"All Booked Up" Episode 3

   A new week means another all new episode of "All Booked Up" everyone! This week me and Michelle give our review of "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri" and we suggest some Christmas movies that are awesome if not entirely Christmasy! Check it out below or go to Soundcloud and search us on your computer or phone! Dont forget to comment and let us know what you think.

https://soundcloud.com/allbookedup/episode-3-december-18th-2017

"All Booked Up" Episode 2

  The second episode of "All Booked Up" is out and ready for your enjoyment everyone! Click the link below or look it up on Soundcloud on your computer or phone. Dont forget to subscribe and let us know what you think!

   This week we cover the Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olson film "Wind River", give our thoughts on some good Native American books to read and also give our thoughts on "Lady Bird" and why its one of the best movies of the year.

https://soundcloud.com/allbookedup/all-booked-up-episode-2

New Podcast!!

  Ok so obviously i haven't been on here lately but hey i'm a busy guy and get distracted easily. Personal flaw i know but thats for another post. Anyway i'm popping back up, and hopefully regularly again, to announce my new podcast i'm co-hosting for the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library! Its called "All Booked Up" and we cover a wide range of pop culture topics from movies, tv and of course books as well! Our second episode just released today and a new one will debut every single Monday. Check it out by the link below or search us on Soundcloud either on your computer or through the app on your phone. Dont forget to subscribe and let us know what you think!

https://soundcloud.com/user-551711051/all-booked-up-episode-2

Academy Award 2017 Predictions

   Well its that time of year again, the 89th Academy Awards are here and all of Hollywood is abuzz and blah blah blah. Despite all the annoying usual hype this year the Academy seemed to get it correct for the most part (AMY ADAMS!!!!) as every category is top to bottom stacked with amazing work in film over the past year. Now i'm not going to cover every category here because quite honestly i've seen none of the more obscure category nominees (sorry Best Short Form Documentary) but i'm gonna do my best to get into as many as i can truthfully give an opinion on. So without further adieu here's my picks for the 2017 Academy Awards:

Best Original Screenplay

• "Hell or High Water" - Tyler Sheridan
• "La La Land" - Damien Chazelle
• "The Lobster" - Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou
• "Manchester by the Sea" - Kenneth Lonergan
• "20th Century Women" - Mike Mills

What Will Win: "Manchester by the Sea" - Kenneth Lonergan

What Could Win: "Hell or High Water" - Tyler Sheridan

Best Adapted Screenplay

• "Arrival" - Eric Heisserer
• "Fences" - August Wilson
• "Lion" - Luke Davies
• "Moonlight" - Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
• "Hidden Figures" - Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi

What Will Win: "Arrival" - Eric Heisserer

What Could Win: "Moonlight" - Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Best Visual Effects

• "Doctor Strange"
• "Kubo and the Two Strings"
• "Deepwater Horizon"
• "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"
• "The Jungle Book"

What Will Win: "The Jungle Book"

What Could Win: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"

  

Best Make-up and Hairstyling

• "A Man called Ove"- Eva von Bahr and Love Larson
• "Star Trek Beyond" - Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo
• "Suicide Squad" - Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

What Will Win: "Star Trek Beyond" - Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo

What Could Win: "A Man called Ove"- Eva von Bahr and Love Larson

Best Editing

• "Arrival" - Joe Walker
• "Hacksaw Ridge" - John Gilbert
• "Hell or High Water" - Jake Roberts
• "La La Land" - Tom Cross
• "Moonlight" - Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon

What Will Win: "La La Land" - Tom Cross

What Could Win: "Arrival" - Joe Walker

Best Director

• Mel Gibson - "Hacksaw Ridge"
• Damien Chazelle - "La La Land"
• Denis Villeneuve - "Arrival"
• Barry Jenkins - "Moonlight"
• Kenneth Lonergan - "Manchester by the Sea"

Who Will Win: Damien Chazelle "La La Land"

Who Could Win: Denis Villeneuve "Arrival"

Best Animated Feature

• "Kubo and the Two Strings"
• "Moana"
• "Zootopia"
• "The Red Turtle"
• "My Life as a Zucchini"

What Will Win: "Kubo and the Two Strings"

What Could Win: "Zootopia"

Best Supporting Actress

• Viola Davis - "Fences"
• Octavia Spencer - "Hidden Figures"
• Michelle Williams - "Manchester by the Sea"
• Naomi Harris - "Moonlight"
• Nicole Kidman - "Lion"

Who Will Win: Viola Davis - "Fences"

Who Could Win: Michelle Williams - "Manchester by the Sea"

Best Supporting Actor

• Jeff Bridges - "Hell or High Water"
• Dev Patel - "Lion"
• Michael Shannon - "Nocturnal Animals"
• Lucas Hedges - "Manchester by the Sea"
• Mahershala Ali - "Moonlight"

Who Will Win: Mahershala Ali - "Moonlight"

Who Could Win: Jeff Bridges - "Hell or High Water"

Best Actress

• Meryl Streep - "Florence Foster Jenkins"
• Emma Stone - "La La Land"
• Isabelle Huppert - "Elle"
• Ruth Negga - "Loving"
• Natalie Portman - "Jackie"

Who Will Win: Emma Stone - "La La Land"

Who Could Win: Natalie Portman - "Jackie"

Best Actor

• Ryan Gosling - "La La Land"
• Denzel Washington - "Fences"
• Casey Affleck - "Manchester by the Sea"
• Andrew Garfield - "Hacksaw Ridge"
• Viggo Mortensen - "Captain Fantastic"

Who Will Win: Casey Affleck - "Manchester by the Sea"

Who Could Win: Denzel Washington - "Fences"

Best Picture

• "Arrival"
• "La La Land"
• "Fences"
• "Hidden Figures"
• "Hacksaw Ridge"
• "Lion"
• "Hell or High Water"
• "Moonlight"
• "Manchester by the Sea"

What Will Win: "La La Land"

What Could Win: "Moonlight"

2017 Academy Award Nominees

   OK well i didn't do badly on my predictions but didn't do as good as i had hoped. I did get Best Director and Best Supporting Actor completely right but Viggo Mortensen got me in Best Actor and no Amy Adams in Best Actress Academy? Come on guys. 
   
   Anyway this years crop of nominees in pretty much every category is one of the most solid and competitive in years. You can make a very solid case for every nominee and in a few, Best Actor for instance, it wouldn't be shocking for any of the nominees to win it. Thats a rarity as lately there's always been one glaring instance of "What are they doing here?" every year but the Academy seems to have avoided doing that this season.

   Anyway not going to do a full on prediction post yet as need some time to actually SEE everything thats up this year but here's a complete rundown of this years nominees:

Best Picture

• Arrival
• Fences
• Hacksaw Ridge
• Hell or High Water
• Hidden Figures
• La La Land
• Lion
• Manchester By The Sea
• Moonlight

Best Director

• Denis Villeneuve - Arrival
• Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge
• Damien Chazelle - La La Land
• Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester By The Sea
• Barry Jenkins - Moonlight

Best Actor in a Leading Role

• Casey Affleck - Manchester By The Sea
• Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge
• Ryan Gosling - La La Land
• Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic
• Denzel Washington - Fences

Best Actress in a Leading Role

• Isabelle Huppert - Elle
• Ruth Negga - Loving
• Natalie Portman - Jackie
• Emma Stone - La La Land
• Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Supporting Actor

• Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
• Jeff Bridges - Hell Or High Water
• Lucas Hedges - Manchester By The Sea
• Dev Patel - Lion
• Michael Shannon - Nocturnal Animals

Best Supporting Actress

• Viola Davis - Fences
• Noamie Harris - Moonlight
• Nicole Kidman - Lion
• Octavia Spencer - Hidden Figures
• Michelle Williams - Manchester By The Sea

Best Original Screenplay

• Hell or High Water
• La La Land
• The Lobster
• Manchester By The Sea
• 20th Century Women

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Arrival
• Fences
• Hidden Figures
• Lion
• Moonlight

Best Film Editing

• Arrival
• Hacksaw Ridge
• Hell or High Water
• La La Land
• Moonlight

Best Foreign Language Film

• A Man Called Ove - Sweden
• Land Of Mine - Denmark
• The Salesman - Iran
• Tanna - Australia
• Toni Erdmann - Germany

Best Animated Feature

• Kubo and the Two Strings
• Moana
• My Life As A Zucchini
• The Red Turtle
• Zootopia

Best Cinematography

• Arrival
• La La Land
• Lion
• Moonlight
• Silence

Best Production Design

• Arrival
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Hail, Caesar!
• La La Land
• Passengers

Best Visual Effects

• Deepwater Horizon
• Doctor Strange
• The Jungle Book
• Kubo and the Two Strings
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling

• A Man Called Ove
• Star Trek Beyond
• Suicide Squad

Best Sound Mixing

• Arrival
• Hacksaw Ridge
• La La Land
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
• 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Best Sound Editing

• Arrival
• Deepwater Horizon
• Hacksaw Ridge
• La La Land
• Sully

Best Costume Design

• Allied
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Florence Foster Jenkins
• Jackie
• La La Land

Best Original Score

• Jackie
• La La Land
• Lion
• Moonlight
• Passengers

Best Original Song

• La La Land - Audition
• La La Land - City of Stars
• Moana - How Far I'll Go
• Jim: The James Foley Story - The Empty Chair
• Trolls - Can't Stop the Feeling

Best Documentary Feature

• Fire At Sea
• I Am Not Your Negro
• Life, Animated
• O.J: Made in America
• 13th

Best Documentary Short

• Extremis
• 4.1 Miles
• Joe's Violin
• Watani: My Homeland
• The White Helmets

Best Live-Action Short

• Ennemis Intérieurs
• La Femme et le TGV
• Silent Nights
• Sing
• Timecode

Best Animated Short

• Blind Vaysha
• Borrowed Time
• Pear Cider and Cigarettes
• Pearl
• Piper

2017 Academy Award Predictions

   Tomorrow is a big day in Hollywood as the list of nominees for the 2017 Academy Awards is announced. There's a few that are locks....I'm looking at you "LaLaLand"......but what about everyone else? Well I've made a few predictions of my own for who will get nominated for this years Academy Awards, check it out below and lets see how i do:

Best Picture

• LaLaLand
• The Arrival
• Hell or High Water
• Moonlight
• Lion
• Rogue One
• Manchester by the Sea
• Hacksaw Ridge

Best Actor

• Casey Affleck - "Manchester by the Sea"
• Denzel Washington - "Fences"
• Ryan Gosling - "LaLaLand"
• Joel Edgerton - "Loving"
• Andrew Garfield - "Hacksaw Ridge"

Best Actress

• Natalie Portman - "Jackie"
• Amy Adams - "The Arrival"
• Meryl Streep - "Florence Foster Jenkins"
• Ruth Negga - "Loving"
• Emma Stone - "LaLaLand"

Best Supporting Actor

• Jeff Bridges - "Hell or High Water"
• Ben Foster - "Hell or High Water"
• Aaron Taylor-Johnson - "Nocturnal Animals"
• Hugh Grant - "Florence Foster Jenkins"
• Mahershala Ali - "Moonlight"

Best Supporting Actress

• Viola Davis - "Fences"
• Nicole Kidman - "Lion"
• Michelle Williams - "Manchester by the Sea"
• Octavia Spencer - "Hidden Figures"
• Naomie Harris - "Moonlight"

Best Director

• Damien Chazelle - "LaLaLand"
• Mel Gibson - "Hacksaw Ridge"
• Kenneth Lonergan - "Manchester by the Sea"
• Barry Jenkins - "Moonlight"
• Denis Villeneuve - "The Arrival"

"Hell or High Water" Movie Review

  For all intents and purposes the classic western is a dead genre nowadays in terms of American cinema however the so called "Neo-Western" is alive and well and "Hell or High Water" is an excellent example of why that is.

   Based on a script by Taylor Sheridan, who also penned last years also amazing "Sicario", the film follows brothers Toby and Tanner Howard (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) as they go on a bank robbing spree through west Texas to raise money to save the family ranch. Meanwhile Texas Rangers Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are hot on their trail as Marcus is on his last case before retirement. A cliche plot perhaps but there's a reason people keep using it, because it works. Especially in a case like this where you assemble such a talented cast and let them go to work.

   At the top of the bill is Jeff Bridges, a man who has perfected the "lawman on his last job" character as he's played it a few times before. He brings the gravely voice, southern twang humor you'd expect but also injects Marcus with quite a bit of sadness. This is a man who knows how to do only one thing, be a Texas Ranger, and will soon be giving that up due to the creep of age and is left realizing that the job he's losing is all he has left in this world. We initially see him as a rather jovial figure, laughing and ribbing his partner and generally appearing to enjoy himself. Its in the times he's by himself that we realize what a sad and lonely figure he truly is. While everyone else speaks of their families or plans for the future Marcus has only this job left and soon he won't even have that anymore. He's built his whole life, his whole identity, on being a Ranger and being "one of the boys" but what is left for a man after that time is over? Bridges handles this complexity brilliantly and gives us one of his better recent performances in recent years. Nothing flashy or over the top, just subtlety mixed with gravitas and tragedy. Gil Birmingham is also very good as Marcus's put upon Mexican/Native American partner. Constantly the punchline for all of his partners off-color and racial jokes who is both tired of his Marcus's constant teasing but also knows its all the man has left and puts up with it anyway, partially because it'll all be over soon. 

   The other duo is the Howard brothers. Toby is the down on his luck family man who came up with the idea of robbing the same banks who are trying to steal their land through a reverse mortgage deal that was upon their dying mother in her last few years. He now has less then a week to raise $40,000 or lose the family land, upon which oil was recently discovered that could change his families lives forever. To pull this off Toby calls upon his unstable brother Tanner, recently released from jail after a 10-year stay for manslaughter and the only person Toby knows he can rely on to do this. 

   Chris Pine is playing the role of straight man Toby here and is better then expected in this spot. We see a guy who has never done anything illegal before but is forced into it by circumstance and who also is resigned to the idea they won't be getting away with it without going to jail, all that matters to him is securing his estranged children's future and changing his families fortunes for the better. His desire to change his families fate while also being resigned to his life most likely ending in jail gives Pine a chance to flex some acting muscles he doesn't get to do very often and he handles it very well. Ben Foster is right in his wheelhouse here as the unstable brother Tanner. Tanner's self-destructive behavior and disregard for his own safety/future gives Foster a chance to be a bit more flashy in his performance but luckily he keeps it just below to parody line and delivers a very compelling character who feels like someone who would grow up in West Texas. This behavior seems to highlight a guy who can't stop jumping from one adrenaline high to another and seems destined to end his days either in prison or at the end of a gun. Both performances are outstanding by themselves but its the when the two are together that the real magic happens. Pine and Foster do indeed feel like brothers onscreen as they play off and compliment each other perfectly. Their playful nature with one another, as well as the loyalty they feel towards defending one another, is really the heart of this movie and if it didn't work the whole thing falls apart. Luckily that's not at all an issue here as you can feel the bond and love between the brothers even when its not explicitly stated.

   I'd also be remiss if i didn't at least mention the pseudo other main character in "Hell or High Water" and that's the state of Texas itself. This movie feels like it could only take place in Texas and it takes full advantage of that. From the scenery to the history of Cowboys vs Native Americans to even the fact it seems everyone in Texas is carrying a gun this is a movie that takes full advantage of its setting and, in a way, makes it a character all its own. It adds to the flavor even more when things take a more action-centric turn near the end and the idea of this as a modern western is truly revisited in the last few scenes. Not to mention how you decide to interpret the ending and where it leaves our remaining characters. 

   Whether you're looking for a crime movie, a western or a character driven action film "Hell or High Water" delivers on all fronts and shows why so many critics deem it as one of the best movies of 2016. Don't miss this one folks!

**8.5/10 Stars**

Yippee Ki-yay get along little doggies