, Marilyn Sokol and Robert S. Gregory; directed by Daniel Hendricks Simon; written by Patrick Davin and Hendricks Simon; Three multi-generational romances are tracked through the New York holiday season; filmed in New York City) - June 20, Manhattan Film Festival (Trailer, Instagram)

A Corpse for Christmas (small-budget holiday horror movie starring Kasper Meltedhair, Nicholas DeGideo and Josh Christensen; written and directed by Bruce Longo; Splatter holiday horror set and filmed in Philadelphia) - July 17, PhilaMOCA

Family Portrait (a.k.a. The Christmas Card; holiday drama starring Rachel Alig, Miriam Spumpkin and Katie Folger; directed and co-written by Lucy Kerr; As the pandemic looms, a Southern family struggles to take the perfect Christmas card photo that hides all the dysfunction and grief they’re actually experiencing; filmed in Hunt, Texas) - Aug. 4, Locarno Film Festival (Website)

Forgetting Christmas (holiday drama starring Melan Perez, Victoria Rowell, Dennis Jones, Donnie Brown Jr., Raisa D'Oyley and Honour Drew; written and directed by Cadell Cook; A young woman comes home for the holidays to deal with her father's early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis) - Aug. 5, Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (Website)

The Shepherd (holiday-set short starring John Travolta, Ben Radcliffe, Steven Mackintosh, Asan N'Jie and Scarlet Grace; based on the short story by Frederick Forsyth; adapted and directed by Iain Softley; A British pilot heading home from Germany for the holidays has all his instruments fail in deep fog and is miraculously saved by a mysterious plane that guides him home safely; filmed in Norfolk, UK) - Aug. 10, HollyShorts Film Festival (Trailer)

Santastein (partially Kickstarter-funded holiday slasher movie based on a film school short, co-directed by Benjamin Edelman and Manuel Camilion; In a world without Christmas, a vengeful Santa takes his rage out on a group of unsuspecting teens; filmed in Miami) - Aug. 12, Popcorn Frights Film Festival (Instagram, Trailer)

Championship Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Erica Rowell Green, Dalton Delk and Joey Traywick; written and directed by Traywick; A woman reconnects with an old flame who is now a professional wrestler; filmed in Mississippi) - Aug. 26, Quitman, Mississippi premiere

Operation White Christmas (German-language action-comedy; starring Rauand Taleb, Tim Wilde, Tim Seyfi, Roland Düringer, Andreas Vitasek, Yvonne Yung Hee Bormann and Petra Morzé; written and directed by Flo Lackner; A video clerk finds himself drawn into high-stakes intrigue when he’s tasked with stopping a state visit on Christmas Eve to save his shop.) - Aug. 24, Austria (Teaser)

Werewolf Santa (UK-filmed horror movie starring Nicholas Vince, Mark Arnold and Joe Bob Briggs; written and directed by Arielle Anthony Hayles; Santa turns into a werewolf on Christmas Eve and a YouTuber catches it all on camera; filmed in Surrey, England) - Aug. 25, FrightFest London Film Festival (Website)

War is Over! (animated short film inspired by the song “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” from John Lennon and Yoko Ono, produced their son, Sean Ono Lennon) - Sep. 11, limited

You’re Not Me (a.k.a. Tú No Eres Yo; Spanish-language, holiday-set thriller starring Jorge Motos and Roser Tapias; directed and written by Moisés Romera and Marisa Crespo; A woman returns home for the holidays to find a stranger has taken her place) - Sep. 22, Fantastic Fest

The Sacrifice Game (holiday-set horror movie starring Mena Massoud, Olivia Scott Welch, Gus Kenworthy, Chloë Levine, Derek Johns, Laurent Pitre, Madison Baines and Georgia Acken; directed and co-written by Jenn Wexler with Sean Redlitz; Two students, alone at an all-girls boarding school over Christmas break, have to fight off uninvited guests to survive; filmed in Montreal) - Sep. 23, Fantastic Fest

Christmas for Three (holiday movie starring Naomi Matsuda, Ashley Brinkman, Kenney Myers and Paulie Calafiore; written and directed by Candy Cain; A single man suddenly tasked with caring for a child finds himself falling for the social worker trying to help them) - Oct. 28, Lake Placid International Film Festival

How to Ruin the Holidays (holiday comedy starring Colin Mochrie and Amber Nash; directed by Arlen Konopaki and written by Kevin Gillese; filmed in Atlanta) - Nov. 2, limited (Website)

Glisten and the Merry Mission (animated holiday movie from Build-A-Bear, starring Julia Michaels, Dionne Warwick, Chevy Chase, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss and Sisanie Villaclara; directed by Cory Morrison; written by Temple Matthews; A young elf and her mother must find an enchanted deer to save Christmas) - Nov. 3, Cinemark Exclusive (Trailer)

What Happens Later (rom-com starring Meg Ryan and David Duchovny; directed by Ryan; Exes snowed in at a small airport spend a magical night together) - Nov. 3 (Trailer)

The Christmas Classic (holiday movie starring Malin Ackerman, Amy Smart, Ryan Hansen, Will Blagrove, Wes Hager and Charlotte Taylor; written and directed by Shane Dax Taylor; A ski resort owner promises to sell if his ex can defeat her sister, the reigning champ, in an annual Christmas contest a series of outrageous, holiday-themed challenges; filmed in Ruidoso, New Mexico) - Nov. 3, limited (Trailer); also available PVOD

The Snow Queen and the Princess (Russian animated movie based on the Snow Queen fairy tale; released in Russian in February, new English-language dub coming to theaters and PVOD across Europe and the Middle East) - Nov. 9, international (Trailer)

The Holdovers (1970s-set holiday drama starring Paul Giamatti, Carrie Preston and Da’Vine Joy Randolph; directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson; A universally despised teacher without family of his own is forced to stay at his boarding school to supervise students who can’t go home for the holidays, including one particularly surly teen, with only the school’s longtime cook to help; filmed in New England) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

It’s a Wonderful Knife (holiday horror-thriller starring Jane Widdop, Joel McHale, Justin Long, Sydney Scotia, Sean Depner, Aiden Howard, Erin Boyes and William B. Davis; directed by Tyler MacIntyre; written by Michael Kennedy; A final girl wishes she'd never been born, and lands in an alternate reality where she must once again battle the Christmas Eve killer; filmed in Vancouver) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

Family Time (a.k.a. Mummola; holiday-set Finnish drama starring Ria Kataja, Elina Knihtilä, Leena Uotila, Tom Wentzel and Jarkko Pajunen; written and directed by by Tia Kouvo, based on his 2018 short; A dysfunctional family slowly implodes during a holiday visit) - Nov. 10, Finland (Trailer)

Manodrome (holiday-set drama starring Jesse Eisenberg and Adrian Brody; directed by John Trengrove; An uber driver with a pregnant girlfriend gets drawn into a cult-like male empowerment group) - Nov. 10, limited

Journey to Bethlehem (musical retelling of the Biblical Christmas story, starring Fiona Palomo, Milo Manheim, Antonio Banderas, Stephanie Gil, Joel Smallbone, Lecrae, Rizwan Manji, Geno Seagers and Omid Djalili; directed by Adam Anders; written by Anders and Peter Barsocchini; original music by Adam and Nikki Anders, along with Peer Astrom; filmed in Spain) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

Your Lucky Day (holiday-set thriller; starring Angus Cloud, Jason O'Mara and Spencer Garrett; written and directed by Dan Brown; When a winning lottery ticket is purchased at a down-and-out convenience store, a hostage situation breaks out as everyone grapples for the winnings) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

There’s Something in the Barn (holiday horror movie starring Martin Starr, Amrita Acharia and Jeppe Beck Laursen; directed by Magnus Martens; written by Aleksander Kirkwood Brown; An American family inherits a remote cabin in the Norwegian mountains and heads there for the holidays only to find they’re not alone; filmed in Norway) - Nov. 10 (Trailer)

Vandits (holiday movie starring Enrico Colantoni, Robb Wells, Tony Nappo, Francesco Antonio, Jesse Camacho, Victoria Turko, and Jann Arden; directed by Stuart Stone; written by Rodness and Stone; A group of stoners decide to rob a senior center bingo hall on Christmas Eve; filmed in Winnipeg) - Nov. 10, limited (Trailer)

The Great Turkey Town Miracle (faith-based holiday movie starring and directed by Angus Benfield, along with J William and Cameron Arnett; Inspired by true events, a fired DJ must find 4,000 turkeys for needy families in just a month to hold onto his new job) - Nov. 10, limited (Trailer)

Christmas on Cobbler Street (a.k.a. Den Første Julen i Skomakergata; Norwegian family film starring Henki Kolstad and Kristoffer Olsen; directed by Mika Hovland; written by Maren Skolem; adapted from the classic 1979 TV Norweigan “TV advent calendar” Jul I Skomakergata; An orphan in 1945, post-war Norway takes refuge in a grumpy cobbler’s shop at the holidays) - Nov. 10, Norway (Trailer)

I’ll See You on Thanksgiving (holiday movie starring Aditya 'Adi' Maitra, Ramona Schwalbach and Ulises Ruiz; written and directed by Meshach Malley; College friends meet up after graduation for the holiday and quickly learn how much has changed; filmed in Ohio) - Nov. 11, Columbus, Ohio premiere (Website)

A Savage Christmas (holiday movie starring Rachel Griffiths, Helen Thomson, Darren Gilshenan, David Roberts, Gary Sweet, Ryan Morgan, Thea Raveneau, Max Jahufer and Rekha Ryan; co-written and directed by Madeleine Dyer; A trans woman returns home for the holidays for the first time with her boyfriend, expecting her transition to be the most shocking thing at Christmas dinner only to be upstaged by her dysfunctional family; filmed in Brisbane, Australia) - Nov. 16, Australia (Website)

Thanksgiving (holiday horror movie starring Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque, Addison Rae, Gina Gershon and Patrick Dempsey; directed by Eli Roth, written by Jeff Rendell; based on the mock trailer seen in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's 2007 movie Grindhouse, where a killer fashions a carving board out of his victims; filmed in Toronto) - Nov. 17 (Trailer)

So This is Christmas (Irish holiday documentary about people who struggle with the festive season; directed by Ken Wardrop; filmed in Ireland) - Nov. 17, Ireland (Website)

A Gettysburg Christmas (holiday movie starring Kelley Jackle, Tom Vera, Kate Vernon, Sean Ferris, Lee Majors and Bruce Boxleitner; directed by Bo Brinkman; A woman buys an apple orchard but finds herself lonely at the holidays and in need of a Christmas miracle to keep it all going; filmed in Pennsylvania) - Nov. 27, Majestic Theater, Gettysburg, Pa. (Instagram)

Christmess (Australian holiday comedy starring Steve Le Marquand, Susan Prior and Hannah Joy; directed by Heath Davis; An actor just out of rehab can only get hired as a store Santa during a dysfunctional Down Under summer Christmas; filmed in Campbelltown, Australia) - Nov. 30, Australia (Trailer)

Animal Crossing Christmas Festival: The Movie! (animated movie based on the video game series; A young boy moves to the village and tries to get his busy new friends to celebrate Toy Day with him.) - Dec. 1 (Teaser)

Silent Night (holiday-set, dialogue-free, action-thriller starring Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Harold Torres; directed by John Woo; written by Robert Lynn; A father avenges the death of his son, killed by gang violence on Christmas Eve; filmed in Mexico) - Dec. 1 (Trailer)

Teddy’s Christmas (English-language version of the 2022 Norwegian animated-live action release Teddybjørnens Jul, starring Zachary Levi; directed by Andrea Eckerborn; A little girl wins a magical teddy at a holiday market and wants to keep him, but Teddy prefers a more glamorous life) - Dec. 1, limited (Trailer)

Holiday Twist (holiday movie starring Kelly Stables, Neal McDonough, Sean Astin, Brian Thomas Smith, Alison Eastwood, Kelly Rutherford and Caylee Cowan; written and directed by Stephanie Garvin; A workaholic Grinch sees the err of her ways thanks to help from a mall Santa) - Dec. 1, limited (Website, Trailer)

How the Gringo Stole Christmas (holiday movie starring George Lopez, Emily Tosta, Mariana Treviño, Jack Kilmer and Alma Martinez; directed by Angel Gracia; written by Ezequiel Martinez Jr.; A father is shocked when his daughter comes home for the holidays with a new, white boyfriend in tow; filmed in Jackson, Miss.) - Dec. 1, limited (Trailer)

La Navidad en Sus Manos (a.k.a. Holiday in His Hands; Spanish-language holiday movie starring María Botto, Santiago Segura and Ernesto Sevilla; directed by Joaquín Mazón; written by Francisco Arnal and Daniel Monedero; An average man must save Christmas when Santa has a serious accident and needs counseling) - Dec. 1, Spain (Trailer)

Andre Rieu White Christmas (holiday concert special feature André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra, with interview and backstage footage hosted by Charlotte Hawkins) Dec. 2, limited (Website)

Noel Joyeux (a.k.a. Christmas Unplanned; French holiday movie starring Emmanuelle Devos, Franck Dubosc, Dominique Frot, Amel Charif, Axel Auriant and Amir Elkacem; written and directed by Clement Michel; A lonely couple decide to invite seniors from the local retirement home for Christmas; filmed in France) - Dec. 6, France

The Perfect Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Anthony Hackett, Cameron Arnett, Gigi Orsillo and Robert Amaya; co-directed by Hackett and Marc Thevenin Jr.; A father tries to pull off the perfect Christmas for his family, but ends up making a mess of their holiday; filmed in the Washington, D.C. area ) - Dec. 8, limited (Website)

Eileen (holiday-set drama starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway and Shea Whigham; directed by William Oldroyd; based on the book by Ottessa Moshfegh; A lonely prison employee becomes fascinated by a newcomer to the staff, but her obsession leads to tragedy; filmed in New Jersey) - Dec. 8 (Trailer)

Love Actually (20th anniversary theatrical re-release of the classic 2003 movie starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson and Bill Nighy; written and directed by Richard Curtis) - Dec. 8 (Trailer)

A Creature was Stirring (holiday-set horror movie starring Chrissy Metz, Annalise Basso, Scout Taylor-Compton and Connor Paolo; directed by Damien LeVeck; written by Shannon Wells; A nurse’s plan to keep her daughter sedated to protect her from a mysterious, malevolent affliction is thwarted by unexpected holiday houseguests with tragic consequences) - Dec. 8, limited (Trailer)

A Male (a.k.a. Un Varon; Columbian holiday-set movie directed by Fabian Hernandez; A young man leaves the safety of his youth shelter in order to spend Christmas day with his family, but must navigate his dangerous neighborhood to do so; filmed in Bogota; submitted for consideration in the Best International Feature category for the 96th Academy Awards) - Dec. 8, limited

A Christmas Story (40th anniversary theatrical re-release of the classic 1983 movie starring Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon and Ian Petrella about a boy who longs for a Red Ryder BB gun) - Dec. 10

A Small Town Christmas (holiday movie co-written, directed and starring Gin Blanton with Tahjjic Smith; A busy attorney with a thriving career finally returns home for the holidays after her grandmother falls ill ) - Dec. 11, Atlanta Premiere (Website)

Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night (new Christmas special edition of the faith-based story of the birth of Jesus, featuring a musical performance from Andrea Bocelli) - Dec. 12, Fathom Events

SuperKlaus (joint Spanish/Canadian, animated holiday movie/mini-series directed by Steven Majaury and Andrea Sebastián; A concussed Santa adopts the persona Superklaus but gets locked out of his workshop just before Christmas. Can two savvy kids and a loyal elf save Christmas?) - Dec. 15, Spain (Website)

The Christmas Room (holiday movie starring Kelsey Delemar, Donnie Brown Jr., Kimia' Workman, Cassandra Grant, Jordan Nancarrow, Maya Jai Pinson, Chanel Collins, Kelsey Delemar, Mignon Pinson and Faheem Saadiq Abdus-Salaam; written and directed by Pinson; A woman home for the holidays is shocked by her grandfather’s slide into dementia and struggles to get him the help he needs; filmed in Prince George’s County, Maryland) - Dec. 16, Maryland premiere (Instagram)

A Fireman for Christmas (holiday movie sequel to 2022′s Christmas at the Holly Hotel starring Kristen Ryda, Donnell J Clayton, Joe Kurak and Jesi Jensen; directed and co-written by Joel Paul Reisig; A woman falls in love with a firefighter at the holidays; filmed in Michigan) - Dec. 17, The Maple Theater, Michigan

A Christmas in New Hope (holiday movie starring Adrianne Palicki, Malcolm Goodwin, Katrina Bowden, David Anders, Ryan Cooper and Mia Armstrong directed by Julia Barnett; co-written by Barnett and Kathleen Estes; A single mom of a special needs child enters a home renovation contest focused on saving her home from foreclosure, but things get complicated when she falls for her musician neighbor; filmed in Waco, Texas) - Dec. 20, limited (Austin and surrounding areas)

An L.A. Christmas Story (holiday movie starring Jessica Moore, Derrick Zonca, Kaylee Frazier, Marla Lizbeth Perez, McKenzie Kelly and Eric Marq; written and directed by Michael Kallio; When her online video asking for a man who is “not an idiot” for Christmas goes viral, a lifestyle vlogger finds her life turned upside down; filmed in Hollywood, Ca.) - Dec. 20, L.A. premiere (Facebook)

All of Us Strangers (partially holiday-set drama starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal; written and directed by Andrew Haigh; inspired by Taichi Yamada’s Strangers; A lonely man’s encounter with his equally isolated neighbor changes his dreary existence, mostly occupied by memories of past losses) - Dec. 22 (Trailer)

Migration (seasonal animated movie directed by Benjamin Renner; written by Mike White; A family of birds flies south for the winter and encounters dangers along the way) - Dec. 22 (Teaser)

Spy x Family Code: White (holiday-set Japanese anime movie directed by Takashi Katagiri from a screenplay by Ichirō Ōkouchi; based on the manga series; A cooking competition at the academy sets off a chain of events that threaten world peace) - Dec. 22 (Teaser)

Four Little Adults (a.k.a. Neljä Pientä Aikuista; holiday-set Finnish drama starring Eero Milonoff, Alma Pöysti and Vilhelm Blomgren; from writer-director Selma Vilhunen; A middle-aged couple with a marriage in crisis attempt to integrate the husband’s mistress into their relationship) - Dec. 27, Finland

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joanarmatradings · 2 years

Text

2. Album Of The Year (General Field)

Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s).

We Are

Jon Batiste

Full album here.

Craig Adams, David Gauthier, Braedon Gautier, Brennon Gautier, Gospel Soul Children Choir, Hot 8 Brass Band, PJ Morton, Autumn Rowe, Zadie Smith, St. Augustine High School Marching 100 & Trombone Shorty, featured artists; Jon Batiste, Mikey Freedom Hart, DJ Khalil, King Garbage, Kizzo, Sunny Levine, Nate Mercereau, David Pimentel, Ricky Reed, Autumn Rowe, Jahaan Sweet & Nick Waterhouse, producers; Jon Batiste, Russ Elevado, Mischa Kachkachishvili, Kizzo, Joseph Lorge, Manny Marroquin, Ken Oriole, David Pimentel, Ricky Reed, Jaclyn Sanchez, Matt Vertere, Marc Whitmore & Alex Williams, engineers/mixers; Andrae Alexander, Troy Andrews, Jon Batiste, Zach Cooper, Vic Dimotsis, Eric Frederic, Kizzo, Sunny Levine, Steve McEwan, PJ Morton, Autumn Rowe & Mavis Staples, songwriters; Michelle Mancini, mastering engineer

Love For Sale

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Full album here.

Dae Bennett, producer; Dae Bennett, Josh Coleman & Billy Cumella, engineers/mixers; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers

Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe)

Justin Bieber

Full album here.

BEAM, benny blanco, Burna Boy, Daniel Caesar, Chance The Rapper, DaBaby, Dominic Fike, Giveon, Jaden, Tori Kelly, Khalid, The Kid LAROI, Lil Uzi Vert & Quavo, featured artists; Amy Allen, Louis Bell, Jon Bellion, Justin Bieber, benny blanco, BMW Kenny, Capi, Dreamlab, Dvlp, Jason Evigan, FINNEAS, The Futuristics, German, Josh Gudwin, Jimmie Gutch, HARV, Marvin "Tony" Hemmings, Ilya, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Stefan Johnson, KCdaproducer, Denis Kosiak, The Monsters & Strangerz, Jorgen Odegard, Michael Pollack, Poo Bear, Shndo, Skrillex, Jake Torrey, Trackz, Andrew Watt & Ido Zmishlany, producers; Cory Bice, benny blanco, Kevin "Capi" Carbo, Edwin Diaz, DJ Durel, Dreamlab, FINNEAS, Josh Gudwin, Sam Holland, Daniel James, Antonio Kearney, Denis Kosiak, Paul LaMalfa, Jeremy Lertola, Devin Nakao, Chris "TEK" O'Ryan, Andres Osorio, Micah Pettit & Benjamin Thomas, engineers/mixers; Amy Allen, Delacey (Brittany Amaradio), Louis Bell, Jonathan Bellion, Chancelor Johnathon Bennett, Justin Bieber, David Bowden, Jason Boyd, Scott Braun, Tommy Lee Brown, Valentin Brunn, Kevin Carbo, Kenneth Coby, Kevin Coby, Raul Cubina, Jordan Douglas, Giveon Dezmann Evans, Jason Evigan, Dominic David Fike, Kameron Glasper, Jacob Greenspan, Josh Gudwin, James Gutch, Scott Harris, Bernard Harvey, Leah Haywood, Gregory Aldae Hein, Marvin Hemmings, Jeffrey Howard, Alexander Izquierdo, Daniel James, Jace Logan Jennings, Rodney Jerkins, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Anthony M. Jones, Antonio Kearney, Charlton Kenneth, Joe Khajadourian, Felisha "Fury" King, Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, Matthew Sean Leon, Benjamin Levin, Marcus Lomax, Quavious Keyate Marshall, Luis Manuel Martinez Jr., Sonny Moore, Finneas O’Connell, Jorgen Odegard, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, Tayla Parx, Oliver Peterhof, Whitney Phillips, Michael Pollack, Khalid Donnel Robinson, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Alex Schwartz, Tia Scola, Aaron Simmonds, Ashton Simmonds, Gian Stone, Ali Tamposi, Ryan Tedder, Tyshane Thompson, Jake Torrey, Billy Walsh, Freddy Wexler, Symere Woods, Andrew Wotman, Rami Yacoub, Keavan Yazdani, Bigram Zayas & Ido Zmishlany, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

Planet Her (Deluxe)

Doja Cat

Full album here.

Eve, Ariana Grande, Gunna, JID, SZA, The Weeknd & Young Thug, featured artists; Aaron Bow, Rogét Chahayed, Crate Classics, Digi, Dr. Luke, f a l l e n, Mayer Hawthorne, Mike Hector, Linden Jay, Aynzli Jones, Kurtis McKenzie, Jason Quenneville, Reef, Khaled Rohaim, Al Shux, Sully, tizhimself, Yeti Beats & Y2K, producers; Rob Bisel, Jesse Ray Ernster, Serban Ghenea, Clint Gibbs, Rian Lewis, NealHPogue, Tyler Sheppard, Kalani Thompson, Joe Visciano & Jeff Ellis Worldwide, engineers/mixers; Ilana Armida, Aaron Bow, Rogét Chahayed, Jamil Chammas, Sheldon Yu-Ting Cheung, Antwoine Collins, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Lukasz Gottwald, Ariana Grande, Mayer Hawthorne, Mike Hector, Aaron Horn, Taneisha Damielle Jackson, Linden Jay, Eve Jihan Jeffers, Aynzli Jones, Sergio Kitchens, Carter Lang, Siddharth Mallick, Maciej Margol-Gromada, Kurtis McKenzie, Jidenna Mobisson, Gerard A. Powell II, Geordan Reid-Campbell, Khaled Rohaim, Destin Route, Solána Rowe, Laura Roy, Al Shuckburgh, David Sprecher, Ari Starace, Lee Stashenko, Abel Tesfaye, Rob Tewlow & Jeffery Lamar Williams, songwriters; Dale Becker & Mike Bozzi, mastering engineers

Happier Than Ever

Billie Eilish

Full album here.

FINNEAS, producer; Billie Eilish, FINNEAS & Rob Kinelski, engineers/mixers; Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters; John Greenham & Dave Kutch, mastering engineers

Back Of My Mind

H.E.R.

Full album here.

Chris Brown, Cordae, DJ Khaled, Lil Baby, Thundercat, Bryson Tiller, Ty Dolla $ign, YG & Yung Bleu, featured artists; Tarik Azzouz, Bordeaux, Nelson Bridges, DJ Camper, Cardiak, Cardo, Chi Chi, Steven J. Collins, Flip, Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman, GRADES, H.E.R., Hit-Boy, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Walter Jones, KAYTRANADA, DJ Khaled, Mario Luciano, Mike Will Made-It, NonNative, NOVA WAV, Scribz Riley, Jeff Robinson, STREETRUNNER, Hue Strother, Asa Taccone, Thundercat, Thurdi & Wu10, producers; Rafael Fai Bautista, Luis Bordeaux, Dee Brown, Anthony Cruz, Ayanna Depas, Morning Estrada, Chris Galland, H.E.R., Jaycen Joshua, KAYTRANADA, Derek Keota, Omar Loya, Manny Marroquin, Tim McClain, Juan "AyoJuan" Peña, Micah Pettit, Patrizio Pigliapoco, Alex Pyle, Jaclyn Sanchez, Miki Tsutsumi & Tito "Earcandy" Vasquez, engineers/mixers; Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Nasri Atweh, Tarik Azzouz, Stacy Barthe, Jeremy Biddle, Nelson “Keyz” Bridges, Chris Brown, Stephen Bruner, Darhyl Camper Jr., Luis Campozano, Louis Kevin Celestin, Anthony Clemons Jr., Steven J. Collins, Ronald “Flip” Colson, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Elijah Dias, Cordae Dunston, Jeff Gitelman, Tyrone Griffin Jr., Priscilla “Priscilla Renea” Hamilton, H.E.R., Charles A. Hinshaw, Chauncey Hollis, Latisha Twana Hyman, Keenon Daequan Ray Jackson, Rodney Jerkins, Dominique Jones, Khaled Khaled, Ron Latour, Gamal “Lunchmoney” Lewis, Mario Luciano, Carl McCormick, Leon McQuay III, Julia Michaels, Maxx Moore, Vurdell “V. Script” Muller, Chidi Osondu, Karriem Riggins, Mike “Scribz” Riley, Seandrea Sledge, Hue Strother, Asa Taccone, Tiara Thomas, Bryson Tiller, Daniel James Traynor, Brendan Walsh, Nicholas Warwar, Jabrile Hashim Willliams, Michael L. Williams II, Robert Williams & Kelvin Wooten, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer

Montero

Lil Nas X

Full album here.

Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Elton John & Megan Thee Stallion, featured artists; Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, John Cunningham, Omer Fedi, Kuk Harrell, Jasper Harris, KBeaZy, Carter Lang, Nick Lee, Roy Lenzo, Tom Levesque, Jasper Sheff, Blake Slatkin, Drew Sliger, Take A Daytrip, Ryan Tedder & Kanye West, producers; Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, Jon Castelli, John Cunningham, Jelli Dorman, Tom Elmhirst, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Kuk Harrell, Roy Lenzo, Manny Marroquin, Nickie Jon Pabon, Patrizio 'Teezio' Pigliapoco, Blake Slatkin, Drew Sliger, Ryan Tedder & Joe Visciano, engineers/mixers; Keegan Bach, Denzel Baptiste, David Biral, John Cunningham, Miley Ray Cyrus, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Omer Fedi, Vincent Goodyer, Jack Harlow, Jasper Harris, Montero Hill, Ilsey Juber, Carter Lang, Nick Lee, Roy Lenzo, Thomas James Levesque, Andrew Luce, Michael Olmo, Jasper Sheff, Blake Slatkin, R.L. Stafford, Ryan Tedder, William K. Ward & Kanye West, songwriters; Chris Gehringer, Eric Lagg & Randy Merrill, mastering engineers

Sour

Olivia Rodrigo

Full album here.

Alexander 23, Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, producers; Ryan Linvill, Mitch McCarthy & Daniel Nigro, engineers/mixers; Daniel Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo & Casey Smith, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Evermore

Taylor Swift

Full album here.

Bon Iver, Haim & The National, featured artists; Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner & Taylor Swift, producers; Thomas Bartlett, JT Bates, Robin Baynton, Stuart Bogie, Gabriel Cabezas, CJ Camerieri, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Scott Devendorf, Matt DiMona, Jon Gautier, Trevor Hagen, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Josh Kaufman, Benjamin Lanz, Nick Lloyd, Jonathan Low, James McAlister, Dave Nelson, Sean O'Brien, Ryan Olson, Ariel Rechtshaid, Kyle Resnick, Michael Riddleberger, Laura Sisk, Evan Smith, Alex Sopp & Justin Vernon, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff, William Bowery, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Taylor Swift & Justin Vernon, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers

Donda

Kanye West

Full album here.

Baby Keem, Chris Brown, Conway The Machine, DaBaby, Jay Electronica, Fivio Foreign, Westside Gunn, JAY-Z, Syleena Johnson, Kid Cudi, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Lil Yachty, The LOX, Marilyn Manson, Playboi Carti, Pop Smoke, Roddy Ricch, Rooga, Travis Scott, Shenseea, Swizz Beatz, Young Thug, Don Toliver, Ty Dolla $ign, Vory, The Weeknd, Westside Gunn & Lil Yachty, featured artists; Allday, Audi, AyoAA, Roark Bailey, Louis Bell, Jeff Bhasker, Boi-1Da, BoogzDaBeast, Warryn Campbell, Cubeatz, David & Eli, Mike Dean, Dem Jointz, Digital Nas, DJ Khalil, DRTWRK, 88-Keys, E.Vax, FNZ, Gesaffelstein, Nikki Grier, Cory Henry, Ronny J, DJ Khalil, Wallis Lane, Digital Nas, Nascent, Ojivolta, Shuko, Sloane, Sean Solymar, Sucuki, Arron “Arrow” Sunday, Swizz Beatz, Zen Tachi, 30 Roc, Bastian Völkel, Mia Wallis, Kanye West, Wheezy & Jason White, producers; Josh Berg, Todd Bergman, Rashade Benani Bevel Sr., Will Chason, Dem Jointz, IRKO, Jess Jackson, Nagaris Johnson, Shin Kamiyama, Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, James Kelso, Scott McDowell, Kalam Ali Muttalib, Jonathan Pfarr, Drrique Rendeer, Alejandro Rodriguez-Dawson, Mikalai Skrobat, Devon Wilson & Lorenzo Wolff, engineers/mixers; Dwayne Abernathy Jr., Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah, Aswad Asif, Roark Bailey, Durk Banks, Sam Barsh, Christoph Bauss, Louis Bell, Jeff Bhasker, Isaac De Boni, Christopher Brown, Jahshua Brown, Tahrence Brown, Aaron Butts, Warryn Campbell, Hykeem Carter Jr., Jordan Terrell Carter, Shawn Carter, Denzel Charles, Raul Cubina, Isaac De Boni, Kasseem Dean, Michael Dean, Tim Friedrich, Wesley Glass, Samuel Gloade, Kevin Gomringer, Tim Gomringer, Tyrone Griffin Jr., Jahmal Gwin, Cory Henry, Tavoris Javon Hollins Jr., Larry Hoover Jr., Bashar Jackson, Sean Jacob, Nima Jahanbin, Paimon Jahanbin, Syleena Johnson, Dominique Armani Jones, Eli Klughammer, Chinsea Lee, Mike Lévy, Evan Mast, Mark Mbogo, Miles McCollum, Josh Mease, Scott Medcudi, Brian Miller, Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr., Michael Mulé, Mark Myrie, Charles M. Njapa, Nasir Pemberton, Carlos St. John Phillips, Jason Phillips, Khalil Abdul Rahman, Laraya Ashlee Robinson, Christopher Ruelas, David Ruoff, Maxie Lee Ryles III, Matthew Samuels, Daniel Seeff, Eric Sloan Jr., Sean Solymar, Ronald O’Neill Spence Jr., David Styles, Michael Suski, Aqeel Tate, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, Caleb Zackery Toliver, Bastian Völkel, Brian Hugh Warner, Jacques Webster II, Kanye West, Orlando Wilder, Jeffery Williams & Mark Williams, songwriters; Irko, mastering engineer

#album of the year

4 notes · View notes

dweemeister · 3 years

Photo

NOTE: This is the third film released theatrically during the COVID-19 pandemic that I am reviewing – I saw Raya and the Last Dragon at the Regency Theatres Directors Cut Cinema’s drive-in operation in Laguna Niguel, California. Because moviegoing carries risks at this time, please remember to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by your local, regional, and national health officials.

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

As Raya and the Last Dragon, directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada and written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, made its theatrical and streaming bow, the United States was grappling with a wave of highly-publicized hate incidents towards Asian-Americans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This spike in racially-motivated verbal abuse, assaults, and homicides began with the pandemic and, frustratingly, had only been receiving national attention in these last few weeks. Despite the nation’s racist origins entwined with chattel slavery of black people and its continued unequal treatment of minorities including Asian-Americans, I am not qualified to say if the U.S. is “more” or “less racist” than other countries. But I can hardly think of any other people that interrogate racial inequality and oppression as much (and as publicly) as Americans – an undeniable strength. There was no way Raya and the Last Dragon’s cast and crew could have anticipated the film’s fraught timing, but the film provides a much-needed, positive, and heavily flawed, action-adventure romp drawn from Southeast Asian cultures.

The very notion that Walt Disney Animation Studios was attempting to craft a film using an amalgam of Southeast Asian cultures stoked my excitement and dread. Southeast Asian cultures – including, but not limited to, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam – are often lumped into those of East Asia (China, Korea, Japan), which dominate Asian-American depictions or Asian-influenced media in the United States. What gave me pause is that Disney’s track record in films featuring non-European-inspired characters and places inspired by non-European cultures is mixed. Aladdin (1992) and Pocahontas (1995) are aggregations of (and indulge in stereotypes towards) Arabs and indigenous Americans alike, especially in their presentations of “savagery” (Pocahontas in particular is guilty of false equivalences).

Cultural aggregations in fictional settings are not insensitive, per se. Yet, Disney’s stated intentions on this film are undermined by a voice cast ensemble almost entirely composed of actors of Chinese and Korean descent – you can bring up Adele Lim’s response to the voice casting controversy all you want, but her response contradicts the film’s promotion. Amid its gorgeous production and character design, Raya manages to avoid the worst mistakes of its Disney Renaissance predecessors. But its hero’s journey is too cluttered and too littered with the anachronistic and metatextual jokes plaguing the last decade’s Disney animated features.

Five centuries before the events of Raya and the Last Dragon, the land of Kumandra saw its people live in harmony with dragons. That relationship, however, would be devastated by the appearance of the Druun – a swirling, purple vortex that turns living beings into stone. In the conflict against the Druun, the last dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina), makes a fateful sacrifice to save Kumandra by concentrating the dragons’ collective power into a magical orb. Soon after, Kumandra’s five tribes – Fang, Heart, Spine, Tail, and Talon (named after parts of a dragon) – fight amongst each other for control of the orb (Heart eventually gains possession of it), effectively partitioning the land. In the present day, the Heart tribe’s Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim) proposes and hosts a feast-summit to discuss and heal Kumandra’s divisions. Benja has taught his daughter, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), the ways of a warrior and the necessity for Kumandra’s tribes to realize their oneness. At the feast-summit, Raya befriends Namaari (Gemma Chan; Jona Xiao as young Namaari), the daughter of Fang Chief Virana (Sandra Oh). Predictably, Namaari betrays her new friend in an orchestrated ploy to pilfer the dragons’ orb for Fang. Just as the Druun make a surprise invasion of Heart, the botched heist sees the orb break into five, and each of the tribes makes off with part of the orb. It will be up to Raya to recover the other four pieces of the orb, lest Kumandra succumb to the Druun.

The film’s screenplay is, charitably, a mess. Though Qui Nguyen (primarily a playwright) and Adele Lim (2018’s Crazy Rich Asians) are the credited screenwriters, Raya’s phalanx of story credits (mostly full-time, white employees at the Disney studios) suggest studio interference. Raya seems as if it is trying to cleanly differentiate certain tribes as based on a certain Southeast Asian nation. Instead, it comes off as a brew of mish-mashed parts (this problem extends to the otherwise stunning animation). With the exception of those from the militant Fang, the bit characters from the various tribes do not behave any differently from the members of other tribes. The partition of Kumandra, five hundred years before the events of Raya, feels like as if it had never existed for lengthy stretches in this film.

After Kelly Marie Tran, as Raya, narrates the mythology and history of Kumandra in the opening minutes, the film’s structure tethers itself predictably to the monomyth. The fracturing of the dragon’s orb into five parts sends Raya onto a tedious adventure: the physical travel to a new part of Kumandra, introduction of a sidekick (all of them are comic reliefs), an action setpiece involving a necessary assist from new sidekick, and the integration of that sidekick into Raya’s ever-growing party. Lather, rinse, repeat. To squeeze the four other tribes into the film’s 107-minute runtime and set up a climax and resolving actions results in a frantically-paced movie. Almost all of the film’s dialogue is subservient to its structure, the hero’s journey. This disallows the viewer to learn more about our lead and her fellow adventurers. In arguably the most important example in how the dedication to story structure undermines the characters, take Raya’s repeated mentions to her newfound confidants that she has difficulty trusting others. Six years have passed since the day of Namaari’s betrayal and Raya’s discovery of Sisu. How has Raya’s sense of distrust evolved over time, and how does it manifest towards those of other tribes? Does it appear in moments without consequence to her quest, in gusts of casual cruelty? In terms of characterization, Raya is showing too little and telling just the basics – a dynamic that also applies to the film’s most important supporting characters.

Ever since Tangled (2010), the films of the Disney animated canon have increased their use of metatextual and anachronistic humor (e.g. Kristoff’s comment about Anna’s engagement to a person she just met in 2013’s Frozen and Maui’s Twitter joke in 2016’s Moana that still makes me gnash my teeth when I think about it). Invariably, the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has seen its brand of pathos-destroying humor bleed into the Disney animated canon and Star Wars. Like so many films in the Disney animated canon, Raya takes place in a fantastical location in a never-time far removed from the present. From the moment Raya meets Sisu, the circa-2020s humor is ceaseless. For Disney animated movies set in fantastical worlds, this sort of humor suits films that are principally comedies, such as The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) – a work that owes more to Looney Tunes than anything Disney has created. Instead, Raya’s comedy will suit viewers who frequent certain corners of the Internet, “for the memes.” Do Disney’s animation filmmakers believe the adults and children viewing their films so impatient and unintelligent about human emotions? That they will not accept a scene that deals honestly with betrayal, disappointment, heartbreak, or loss unless there is a snide remark or visual gag inserted within said scene or shortly afterward?

Raya seems like a film set to portray its scenarios with the gravity they require. But overusing Awkwafina’s Awkwafina-esque jokes and a DreamWorks- or Illumination Entertainment-inspired infant causing meaningless havoc will subvert whatever emotions Nguyen and Lim are attempting to evoke. These statements are not arguing that Raya and Disney’s animated films should be humorless, that Disney should stop casting an Awkwafina or an Eddie Murphy as comic relief. Instead, Raya is another case study in how Disney’s brand of ultramodern humor is overtaking their films’ integral dramatics. Raya is noisy, clamorous – no different than anything Disney has released in the last decade, save Winnie the Pooh (2011).

Production designers Helen Mingjue Chen, Paul A. Felix, and Cory Loftis have worked on films like Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Big Hero 6 (2014), or Zootopia (2016). Each of these films feature glamorous, near-future metropolises or sleek digital worlds. Where the tribespeople of Kumandra might not be behaviorally-differentiated, the color coding, lighting, and biomes of each of the five lands comprising Kumandra ably distinguishes Fang, Heart, Spine, Tail, and Talon from each other. As if taking cues from the production designs of Big Hero 6’s San Fransokyo and, to some extent, The King and I (1956), it is difficult to pin down specific influences on the clashing architectural styles within the lands, in addition to the unusually empty and cavernous palaces and temples and varying costumes. As picturesque as some of these lands are, the art direction does not help to empower the characteristic of the tribes and their native lands. Nor does James Newton Howard’s thickly-synthesized grind of an action score, which prefers to accompany the film’s excellent combat scenes rather than stake a clearer thematic identity for its own. Howard uses East and Southeast Asian instrumentations and influences in his music, but, disappointingly, they are heavily processed through synthetic elements and are played underneath the film’s sound mix.

Character art directors Shiyoon Kim (Tangled, 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and Ami Thompson (2017’s MFKZ, 2018’s Ralph Breaks the Internet) embrace the (generally) darker and varying skin complexions of Southeast Asian peoples. The skin textures are among the best ever produced in a Disney CGI-animated feature, and the variety of face shapes – although still paling in comparison to the best hand-drawn features – is a pleasure to witness.

The number of films starring actors/voice actors of Asian descent (all-Asian or majority-Asian), animated or otherwise, and released by a major Hollywood studio makes for a brief list. Raya and the Last Dragon joins an exclusive club that includes the likes of The Dragon Painter (1919), Go for Broke! (1951), Flower Drum Song (1961), The Joy Luck Club (1993), and Crazy Rich Asians (2018). Among those movies, Raya is the only entry specifically influenced by Southeast Asian cultures. Its cast may be headlined by Kelly Marie Tran (whose skill as a voice actor is one of the film’s most pleasant surprises), but most of the roles went to those of Chinese or Korean descent. No disrespect intended towards Gemma Chan, Sandra Oh, or veteran actress Lucille Soong, but the majority East Asian cast only serves to further monolithize Asians – as the amalgamated story, plot details, and production design have already done. I will not second-guess any fellow person of Southeast Asian descent if they feel “seen” through Raya. What a compliment that would be for this film. How empowering for that person. But the life experiences of those of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent are markedly different. Disney’s casting decisions in Raya – all in the wake of the disastrous Western and Eastern reception of the live-action Mulan (2020) – have revealed a fundamental lack of effort or understanding about the possibilities of a sincere attempt at representation.

To this classic film buff, the discourse surrounding Raya strikes historical chords. When Flower Drum Song was released to theaters, the film was labeled by the American mainstream as the definitive Asian-American movie. Opening during the height of the American Civil Rights Movement, the film (and the musical it adapts) looked like nothing released by Hollywood (and on Broadway) at that time. In that midcentury era of rising racial consciousness and the lack of opportunities for Asian-Americans in Hollywood, the marking of Flower Drum Song as the absolute pan-Asian celebration was bound to happen – however unfair the distinction. Even though Rodgers and Hammerstein (two white Jewish men who made well-meaning, problematic attempts to craft musicals decrying racial prejudice and social injustices) composed the musical and zero Asian people worked behind the camera, those labels remained. With some differences in who wrote the source material, The Joy Luck Club and Crazy Rich Asians have followed Flower Drum Song’s fate in their categorizations. Will Raya? Time will be the judge, the only judge.

Before time passes judgment, we have some present-day hints. Though not released by major studios, the quick succession of The Farewell (2019) and Minari (2020) point to an experiential specificity that Raya attempts, but never comes close to achieving. Whether through aggregation or specificity, Hollywood benefits from the perspectives of underrepresented groups. Widespread claims that Raya too closely copies Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008) reflect that dearth of East Asian and Southeast Asian representation in American media. For too many, ATLA is the Asian fantasy. These simplistic observations and bad-faith criticisms (one could rebuke Disney’s vaguely-European princess films on the same principles, but I find this as lazy as the bad-faith ATLA criticisms) also suggest a lack of understanding that Asian-inspired stories are drawing from similar tropes codified by Asian folklore and narratives centuries old. If one reads through this reviewer’s write-ups, you will find an abiding faith in the major Hollywood studios – past, present, and future – to be artistically daring and to genuinely represent long-excluded persons. Many might see this faith as misplaced. But even in the major studios’ flawed attempts to depict underrepresented groups, like Raya, they concoct astonishing sights and form moving links to the cinematic past.

Assuming you have not skipped to this paragraph, the write-up that you have read may seem scathing to your eyes. Raya is no Disney classic – there has not been one for some time. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my first viewing of Raya. After a few weeks’ worth of keeping my agony private over the recent uproar over attacks on persons of Asian descent in America, it was a surreal experience to see even an amalgamated celebration of Southeast Asian culture. Over this last year, we have lost people and things that emboldened us and ennobled us. In this season of unbelonging and otherizing feelings for Asians in America, Raya’s timing is fortuitous. It is emboldening and ennobling.

My rating: 6/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

#Raya and the Last Dragon #Don Hall #Carlos López Estrada #Kelly Marie Tran #Awkwafina #Izaac Wang #Gemma Chan #Daniel Dae Kim #Benedict Wong #Sandra Oh #Thalia Tran #Lucille Soong #Alan Tudyk #Qui Nguyen #Adele Lim #James Newton Howard #Disney #My Movie Odyssey

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grigori77 · 3 years

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Movies of 2021 - My Pre-Summer Favourites (Part 1)

The Runners-up:

20. THE MAURITANIAN – acclaimed filmmaker Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void) presents his best film in years with this stirring, troubling dramatization of the harrowing fourteen-year detention at Guantanamo Bay of Mohamedou Ould Slahi (A Prophet’s Tahar Rahim in a deeply affecting turn) between 2002 and 2016. Jodie Foster is also impressive as Nancy Hollander, the crusading attorney fighting for his release, as is Benedict Cumberbatch as Lt. Col. Stuart Couch, her opposing counsel, who comes to realise Slahi’s confinement has been built on a tissue of lies.

19. RIDERS OF JUSTICE – Danish writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken) brings his biting sense of humour and anarchic style to bear in this excellent black comedy starring Mads Mikkelsen as Markus, an emotionally distant soldier called home after his wife is killed in a tragic train wreck. As he attempts to reconnect with his troubled daughter (Andrea Heick Gadeberg), Markus becomes convinced by the theory of a trio of intellectually gifted outsiders who believe that the accident was in fact an elaborately staged assassination by the eponymous criminal biker gang.

18. STOWAWAY – Netflix dropped another sneaky sci-fi hit on us in the form of this deceptively understated space thriller about three astronauts on a mission to Mars who discover they no longer have enough life-support resources left to survive their journey after finding a member of the launch crew accidentally trapped on their spaceship. Writer-director Joe Penna is in comfortably familiar territory after acclaimed survival thriller Arctic, while the compact cast – Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson (Wynonna Earp) and, in particular, Anna Kendrick – are all excellent.

17. OUTSIDE THE WIRE – in the near future, civil war has broken out in the Ukraine and US forces fight to keep the peace with the aid of newly-minted robotic soldiers called GUMPs. Drone pilot Thomas Harp (Snowfall’s Damson Idris) is reassigned to the warzone as punishment for insubordination, finding himself teamed with Captain Leo (Anthony Mackie), an advanced hyper-intelligent android tasked with hunting down insurgents bent on unleashing nuclear holocaust on the West. Mikael Håfström (director of 1408 and Escape Plan) ably delivers some impressively weighty action sequences, while asking interesting questions about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

16. THE EMPTY MAN – I was a little late stumbling across this spectacularly twisted cosmic horror based on a graphic novel by Cullen Bunn (The Damned, The Sixth Gun) and Vanesa Del Ray, but it grabbed me in the first ten minutes and wouldn’t let go. The ever-excellent James Badge Dale delivers one of the best performances of his career as James Lasombra, an ex-cop who gets mixed up with a nightmarish conspiracy involving a doomsday cult built around the terrifying eponymous otherworldly entity in an head-fucking horror gem that entirely deserves its growing cult status.

15. SOUND OF METAL – had to wait until Amazon Prime released this in the UK last month, but this challenging and emotionally-charged drama was worth holding out, Riz Ahmed delivering his finest ever performance as Ruben Stone, a heavy metal drummer whose life is thrown into turmoil when he goes deaf. Ready Player One’s Olivia Cooke also impresses as his girlfriend Lou, a massively talented singer whose own personal demons are set loose as Ruben’s condition drives a wedge between them, while writer-director Darius Marder (who co-penned overlooked masterpiece The Place Beyond the Pines) shows he’s definitely gonna be a talent to watch in the future.

14. CHERRY – Tom Holland reteams with his regular MCU directors Joe and Anthony Russo for this harrowing but achingly beautiful adaptation of author Nico Walker’s sort-of-but-not-exactly semiautobiographical novel about a former US army medic who returns from the horrors of Iraq with crippling PTSD at the height of America’s opioid epidemic, forced to embark on a spree of bank robberies to feed his drug habit. Holland has never been better, while the Russos prove they’re capable of delivering more than just bombastic superhero action and big effects.

13. SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD – writer-director Stephen Kijak may be known for making documentaries about musicians (Scott Walker: 30th Century Man, Stones in Exile), but he proves he’s got a flair for fiction too with this cannily subversive comedy drama about a Middle American town that goes a little crazy one night in the 80s when a teenage boy hijacks the local heavy metal radio station and makes them play wall-to-wall tacks from The Smiths following the band’s sudden breakup. There’s escapist fun to be had from the irreverent quirkiness of the premise, and the youthful cast are all excellent, while Joe Manganiello delivers a brilliantly nuanced supporting turn as the besieged DJ.

12. BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY – I’ll admit to being a bit late to the party when it comes to Billie Eilish – I’d heard snippets of her music (most notably Bad Guy and her admittedly impressive theme for the new Bond movie), but until I watched this deep dive into her life and career, following the creation and promotion of her debut album, I didn’t yet know what all the fuss was about. Well I’m now thoroughly converted – not only is she an incredibly talented young musical artist but also a fascinating and intriguingly down-to-earth person too, and I look forward to following her career in the future.

11. SHADOW IN THE CLOUD – Chloë Grace Moretz gets a role to really sink her teeth into as Maude Garrett, a take-no-shit WAAF flight officer on a classified mission aboard Allied bomber Fool’s Errand in the Pacific in 1943, in this enjoyably unconventional action horror from My Wedding & Other Secrets director Roseanna Liang. The film is largely a one-woman show, with the cameras clinging stubbornly to Moretz while the genuinely terrifying story unfolds around her, and she invests Maude with a ferocious stubbornness and intensity that’s crafted one of the cinematic year’s most impressive action heroines.

#movies 2021 #the mauritanian #riders of justice #stowaway #stowaway movie #stowaway netflix #outside the wire #the empty man #sound of metal #cherry #cherry movie #shoplifters of the world #billie eilish the world's a little blurry #shadow in the cloud

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