2019 Nominee Watch – October 4th

Despite the fact that it technically falls (somewhere) in the super hero genre, you might be surprised at the Oscar potential I see in this week's big wide release opener.

Also check out the limited releases for some horror fun as we step into the month of Halloween. I trust there will be more as we get closer to the end of the month, but there are a few here to whet your whistle if you're a horror fan.

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Joker
If you thought Heath Ledger's portrayal of the humorous villain in the 2008 film The Dark Knight, you may just want to reset your expectations before checking out Joaquin Phoenix in the title role.

I've always thought there was a little something...off about Phoenix and judging by the trailer and early review, this portrayal is no exception. We get an origin story here that fits the demented clown who has served as Batman's nemesis since his first comic appearance in 1940. A quick glance through the full cast listing for the film indicates an appearance by a young Bruce Wayne, along with his parents Thomas and Martha, indicating we may get another take on the infamous murder that eventually spurred Bruce to become Batman years later.

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Several outlets have lauded Phoenix's portrayal of The Joker as a down and out comedian who turns to demented clown who ravages Gotham City. While I could imagine him getting an Oscar nomination for the role, the fact that Ledger was nominated and received the Best Supporting Actor award for The Dark Knight makes me lean a bit away from Phoenix's nomination. I could also see nominations in the area of Best Adapted Screenplay (in the vein of Logan) and Best Film Editing or Best Cinematography.

Limited Releases

• The Climbers – Jackie Chan (Rush Hour) and Ziyi Zhang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha) star in this Chinese film about a May 1960 expedition to summit the "second step" of Mount Everest.
• El Coyote – Italian mobsters take on a drug cartel along the Mexico/United States border.
• Cuck – A young vlogger with strong right wing fuels his rage with sex and violence.
• Dilili in Paris – French animated film about a young girls investigating the kidnappings of girls around Paris.
• Gregory's Girl – Re-release of the 1980 British rom-com.
• Low Tide – Teens explore an old house on an island during summer vacation.
• Lucy in the Sky – Natalie Portman (Jackie, Black Swan) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men, The Town) star in the story of Astronaut Lucy Cola who loses touch with reality upon returning to Earth.
• Memory: Origins of Alien – Documentary look at the origin of Ridley Scott's groundbreaking film Alien from 1979.
• Miss Virginia – One woman fights to provide the best education possible for her troubled son.
• My Soul to Keep – Horror film about a group of teens who deal with a horror possessing one of their friends.
• Pain & Glory – Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro, Desperado) and Penélope Cruz (Volver, Vanilla Sky) star in this Spanish film about a director dealing with the consequences of his past choices.
• The Parts You Lose – A young boy befriends a potentially dangerous fugitive in North Dakota.
• Pretenders – A trio of lovers deal with love and betrayal.
• Rogue Warfare – Elite soldiers from around the world fight against a dangerous terrorist network.
• Wallflower – A group of ravers meet up with a man planning a mass shooting, causing him to have conflicting emotions about his plans.
• Wrinkles the Clown – Documentary about someone posing as Wrinkles the Clown who is going around scaring people in Florida.
• Ghostbusters – 35th anniversary re-release of the original supernatural comedy classic. Be ready for plenty of human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, and of course, mass hysteria!  (October 6th Special Engagement)
• Elvis Unleashed – Special event playing of Elvis's 1968 concert. (October 7th and 10th Special Engagement)
• Little Monsters – Lupita Nyong'o (Black Panther, Us) and Josh Gad (Frozen, Pixels) star in this horror comedy about a teacher trying to save her class from zombies while on a field trip. (October 8th Special Engagement)
• Metallica & San Francisco Symphony S&M2 – Live concert featuring Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony. (October 9th Special Engagement)