As we head into the Labor Day weekend and kids get ready to head back to school next week (if they haven't already) we're staring down the barrel of slim offerings at the box office. Kin is the only wide release this weekend but we do have a decent list of limited releases including several with actors including Jeremy Irons, Bruce Willis, and Orlando Bloom.
Any Oscar potential will definitely come from the limited releases this week, if at all. Happy Labor Day and happy back-to-school!
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 In a world where every "fact" imaginable can be argued from many different sides, it's good to know that math is still sacred...or is it?
I have the great fortune of still being in touch through email with my kindergarten teacher. As my first grade school teacher, she was a great influence on me at a very early age and I give her tremendous credit for handling a classroom of while 5 and 6-year-olds on a daily basis. She recently sent me an email with a link to a wonderful little short film called "Alternative Math." While the teacher in the film handles first grade, I can see the same quick wit and genuine love to teaching that my kindergarten teacher has to this day. After all, she's still teaching me things by sharing this fun film. 
We have another mid-week wide release and it looks like it could be a good one. I don't anticipate the type of box office reception that Crazy Rich Asians got earlier this month, but it looks like an exciting film.
Operation Finale Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler's List) stars as Adolf Eichmann, key organizer of the Holocaust during WWII. Operation Finale tells the story of the Israeli agent, played by Oscar Isaac (Star Wars, Ex Machina), tasked with locating Eichmann after the war and returning him to Israel to stand trial for his crimes against the Jewish population of Europe. Not to spoil the ending, but a quick online search will tell you that the operation was successful and Eichmann was executed in Israel in 1962. 
The summer is coming to an end and so is the summer blockbuster season. We've seen new films from strong franchises including Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Marvel, and Mission Impossible along with a few other surprises over the past few months. Now it's time for a little lull before we get into the heat of the fall movie season and start seeing many of the strong Oscar contenders hitting theaters.
If you have some films you've been meaning to see but haven't gotten to yet, this might be a good weekend for catching up. The new offerings don't appear to be the greatest and even the limited releases on tap leave something to be desired.
After a few weeks busy with wide releases, we only have two joining the party this weekend and one of those was delayed from earlier this month (Mile 22). Nothing in the wide release category this weekend will likely make much of a splash at the Oscars, but there are a number of potential nominees from the limited releases. John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection and Minding the Gap both jump out at potential winning documentaries while Memoir of War may turn some heads in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
I have to note the recent addition of the Best Popular Film category. Despite the addition here, I don't see any films released in recent weeks falling into this category. 
Crazy Rich Asians
It's been over a month since the last mid-week wide release (The Purge) and this film is a completely different style. The title alone seems to say it all, but there is a small question of whether they are "crazy" rich Asians or "crazy rich" Asians. Maybe it is a bit of both. The premise here seems simple enough; normal middle class girl falls in love with a handsome man who just happens to be part of an extremely wealthy family. Based on the trailers, the family is not just rich, but rich enough to own half of Asia. 
We seem to be hitting the busy part of the summer here in August after a number of sparse weeks in June and July. At the same time, we are starting to see some potential Oscar nominees hit theaters.
This week's wide releases may not show up at the Oscars, but Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman will surely secure at least a few nominations. After much buzz from the festival circuit, it finally arrives in limited release, but will likely be available in a theater near you.  By now you've likely heard rumors about some upcoming changes to the Oscars that will be announced next year. There are changes coming to the live telecast as well as a new category that was announced today. Here's what you need to know:
1. In an effort to speed the telecast along and provide more focus on the "big categories," some of the less popular categories will be announced during commercial breaks of the telecast. The awards will still be handed out during the live ceremony, but the television audience will not get to see them presented live. 2. There will be a new category for "outstanding achievement in popular film" and while the Academy announced that additional details would be forthcoming, this is likely to be a catchall for franchise films from the world of comics, science fiction, comedy, and horror. 3. Future ceremonies will likely take place earlier in the year, closer to the beginning of the calendar year. The ceremony this year was in early March while 2019 will award Oscars on February 24th, followed by February 9th in 2020. 
Yes, that's a bull in a china shop in the poster for Ferdinand. If you have ever been in elementary school, chances are you read the book by Munro Leaf and have a special place in your heart for the lovable bull who refuses to fight with the other bulls and only wants to smell the flowers.
If you never read the book as a child or if it's been a while, I actually found a PDF of the entire text of the book. It is JUST the text, so keep that in mind, but I strongly urge you to get the full book for your kids since it is a classic. Now, as much as I recommend checking out the book, you don't need to have read the book before seeing this film. In fact, you might do well to read the book after watching the film and talk with your kids about what is different between the two and why that might be. |
AuthorI'm just a film buff who wants to watch great movies. Where else to find the best, than the list of those nominated by the Academy each year? Archives
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