2019 Nominee Watch – October 11th

This week marks the firsts big batch of Halloween horror films hitting theaters. Most are falling into the limited release category and I wouldn't expect them to do much business, but who knows when you'll find a diamond in the rough.

We also get a Will Smith action piece and a comedy with a lead role for Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect). Click through for the full list of films releasing this weekend.

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The Addams Family
Dun dun dun dun <snap> <snap>. You just sang it in your head. If you did the snaps, please leave me a comment below to let me know.

It's been nearly 30 years since the original live action Addams Family film hit theaters (followed by a sequel two years later) and over a half century since the television series first aired, but the creepy, kooky family is back, this time in an animated film.

I feel like animation is the perfect vehicle for these characters since you can do so much more with them than in live action. That said, I recently revisited The Addams Family (1991) and got to show it to my kids for the first time. It holds up rather well, still getting laughs out of them in the appropriate spots.

​The new version brings some decent star power to the voice cast including Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ex Machina) as Gomez Addams, Charlize Theron (Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road) as Morticia, and Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In, Kick-Ass) as Wednesday. Other cast members include Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, and Martin Short. 

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The film clocks in at a tidy 87 minutes so don't expect any sweeping plots to keep track of here. You are sure to get silly gags and probably a few references to the previous films just for old time's sake.

In terms of Oscar potential, I could see this getting a nod for Best Animated Feature, but little else.

Gemini Man
Director Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain) brings us the story of a man who is hired to find and kill a younger version of himself created via cloning. It's an interesting concept and I'm curious to see how they pulled it off.

Will Smith (Men In Black, Independence Day) is the obvious draw here. He has successfully made himself over from being a rapper/comic 20+ years ago into a full blown action star today. He has done some drama in between but we come to the theaters for Will Smith taking down bad guys, and this film seems to throw a monkey wrench into that formula by pitting him against himself.

​It sounds like there is a great deal of digital work done to Smith to de-age him for playing the role of his younger self. De-aging seems to be the new big thing in Hollywood used previously in a number of the Marvel films, Tron: Legacy, at least two Terminator films, and the upcoming Martin Scorsese film The Irishman. They may have had less to do here since at 51, Smith still looks pretty young.

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Given the de-aging in the film, along with general action effects, I can see Gemini Man getting an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. There is also potential for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing, strong categories for action films like this.

I doubt that Lee will receive another Best Picture or Best Director nomination for this film, but he can't be at the top of the heap with every film he makes.

Jexi
While this appears on the surface to be a fun comedy about what happens when Siri turns from a helpful sidekick into a jealous girlfriend living in your phone with access to all your most personal secrets, I'm hopeful that people can see it as a cautionary tale about what happens when we get too attached to our technology.

Jexi arrives as the newest personal assistant on Phil's (Adam Devine) phone. She is rude, unfiltered, and dedicated to helping him, in only ways that she deems right. It's clear that Phil loves his phone, but after a chance run in with a beautiful girl on the street, he realizes that there may just be more to life than his technology.
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While I don't think this will get the attention of any Oscar voters, I think it may be a good film for us to watch in the society we live in today.

​Just leave your phone in the car.

Limited Releases

• 100 Acres of Hell – A group of testosterone driven man take to the woods for a guys weekend away and end up as the targets for a mysterious killer.
• Albanian Gangster – A look into the world of, well, Albanian gangsters.
• Along Came the Devil II – Sequel to the 2018 film about a woman who has a breakdown in church.
• Beloved Beast – A young girl befriends a mental patient following the death of her parents.
• The Dead Center – A man working in a hospital psychiatric ward begins to question his own sanity.
• Fronteras – A Hispanic man working as part of Border Patrol faces moral dilemmas across the South West.
• A German Youth – Documentary look at the history of violence in Germany throughout the 20th century.
• Gift – A documentary look into the area of the "gift economy" where people give things away in search of deeper meaning.
• El Guardia – A washed up security guard looks for something more in his life after declaring bankruptcy.
• High Strung: Free Dance – Sequel to the 2016 film that features a young dancer teamed up with a pianist to put together a new show.
• Holiday Hell – A woman stumbles into a mysterious shop where all the objects have stories that have never been told.
• In My Room – German film about a man who tries to discover the reason for the disappearance of everyone around him.
• John Wynn's Mirror Mirror – Psychological thriller about a strange mirror that forces a pastor to look deeply inside himself and come to terms with who he is.
• Lucky Day – A man recently out of prison tries to keep his family together while someone is trying to kill him.
• Mary – Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour, Harry Potter) stars as a man dealing with his daughter who seems to be possessed.
• Mister America – A concert promoter who was accused of murder runs for District Attorney in San Bernardino county in California. (Special Engagement)
• Parasite – In South Korea's entry for Best International Film, an unemployed family tries to forge their way to success.
• Polaroid – When two teenagers find an old Polaroid camera, they find that it holds dark secrets.
• The Sky is Pink – Priyanka Chopra (Baywatch, Quantico) stars in this Indian film about a man and woman falling in love as told by their dead teenage daughter.
• The Cotton Club – Reissue of director Francis Ford Coppola's (Apocalypse Now, The Godfather) 1984 film starring Richard Gere (Chicago, Pretty Woman), Gregory Hines (History of the World: Part I, Running Scared), and Diane Lane (Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun).
• Under ConTROLL – An evil troll from the 15th century is brought back to life in 2015. (October 13th)
• Alien – If you missed the Ridley Scott science fiction classic when it was originally released, now is your chance to see it on the big screen. (October 13th Special Engagement)
• Skid Row Marathon – Documentary about a criminal court judge who sets up a running club to help train homeless individuals to run international marathons. (October 14th Special Engagement)
• Jay and Silent Bob Reboot – Director Kevin James is back with all of his friends from past films including Jason lee, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Shannon Elizabeth, along with stars like Chris Hemsworth, Val Kilmer, Rosario Dawson, James Van Der Beek, and Justin Long. The plot doesn't really matter. If you like his movies, this will be a must see for sure. (October 15th Special Engagement)​
• Echoes of Fear – A woman inherits her grandfather's house and must face his mysterious death. (October 16th)​