A blog about societal, cultural, and civilizational collapse, and how to stave it off or survive it. Named after the legendary character "Crazy Eddie" in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye." Expect news and views about culture, politics, economics, technology, and science fiction.
I promised to resume my coverage of the Critics Choice Super Awards twice, so I'm quoting the relevant passage from the press release.
“The Boys” leads this year’s television nominees with five nominations overall including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. Antony Starr earned a nod for Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, in addition to Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, while Valorie Curry and Colby Minifie were both nominated for Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie.
...
“Fallout,” “House of the Dragon,” and “Paradise” each earned four nominations apiece in the television categories.
Now for the nominees.
Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie
The Boys
Daredevil: Born Again
Fallout
Gen V
Invincible
Peacemaker
Spider-Noir
Wonder Man
“Superman” leads this year’s film nominees, having earned six nominations including Best Superhero Movie. David Corenswet, Edi Gathegi, and Nicholas Hoult all received nominations for Best Actor in a Superhero Movie, while Nicholas Hoult received an additional nod for Best Villain in a Movie. Rachel Brosnahan is also up for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie.
I'm repeating the nominees from the preview image.
Best Superhero Movie*
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Exit 8
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Masters of the Universe
Mortal Kombat II
Supergirl
Superman
Masters of the Universe also has four nominations, but I doubt it is as strong as Fantastic Four: First Steps. It's followed by Exit 8, Mortal Kombat II, and Supergirl with two and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle with just this one.
What does this mean for the Saturn Awards? Not much. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Superman were already recognized. Exit 8 would likely be nominated for International Film or Horror Film and Masters of the Universe would work better as a Fantasy Film, leaving Mortal Kombat II and Supergirl. I suspect the latter will earn at least one Razzie nomination for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel, but probably won't "win." Whew. Instead, I think the contest will be between two movies not yet released, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. Other films that could join them would be Resident Evil and Street Fighter. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and the upcoming The Angry Birds Movie 3 could be nominated, but they're more likely to be recognized under animation.
FILM AWARDS
Best Action / Adventure Film: My vote, One Battle After Another. My prediction, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Winner, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. That's O.K., I voted for the Oscar winner for Best Picture.
Best Actor in a Film: My vote, Michael B. Jordan (Sinners). My prediction, none. Winner, Tom Cruise. I'm not surprised, but still I voted for the Oscar winner.
Best Actress in a Film: My vote, Emma Stone (Bugonia). My prediction, none. Winner, Elle Fanning (Predator: Badlands). That came as a surprise.
Best Animated Film: My vote, KPop Demon Hunters. My prediction, Zootopia 2. Winner, Zootopia 2.
Best Cinematic Film Adaptation: My vote, Superman. My prediction, Fantastic Four: First Steps. Winner, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Best Fantasy Film: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Wicked: For Good. Winner, Wicked: For Good.
Best Film Costume Design: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein. Not surprised, as it won the Oscar.
Best Film Direction: My vote, Ryan Coogler (Sinners). My prediction, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash). Winner, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash).
Best Film Editing: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Sinners.
Best Film Make Up: My vote, Frankenstein. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein.
Best Film Music: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Tron: Ares. Surprise! In fact, it was such a surprise I didn't even bother to embed any music from it in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads Best Science Fiction Film nominees at the Saturn Awards. I'll make up for it today.
Best Film Production Design: My vote, Wicked: For Good. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Best Film Screenwriting: My vote, Ryan Coogler (Sinners). My prediction, none. Winner, James Cameron (Avatar: Fire and Ash). Not surprised, but I still voted for the Oscar winner.
Best Film Visual / Special Effects: My vote, Avatar: Fire and Ash. My prediction, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Winner, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Best Horror Film: My vote, Frankenstein. My prediction, Frankenstein. Winner, Frankenstein.
Best Independent Film: My vote, Dust Bunny. My prediction, Dust Bunny. Winner, Dust Bunny.
Best International Animated Film: My vote, Ne Zha 2. My prediction, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. Winner, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.
Best International Film: My vote, Bring Her Back. My prediction, Sisu 2: Road to Revenge. Winner, Sisu 2: Road to Revenge.
Best Science Fiction Film: My vote, Avatar: Fire and Ash. My prediction, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Winner, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: My vote, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein). My prediction, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein). Winner, Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein).
Best Supporting Actress in a Film: My vote, My vote, Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good). My prediction, Amy Madigan. Winner, Sigourney Weaver.
Best Thriller Film: My vote, Sinners. My prediction, Sinners. Winner, Sinners.
Best Younger Performer in a Film: My vote, Miles Caton (Sinners). My prediction, none, but I mentioned Jack Champion. Winner, Jack Champion.
TELEVISION AWARDS
Best Action / Adventure Television Series: My vote, Paradise. My prediction, Cobra Kai or Twisted Metal. Winner, Duster.
Best Actor in a Television Series: My vote, Adam Scott (Severance). My prediction, Diego Luna, Sam Heughan or Norman Reedus. Winner, Diego Luna.
Best Actress in a Television Series: My vote, Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus). My prediction, none. Winner, Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus).
Best Animated Television Series or Special: My vote, Harley Quinn. My prediction, Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld. Winner, Predator: Killer of Killers.
Best Fantasy Television Series: My vote, Stranger Things. My prediction, Outlander. Winner, Outlander.
Best Guest Star in a Television Series: My vote, Linda Hamilton (Stranger Things). My prediction, Paul Wesley. Winner, Dave Dastmalchian.
Best Horror Television Series: My vote, The Last of Us. My prediction, It: Welcome to Derry. Winner, It: Welcome to Derry.
Best New Genre Television Series: My vote, Pluribus. My prediction, Pluribus, Alien: Earth, or Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Winner, Pluribus.
Best Science Fiction Television Series: My vote, Severance. My prediction, Andor or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Winner, Andor.
Best Superhero Television Series: My vote, Peacemaker. My prediction, Peacemaker. Winner, Peacemaker.
Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series: My vote, Stellan Skarsgard (Andor). My prediction, Stellan Skarsgard. Winner, Stellan Skarsgard.
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series: My vote, Julianne Nicholson (Paradise). My prediction, Uma Thurman. Winner, Karolina Wydra.
Best Television Presentation or Limited Series: My vote, The Pitt. My prediction, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Winner, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Best Thriller Television Series: My vote, Dark Winds. My prediction, Dexter: Resurrection. Winner, Dexter: Resurrection.
Best Young Performer in a Television Series: My vote, Sadie Sink (Stranger Things). My prediction, none. Winner, Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Star Wars: Skeleton Crew).
HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS
Best 4K Home Media Release: My vote, Wicked. My prediction, none. Winner, Wicked.
Best Classic Film Home Media Release: My vote, Night of the Living Dead 1990 (Sony). My prediction, none. Winner, Frailty (Lionsgate Home Video).
Best Film Home Media Collection: My vote, 007: James Bond – Sean Connery 6 Film Collection (Warner Bros.). My prediction, none. Winner, The Pink Panther Peter Sellers Comedy Collection (Kino Lorber).
Best Television Home Media Release: My vote, The Penguin Season 1 (Warner Bros.). My prediction, none. Winner, Chucky: The Complete Series (Universal).
I told my readers, "I have one or two more posts planned for the Saturn Awards nominees before the awards on Sunday night, so stay tuned." Without any further ado, here are the nominees for Best New Genre Series.
Best New Genre Series:
Alien: Earth
Outlander: Blood of My Blood
Pluribus
Robin Hood
Spartacus: House of Ashur
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Pluribus leads this category with four nominations, followed by Alien: Earth and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew tied at three each, then Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Robin Hood, and Spartacus: House of Ashur with just this one. The professional choices are Pluribus and Alien: Earth, both of which earned Critics Choice Award nominations and the former also a Golden Globe nomination along with awards for Rhea Seehorn for her acting. I voted for Pluribus, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Alien: Earth wins instead. I also wouldn't be surprised if Star Wars: Skeleton Crew or Outlander: Blood of My Blood upsets both of the professional picks. Both of the latter have dedicated fandoms and the former was a really fun adaptation of Treasure Island combined with Goonies/Stranger Things that worked in a Star Wars setting. As I last wrote in Animation and International Film nominees at the Saturn Awards, "the Saturn Awards are about entertainment not art, they don't care for subtle, and they love to stick it to the experts." Also, electorates matter.
Follow over the jump for the remaining television nominees plus all of my votes and some predictions.
As I promisedtwice, I'm returning to Saturn Awards coverage today. There's no better way to begin than by recycling the relevant paragraph from Deadline Hollywood.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which snagged a record 16 Oscar nominations last week, landed 12 Saturn nominations, as did Avatar: Fire and Ash and Fantastic Four: First Steps. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein followed with 11 noms, while Wicked: For Good picked up nine and Superman had eight.
Having examined Avatar: Fire and Ash and Sinners, it's time for me to feature Fantastic Four: First Steps, which leads Best Cinematic Adaptation Film, the successor to Best Superhero Film.
Best Cinematic Adaptation Film:
Black Phone 2
Captain America: Brave New World
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
A Minecraft Movie
Superman
Thunderbolts
In addition to Fantastic Four: First Steps leading with twelve nominations and Superman with eight, Thunderbolts* AKA Thunderbolts: The New Avengers has three, Black Phone 2 has two, and Captain America: Brave New World and A Minecraft Movie have just this one. Based on the number of nominations plus the Disney Marvel Cinematic Universe movies having a track record of winning the Best Superhero Film category, I think Fantastic Four: First Steps is favored. I didn't vote for it; I voted for Superman instead. It beat all other superhero films in the domestic and worldwide box office. Besides, I'm more of a DC fan than a Marvel fan and I've votedaccordingly when DC films are good enough.
Speaking of box office, the leader in this category is A Minecraft Movie, about which I wrote, "The critics must have disliked it for being dumb fun, but it's the kind of movie the People's Choice Awards would love and the Saturn Awards would nominate just to stick it to the experts." I'm glad to see it nominated, especially in this category. It won't win — it is on WatchMojo worst movies of 2025 list — but it deserved this recognition.
The nominee that most surprised me was Black Phone 2. I had to dig through Wikipedia to find out it's an adaptation of "The Black Phone," a story in 20th Century Ghosts. I learned something new, which makes today a good day.
Next, the other category I haven't covered yet that both Fantastic Four: First Steps and Thunderbolts* earned nominations in.
Best 4K Home Media Release:
Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning (Paramount) Nightmare Alley (Criterion) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Disney/Marvel) Thunderbolts(Disney/Marvel) When Evil Lurks (Second Sight Films) Wicked (Universal)
I wouldn't be surprised if The Fantastic Four: First Steps wins this category, too, but it was my one chance to vote for Wicked instead of Wicked: For Good, so I took it.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal. The action-adventure also stars Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles and Mark Gatiss. Directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis, Tim Lewis and Robert Kulzer, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” opens in theaters July 25, 2025.
I told my readers, "Stay tuned" as "I'm returning to awards show coverage [today], because the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films released the Saturn Awards nominations." I'm kicking the post off with Deadline Hollywood's paragraphs about the leading movie nominees.
Warner Bros’ record-setting Oscar nomination juggernaut Sinners, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash and Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps lead all film nominees for the 53rd Saturn Awards, which recognize the year’s best movies, TV programs and home video releases in the fantasy, science fiction, horror, superhero and action-adventure genres.
...
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which snagged a record 16 Oscar nominations last week, landed 12 Saturn nominations, as did Avatar: Fire and Ash and Fantastic Four: First Steps. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein followed with 11 noms, while Wicked: For Good picked up nine and Superman had eight.
The second paragraph sets my agenda for the order of the movie posts. All things being equal, which they are for three most nominated films, I'll break the tie in favor of science fiction, so it's going first.
Best Science Fiction Film:
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Bugonia
Jurassic World: Rebirth
Predator: Badlands
The Running Man
Tron: Ares
In addition to Avatar: Fire and Ash leading with 12 nominations, Predator: Badlands follows with five, Tron: Ares with three, Bugonia with two, then Jurassic World: Rebirth and The Running Man with one each in this category. I usually go with the expert/professional opinion when I vote in the Saturn Awards unless I have good reason to vote otherwise. My "good reason" is that Avatar: Fire and Ash is more science fiction than Bugonia, which is more of a dark thriller/comedy until the end, when the science fiction element is shown to be true instead of a character's delusion. It's also going to win, so I'm going with the flow. My vote: Avatar: Fire and Ash.
I'm re-examining my predictions for this category before I examine the acting, directing, writing, and craft nominations. As recently as November, I predicted "a match between Lilo & Stitch and Jurassic World: Rebirth" for this award, which I would have resolved in favor of the dinosaurs. Neither part of that will happen. First, Lilo & Stitch earned its nomination for Best Fantasy film. Second, the Academy extended its eligiblity period until about the end of 2025, making more films eligible. That's good news in that it allowed for higher quality fields with better comparisons with other awards. It's bad because the films released during November and December 2024 seemed to be dropped from consideration. No nominations for Wicked in film, just Wicked: For Good, for example. Hmph! In reaction/protest, I'm transferring the votes I would have cast for Wicked to Wicked: For Good.
Follow over the jump for the movie acting, directing, writing, and craft nominations and my votes.
HappyWorldScienceFictionDay! Normally, I'd post something about the Saturn Awards, but this year's nominees still haven't been announced, although the website now says "Stay tuned!" That means that nominees will be announced soon. Watch, they'll be published on the website later today; Science Fiction Day would be a good occasion to do that.
Instead, I'm returning to the CriticsChoiceAwards to examine the science fiction film nominees. There aren't many, although the most nominated would be surprising if I hadn't already teased it in the preview image.
BEST PICTURE
Bugonia (Focus Features)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
Jay Kelly (Netflix)
Marty Supreme (A24)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Sentimental Value (Neon)
Sinners (Warner Bros.)
Train Dreams (Netflix)
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
Before I discuss the science fiction nominee(s), I'm sharing the relevant paragraph from the press release because it did a lot of work for me.
“Sinners” leads the Critics Choice Awards film contenders with an impressive 17 nominations, nearly matching the record of 18 that “Barbie” achieved two years ago. “Sinners” collected a nod for Best Picture, while cast members Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku, and Miles Caton are up for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Young Actor / Actress respectively. Ryan Coogler was recognized in the categories of Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, and the film also received nods for Best Casting and Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Stunt Design, Best Song, Best Score, and Best Sound. “One Battle After Another” followed closely behind “Sinners,” earning 14 nominations.
Frankenstein and Hamnet follow with eleven nominations, Marty Supreme with eight, Sentimental Value and Wicked: For Good with seven, Train Dreams with five, Jay Kelly with four, and Bugonia with three. Sinners and Frankenstein are horror, One Battle After Another is an action/thriller film, Hamnet, Marty Surpreme, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams are dramas, Wicked: For Good is a fantasy musical, Jay Kelly is a comedy, and Bugonia is the only one IMDB tags as science fiction (and alien invasion, to boot). That written, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus is often considered the first science fiction story, but all of its movie adaptations are classified as horror, including this one.* Because of that, I'm focusing on Bugonia today.
Despite Sinners leading in nominations, Gold Derby's prognosticators think it's likely to lose to One Battle After Another, as 92.9% of experts, 75.0% of editors, and 85.9% of users expect the latter to win, while 7.1% of experts, 25.0% of editors, and 7.8% of users selected Sinners as their first choice. The rest of the users have split among Marty Supreme with 1.9%, Frankenstein with 1.7%, Wicked: For Good with 1.2%, Hamnet with 0.6%, and Train Dreams with 0.5%. No one has picked either Bugonia or Jay Kelly.
Before I continue with Bugonia's two other nominations, I'm examining another best movie category.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco (Neon)
Elio (Pixar Animation Studios)
In Your Dreams (Netflix)
KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (GKIDS)
Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Wikipedia lists both Arco and Elio as science fiction, while the rest are fantasy with the possible exception of Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, which is just animated drama. Interestingly, IMDB also tagged KPop Demon Hunters as superhero; I never thought of Huntrix as a magical girl team, but they are.
KPop Demon Hunters is the only nominee with a second nomination for Best Song. It's also Gold Derby's choice to win this category with every editor and expert plus 89.6% of users ranking it first. Zootopia 2 follows with 7.8% of users, then Little Amélie or the Character of Rain at 1.7%, Arco with 0.6%, then Elio and In Your Dreams tied at 0.2%. This isn't science fiction's category, either.
BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet (Focus Features)
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (A24)
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value (Neon)
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
Emma Stone – Bugonia (Focus Features)
This is probably Bugonia's best category, but Gold Derby rates Emma Stone as no better than third with 2.0% of users backing her. Jessie Buckley and Rose Byrne are both ahead of her with the professionals split between them. The experts expect Buckley to win with 84.6% of them picking her along with 25.0% of editors and 67.8% of users. Meanwhile, 75.0% of editors along with 15.4% of experts and 27.6% of users believe Rose Byrne will earn the one award for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Renate Reinsve follows with 1.6% of users, then Chase Infiniti at 0.5%, and Amanda Seyfried at 0.4%.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.)
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams (Netflix)
Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don Mckellar, Jahye Lee – No Other Choice (Neon)
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein (Netflix)
Will Tracy – Bugonia (Focus Features)
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell – Hamnet (Focus Features)
One Battle After Another leads the Gold Derby odds as the choice of every editor, 84.6% of experts, and 89.8% of users. The remaining 15.4% of experts and 6.2% of users picked Hamnet. No Other Choice, Frankenstein, Bugonia, and Train Dreams follow with 1.9%, 1.3%, 0.6%, and 0.1% of users supporting each, respectively. I plan on recycling this award for the first Sunday entertainment feature, which will be an early celebration of National Screenwriters Day.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the science fiction and scifi-adjacent film nominees.
Today's year-end retrospective doubles as the final Sunday entertainment feature of 2025. I begin with Beyond The Trailer's Top Ten Best Movies of 2025.
Top Ten Best Movies of 2025 today! Beyond The Trailer host Grace Randolph gives a review of her Top Ten Movies of 2025 including a breakdown as to why each one made the cut! Find out where Marty Supreme, Wicked for Good, Weapons, KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners, Superman, Materialists, One Battle After Another, F1 The Movie and The Phoenician Scheme land on this list!
From blockbuster franchises to intimate dramas, cinema delivered unforgettable experiences in 2025! Join us as we count down the films that reminded us why we love movies in the first place. Our list includes Paul Thomas Anderson's thrilling "One Battle After Another," Ryan Coogler's genre-blending "Sinners," Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein," and many more! Which film topped your list this year? From Marvel's comeback with "Thunderbolts*" to the emotional "Hamnet" with Paul Mescal, from the horror masterpiece "Weapons" to the animated sensation "KPop Demon Hunters," 2025 offered something for every movie lover. Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!
I recorded WatchMojo's top twenty as I watched.
1. One Battle After Another
2. Sinners
3. Hamnet
4. Weapons
5. Bugonia
6. Frankenstein
7. KPop Demon Hunters
8. The Naked Gun
9. Superman
10. Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
11. Sentimental Value
12. 28 Years Later
13. Marty Supreme
14. Black Bag
15. The Long Walk
16. Warfare
17. Mickey 17
18. Final Destination: Bloodlines
19. Thunderbolts*
20. Wicked for Good
Grace Randolph and WatchMojo compiled very different lists, although both agreed that One Battle After Another is the best movie of the year.
WatchMojo also compiled a worst movies list. Follow over the jump for it.
Dark Matter – Ronnie Koff, Charlie Proctor, Alex Braddock, and Lexi Gunvaldson (Apple TV+)
The Decameron – Mark Bashore, Katrina Crawford, Jason Esser, Torin Bashore, Harry Teitelman, and Mauro Gimferrer Alos (Netflix)
House of the Dragon – Garson Yu, Mulan Leong-Suzuki, James Robertson, Damian Stricker, Dan Tegnelia, and Gregory Jones (HBO)
The Penguin – Aaron Becker, Joseph Ahn, Michael Lo, James Robertson, Hsien Lun Su, Alasdair Willson, and Ben Hurand (HBO)
Severance – Oliver Latta and Teddy Blanks (Apple TV+)
The White Lotus – Katrina Crawford, Mark Bashore, Mauro Gimferrer, and Marcos Coral (HBO)
Every editor and expert along with 93.0% of users predict Severance will earn a second Emmy in this category. The rest of the nominees have weak user support with The White Lotus a distant second at 4.1%, The Penguin at 1.7%, House of the Dragon and The Decameron tied at 0.6%, and Dark Matter with none. That's enough for me to embed Severance — Opening Title Sequence: Season 2 | Apple TV+.
In Severance, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.
In season two, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.
Season 2 reunites its ensemble cast of stars including Emmy Award nominee Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, Emmy Award winner John Turturro, Academy Award winner Christopher Walken and Academy and Emmy Award winner Patricia Arquette, and welcomes new series regular Sarah Bock.
Severance is executive produced by Ben Stiller, who also directs five episodes this season in addition to directors Uta Bresiewitz, Sam Donovan and Jessica Lee Gagné. The series is written, created and executive produced by Dan Erickson. Severance season two is also executive produced by John Lesher, Jackie Cohn, Mark Friedman, Beau Willimon, Jordan Tappis, Sam Donovan, Caroline Baron, Richard Schwartz, Nicholas Weinstock. In addition to starring, Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette serve as executive producers. Fifth Season is the studio.
Trippy, and a good introduction to the themes of the season.
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
Dept. Q – Carlos Rafael Rivera and Scott Frank (Netflix)
Dune: Prophecy – Volker Bertelmann (HBO)
Lazarus – Kamasi Washington (Adult Swim)
The Residence – Mark Mothersbaugh (Netflix)
The White Lotus – Cristobal Tapia de Veer (HBO)
Your Friends & Neighbors – Dominic Lewis and Hamilton Leithauser (Apple TV+)
The prognosticators at Gold Derby think The White Lotus will pick up an Emmy here, as every editor and expert along with 92.9% of users predict Cristobal Tapia de Veer will pick up another statuette for another variation on the theme original enough to qualify. Dune: Prophecy and The Residence tie for second with 2.4% of users, Lazarus is in fourth with 1.2%, and Dept. Q ties Your Friends & Neighbors for last with 0.6%. Watch the likely winner, THE WHITE LOTUS SEASON 3 MAIN TITLE BY PLAINS OF YONDER.
Never forget that all the farce and social satire of The White Lotus surrounds a crime (or several) and that what looks like paradise is full of danger.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the music nominees.
Arcane, Love, Death & Robots, and The Simpsons all have two nominations, while Bob's Burgers and Common Side Effects have just this one. Gold Derby's odds break the tie at the top as all experts, three-quarters of editors, and 88.2% of users have chosen 2022 winnerArcane to return to the podium next month. The other quarter of the editors and 6.3% of users picked 2023 winner The Simpsons to walk off with the statuette. The long-shot picks are Bob's Burgers with 2.8% of users, Common Side Effects with 1.7% of users, and Love, Death & Robots in last with 1.0% of users. Love, Death & Robots will have to get its Emmy elsewhere.
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Julie Andrews – Bridgerton: "Into The Light" as Lady Whistledown (Netflix)
Hank Azaria – The Simpsons: "Abe League of Their Moe" as Moe Szyslak (FOX)
Maya Rudolph – Big Mouth: "Why Do We Go Through Puberty?" as Connie the Hormone Monstress (Netflix)
Alan Tudyk – Andor: "Who Else Knows?" as K-2SO (Disney+)
Jeffrey Wright – What If...?: "What If... 1872?" as The Watcher (Disney+)
Steven Yeun – Invincible: "What Have I Done?" as Mark Grayson / Invincible (Prime Video)
Gold Derby expects Maya Rudolph to win for the fifth time since 2020 with the support of 85.7% of experts, all editors, and 72.2% of users. Alan Tudyk, who would be one of two nominees who would win a game of "one of these things is not like the others" because he's in a live-action show, sits in second with 14.3% of experts and 13.2% of users. Julie Andrews would be the other contestant in "one of these things is not like the others" and has 8.3% backing her. Steven Yuen has the support of 4.9% of users, while Hank Azaria and Jeffrey Wright are tied at 0.7% of users apiece.
Outstanding Sound Editing for an Animated Program
Arcane: "The Dirt Under Your Nails" – Brad Beaumont, Eliot Connors, Stephen P. Robinson, Janet "PJ" Pascual, Dan O'Connell, and John Cucci (Netflix)
Love, Death & Robots: "400 Boys" – Brad North, Craig Henighan, Dawn Lunsford, Jeff Charbonneau, and Alicia Stevens (Netflix)
Secret Level: "Warhammer 40,000: They Shall Know No Fear" – Matt Yocum, Brad North, Nolan McNaughton, Ryan Sullivan, Joseph Fraioli, Christopher Battaglia, Harry Cohen, Matt Manselle, Matt Tesley, and Brian Straub (Prime Video)
Star Trek: Lower Decks: "The New Next Generation" – James Lucero, Drew Guy, Konrad Piñon, James Singleton, John Wynn, Michael Britt, and Amber Funk (Paramount+)
What If...?: "What If... 1872?" – Mac Smith, Vanessa Lapato, Alyssa Nevarez, Steve Bissinger, Derek McGinley, Anele Onyekwere, Carl Sealove, Andrea Stelter Gard, and Sean England (Disney+)
Gold Derby does not have odds for this category, which is new, having been split off from comedy. My pick is the last animation winner, Love, Death & Robots, although both Arcane and Star Trek: Lower Decks are previous nominees.
“The Penguin” was the standout among this year’s television winners, taking home wins in all four of its nominated categories including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-For-TV Movie. “The Penguin” star Colin Farrell also won Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series, or Made-For-TV Movie, as well as Best Villain in a Series, Limited Series, or Made-For-TV Movie, while Cristin Milioti was awarded Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series, or Made-For-TV Movie.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” and “Sinners” lead this year’s film winners, having earned two wins each. “Deadpool & Wolverine” was named Best Superhero Movie, while Hugh Jackman earned Best Actor in a Superhero Movie. “Dune: Part Two” was recognized as Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie, with Timothée Chalamet honored as Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie. “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” took home Best Action Movie, with its star Tom Cruise winning Best Actor in an Action Movie. In the Horror categories, “Sinners” won Best Horror Movie, and Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor in a Horror Movie.
The most nominated show purely in superhero categories is The Penguin with four, followed by Agatha All Along and The Boys tied with Fallout and The Last of Us at three each and Superman & Lois with two. The Last of Us is almost certainly the favorite, but The Penguin has a very strong chance to upset. It helps that it has great nominated actors.
I was right to call for an upset; The Penguin won.
Pascal will have a much harder time repeating in this category than for horror actor. He's up against Colin Farrell as The Penguin himself...I think Farrell is the favorite to win this award...
As I predicted, Farrell won.
Like Farrell, Cristin Milioti won Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television at the main Critics Choice Awards, won Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series at the Saturn Awards, and leads the Gold Derby odds for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards...my choice is Milioti.
I made the right choice, Milioti won.
I think Farrell is the favorite to win as a villain protagonist...
And he did, winning two Super Awards!
Now for the horror categories in that post.
The Last of Us won Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-For-TV Movie. I implied it was most likely to win when I wrote "True Detective: Night Country [is] my choice to upset The Last of Us..." It didn't, not here. I also wrote "I think Pedro Pascal has [Best Actor in a Horror Series, Limited Series, or Made-For-TV Movie] in the bag." He won. I'm also claiming the next category.
I don't think Bella Ramsey is assured of winning this, despite her carrying the current season. I picked Jodie Foster to win Best Actress in a Television Series at the Saturn Awards and I would have done so in a field with Ramsey. I won't have to, but the Critics Choice Association members do.
As I expected, Foster won Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series, or Made-For-TV Movie.
Now for the superhero movies, which I covered in 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and 'Thunderbolts*' lead movie nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards where I wrote "I think the advantage goes to Deadpool & Wolverine in large part because it already has a Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy Movie. Remember, electorates matter." It won. I didn't fare as well in the next category, where I called the right movie, but favored the wrong actor: "I think this between Saturn Award winner Jackman and Saturn Award nominee Reynolds, with the edge to Reynolds for being the lead and playing two versions of himself on screen simultaneously. Regardless, whoever wins, Marvel will, too." It went to Jackman.
Marvel won the next category, which I was even more ambivalent about: "I wouldn't put it past the Critics Choice Association to vote for Lady Gaga to recognize a good performance in a bad film or Pugh as the other female lead nominated, but my personal choice is Emmy winner Corrin, who also earned a nomination for this role in the next category." They voted for Pugh, making this a sweep for (Disney) Marvel.
Dune: Part Two, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Legendary Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures)
Flow, screenplay by Gints Zilbalodis and Matiss Kaža, directed by Gints Zilbalodis (Dream Well Studio)
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, screenplay by George Miller and Nick Lathouris, directed by George Miller (Warner Bros. Pictures)
I Saw the TV Glow, screenplay by Jane Schoenbrun, directed by Jane Schoenbrun (Fruit Tree / Smudge Films / A24)
Wicked, screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, directed by Jon M. Chu (Universal Pictures)
The Wild Robot, screenplay by Chris Sanders and Peter Brown, directed by Chris Sanders (DreamWorks Animation)
I'm going to be a good environmentalist and recycle from 'Dune: Part Two' at the Critics Choice Super Awards: "Picking the winner is trivial; it will be Dune: Part Two." It's won the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation over I Saw the TV Glow and Wicked, which answers my gripe about Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie at the Critics Choice Super Awards that "This could have been a more interesting contest if the Critics Choice Association (CCA) had nominated Wicked." At least some of the writers will vote/have voted for the Hugo Award, too. Electorates matter, and I'm not expecting a different fan choice to win like last year.
[T]he Hugo Awards staged a revenge of the nerds by awarding Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves the rocket trophy. This reminded me of the Saturn Awards voters voting for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny over Barbie for Best Fantasy Film. I guess Barbie was too much of a normie movie for the nerds' and geeks' tastes.
I think the fans will vote for Dune: Part Two.
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Fallout: “The Beginning” written by Gursimran Sandhu, directed by Wayne Che Yip (Amazon Prime Video)
Agatha All Along: “Death’s Hand in Mine” written by Gia King & Cameron Squires, directed by Jac Schaeffer (Marvel, Disney+)
Doctor Who: “Dot and Bubble” written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (BBC, Disney+)
Star Trek: Lower Decks: “Fissure Quest” created by Mike McMahan and written by Lauren McGuire based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Brandon Williams (CBS Eye Animation Productions for Paramount+)
Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation” created and written by Mike McMahan, based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry, directed by Megan Lloyd (CBS Eye Animation Productions for Paramount+)
Doctor Who: “73 Yards” written by Russell T Davies, directed by Dylan Holmes Williams (BBC, Disney+)
This category poses more of a challenge. While Doctor Who “Dot and Bubble” and all of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 earned nominations at the Nebula Awards, since both franchises have two nominees, they might suffer from vote splitting. If so, it will open the door for either Agatha All Along or Fallout, winners of Best Superhero Television Series and Best Science Fiction Television Series at the Saturn Awards, respectively, to walk through and claim the rocket trophy. If so, I think it will be Fallout. If not, then I predict it will be the Doctor Who episode, “Dot and Bubble.”
Best Game or Interactive Work
Caves of Qud, co-creators Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat; contributors Nick DeCapua, Corey Frang, Craig Hamilton, Autumn McDonell, Bastia Rosen, Caelyn Sandel, Samuel Wilson (Freehold Games); sound design A Shell in the Pit; publisher Kitfox Games
Dragon Age: The Veilguard produced by BioWare
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom produced by Nintendo
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes produced by Simogo
Tactical Breach Wizards developed by Suspicious Developments
1000xRESIST developed by sunset visitor 斜陽過客, published by Fellow Traveller
1000xRESIST was the only game nominated at the Hugo Awards also nominated at the Nebula Awards, but I don't think that will sway the fans because they probably weren't playing it. Instead, they'll vote for a game they actually played. Based on watching streamers on Twitch, I think the most played games in this field were Dragon Age: The Veilguard and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Between those two, I'd vote for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as popular and fun as the Zelda games are.
I'm making an observation on Best Related Work before I conclude this entry. I suspect r/Fantasy’s 2024 Bingo Reading Challenge will win, but I'm rooting for “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” by Jenny Nicholson. It's her second Hugo nomination, and it examines an experiment that apparently succeeded critically but definitely failed commercially. Since Disney is in business to make money, it closed.
That's a wrap for today's Sunday entertainment entry. I plan on following through with "something...historical" tomorrow by embedding Bright Sun Films video on TGI Fridaysbankruptcy. Stay tuned for the Retail Apocalypse!
“The Last of Us” leads this year’s television nominees with 6 nominations overall including Best Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie and Best Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. Pedro Pascal received nods for both Best Actor in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie and Best Actor in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie, while Bella Ramsey earned nominations for both Best Actress in a Superhero Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie and Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie. (Superhero categories also include Comic Book and Video Game Inspired series.)
The Last of Usswept all of its nominated categories last year, so I wouldn't be surprised if does so this year. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter, and this is the same electorate. That written, The Last of Us is neither the most nominated show solely in the categories of horrorseries nor in superheroseries. Follow over the jump to find out what shows those are.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Thunderbolts*” lead this year’s film nominees, having earned six nominations each including Best Superhero Movie. Both Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds from “Deadpool & Wolverine” were recognized in the category of Best Actor in a Superhero Movie, while Emma Corrin and Jennifer Garner received nods for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie. Emma Corrin also is up for a second award, Best Villain in a Movie.
“Thunderbolts*” received nominations in the same categories, including nods for both David Harbour and Lewis Pullman for Best Actor in a Superhero Movie. Lewis Pullman is also up for Best Villain in a Movie, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Florence Pugh were both nominated for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie.
In addition to Deadpool & Wolverine and Thunderbolts* with six nominations each, the rest of the nominees for Best Superhero Movie are Captain America: Brave New World, The People’s Joker, and Venom: The Last Dance with two nominations apiece and Robot Dreams with just this one. I think the advantage goes to Deadpool & Wolverine in large part because it already has a Critics' Choice Award for Best Comedy Movie. Remember, electorates matter.
Deadpool & Wolverine also already has three Saturn Awards, so I can look ahead to this year's awards without it. If the Superhero Film category returns to this year's Saturn Awards, then Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World would certainly be nominees. Even if the category doesn't return, I expect Thunderbolts* will earn a nomination for Best Action Film, which it would probably lose to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, nominated here for Best Action Movie, which I expect it will win. Other potential nominees would be Razzie nomineeKraven the Hunter along with Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I expect one of the latter would win if the Saturn Awards have a superhero film category. Otherwise, I wouldn't put it past the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA to nominate both of the latter for Best Science Fiction Film, just like they did Venom: The Last Dance last year.
Two nominees surprised me, Robot Dreams and The People’s Joker. I should have heard of the former, as it's an Oscar nominee, losing to The Boy and the Heron for Best Animated Feature, and is based on a comic book. The latter is a satire that earned more nominations than Razzie winner Joker: Folie à Deux, which I will cover below the jump. Neither are eligible for this year's Saturn Awards.
I want to acknowledge a snub before I move on, A Minecraft Movie. The critics must have disliked it for being dumb fun, but it's the kind of movie the People's Choice Awards would love and the Saturn Awards would nominate just to stick it to the experts.
Follow over the jump for the superhero acting categories.
Purdue All-American Marching Band halftime performance at Ross–Ade Stadium, vs. Wisconsin, 10/23/2021, all about Superheroes!
That's quite the collection of superhero music from the 1960s to the 2010s! The show included both Spider-Man and Underdog, which have lasted far longer than I would have expected as a kid.
Have you ever been rescued from a risky situation or saved from injury or death? Those who come to our aid are called heroes. Some heroes happen to be in the right place at the right time. Others choose to be a hero as a career (though they wouldn't call themselves heroes.) And others still are fictional creations that inspire us with hope. Each year on April 28th, National Superhero Day honors superheroes, both real and fictional.
I've linked to National Day Calendar on this day before, but I've never embedded one of their videos for today until now. It was about time.
Best Science Fiction Film: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two. Winner Dune: Part Two. Best Fantasy Film: My preference/prediction Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Winner Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Best Horror Film: My preference/prediction Alien: Romulus. Winner Alien: Romulus. Best Thriller Film: My preference/prediction Strange Darling. Winner Strange Darling. Best Action / Adventure Film: My preference/prediction Deadpool & Wolverine. Winner Deadpool & Wolverine. Best Independent Film: My preference/prediction The Substance. Winner Late Night with the Devil. Surprise! Best International Film: My preference/prediction Godzilla Minus One (Japan). Winner Godzilla Minus One (Japan). Best Animated Film: My preference Inside Out 2. Prediction The Wild Robot. Winner The Wild Robot. "All of the editors, most of the experts, and nearly all the top 24 users think The Wild Robot will win next year's Oscar for Animated Feature, and the Saturn Awards electorate might follow suit." They did. Best Actor in a Film: My preference Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool & Wolverine). Winner Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario). "I can't rule out Nicolas Cage, who surprised me by winning Best Supporting Actor in a Film earlier this year for his hammy portrayal of Dracula in Renfield." Best Actress in a Film: My preference/prediction Demi Moore (The Substance). Winner Demi Moore (The Substance). Best Supporting Actor in a Film: My preference/prediction Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine). Winner Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine). Best Supporting Actress in a Film: My preference Margaret Qualley (The Substance). Prediction Emma Corrin. Winner Rebecca Ferguson (Dune: Part Two). Not a complete surprise, as I noted below. Best Younger Performer in a Film: My preference McKenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire). My prediction Jenna Ortega. Winner Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) as predicted. Best Film Direction: My preference/prediction Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two). Winner Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two). Best Film Screenwriting: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Denis Villeneuve Jon Spaihts). Winner Longlegs (Osgood Perkins). Surprise! Best Film Visual / Special Effects: My preference/prediction Godzilla Minus One (Masaki Takahashi, Tatsuiji Nojima, Kiyokk Shubuya, Takashi Yamazaki). Winner Dune: Part Two – Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salacombe, Gerd Nefzer. Not a surprise, as Dune: Part Two won the equivalent Academy Award this year. Best Film Music: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Hans Zimmer). Winner Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Danny Elfman). Not a complete surprise, as I wrote "That's a lot of fun and even better than the original!" Best Film Production Design: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Patrice Vermette). Winner Dune: Part Two (Patrice Vermette). Best Film Make Up: The Substance My preference/prediction The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin). Winner The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin). Best Film Editing: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Joe Walker). Winner Deadpool & Wolverine (Dean Zimmerman & Shane Reid). Not a surprise, as I wrote "I like the editing in action films, so I'm predisposed to vote for Deadpool & Wolverine..." Best Film Costume Design: My preference/prediction Dune: Part Two (Jacqueline West). Winner Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Colleen Atwood). Surprise! See below.
My predictions of winners different from my should-have-been votes:
I decided to go with the professional opinion and vote for Margaret Qualley as Best Supporting Actress in a Film, but I think Emmy-nominee Emma Corrin is just as good an actress and chewed more scenery as the villain of Deadpool & Wolverine, so she could upset.
I think the choice between Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya is even starker than between Brolin and Butler for Dune: Part Two. The only hope is that they coalesce around one of them as the better actress. Otherwise, Emma Corrin, who is an Emmy winner, will sneak through as the villain of Deadpool & Wolverine.
The voters decided on Rebecca Ferguson.
I think McKenna Grace is a better actress and displayed more range in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire than Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but Ortega is a bigger star, so she's likely to win Best Younger Performer in a Film.
That happened.
While I decided the makeup was integral to telling the story of The Substance, both Dune: Part Two and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice earned https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000133/2025/1/Critics' Choice Award nominations for their makeup, so either of them could win, particularly Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The Substance won, but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice surprised me in the next category instead.
Dune: Part Two also earned a nomination for costume design at the Critics' Choice Awards, but I wouldn't be surprised if the superhero cosplayers who are on the Saturn Awards costumes committee would be able to sway the vote to Deadpool & Wolverine.
Nope, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice won.
Follow over the jump for the television and home entertainment categories plus more on the most read entry of the 14th year of the blog.
Francis Ford Coppola accepts his Razzie® for Megalopolis.
...
In the new world of 2025: Bad is good. Dumb is smart. Ghastly is great. Oh, and winning a Razzie is a good thing. Here's looking at the top of the bottom and bestowing 2024's "Bizarro Best" with the honors they deserve!
Worst Picture : Madame Web
Actor: Jerry Seinfeld / Unfrosted
Actress: Dakota Johnson / Madame Web
Razzie® Redeemer : Pamela Anderson / The Last Showgirl
Supporting Actor : Jon Voight / Megalopolis, Reagan, Shadow Land & Strangers
Supporting Actress : Amy Schumer / Unfrosted
Director : Francis Ford Coppola / Megalopolis
Screen Combo : Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga / Joker: Folie a Deux
Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel : Joker: Folie a Deux
Screenplay : Madame Web, Screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharples and Claire Parker & S.J. Clarkson
I am thrilled to accept the Razzie award in so many important categories for @megalopolisfilm , and for the distinctive honor of being nominated as the worst director, worst screenplay, and worst picture at a time when so few have the courage to go against the prevailing trends of contemporary moviemaking!
In this wreck of a world today, where ART is given scores as if it were professional wrestling, I chose to NOT follow the gutless rules laid down by an industry so terrified of risk that despite the enormous pool of young talent at its disposal, may not create pictures that will be relevant and alive 50 years from now.
What an honor to stand alongside a great and courageous filmmaker like Jacques Tati who impoverished himself completely to make one of cinema’s most beloved failures, PLAYTIME! My sincere thanks to all my brilliant colleagues who joined me to make our work of art, MEGALOPOLIS, and let us remind ourselves us that box-office is only about money, and like war, stupidity and politics has no true place in our future.
I appreciated Coppola's acceptance remarks more than Dinesh D'Souza's, about which I wrote, "At least D'Souza showed up to 'own his bad,' proving he has some sense of humor, but he doesn't seem [to] realize it's not the Hollywood insiders who were voting, it's the fans. Dude, Hollywood doesn't hate your movie, America hates your movie."
That written, between Todd Phillips, my choice for Worst Director, and Coppola, I suspect the Razzie voters voted for Coppola because he's the more famous director. That fits the pattern I noticed nine years ago.
In addition to the covert misogyny I suspect among the voters, there is overt Schadenfreude; the voters seem to delight in finding bad performances by big name performers and creators and using them to bring the highest low. I don't have a problem with that, so I find it to be a useful role for the Razzies.
Even though I think Phillips did a worse job than Coppola with his creative control, I doubt he'd have written such a good acceptance speech, let alone accepted at all. Coppola owned his bad, even though he didn't really think that his movie was actually bad.
On the other hand, Madame Web's bad was so strong I could see its Razzies coming last year, "I'm afraid Madame Web will earn multiple Razzie nominations and might even win some of them." It led the "winners" with three Razzies, Worst Picture, Worst Actress for Dakota Johnson, and Worst Screenplay. Joker: Folie a Deux, Megalopolis, and Unfrosted tied for second with two Razzies each. Jon Voight's roles other than Megalopolis — Reagan, Shadow Land, and Strangers — tied those movies for last place.
Finally, Unfrosted winning two Razzies surprised me. Not only is it likely the first movie with both an Emmy nomination and at least one Razzie nomination, I'm sure it's the first movie with an Emmy nomination and two Razzies. Congratulations?
I'm not done with the movies. Stay tuned for the Oscars post I promised.
In this new and uncharted world where bad is good, dumb is smart and criticism is absolutely forbidden, the Razzies® stand ready to rumble. Just don't ask us to kneel! Here are our top three categories' nominees for 2024. Visit razzies.com for the rest!!
On the other hand, their math skills and attention to detail still stink. The Razzies press release reports a five-way tie for most nominations among Borderlands, Joker: Folie a Deux, Madame Web, Megalopolis, and Reagan at six nominations each. That's incorrect. Fortunately, 11 Alive in Atlanta checked the math and accurately reported 'Joker 2' leads Razzie nominations.
The sequel scored seven nominations, including Worst Picture.
Congratulations on getting it right. That's better than The Hollywood Reporter, which uncritically reproduced the numbers on the press release last year!
That written, Borderlands, Madame Web, Megalopolis, and Reagan actually are tied for second with six nominations each, followed by Unfrosted with four, which the press release reported. It skipped over Kraven the Hunter with three nominations and Argylle with two to list The Crow with two nominations. Sloppy, but I expect no better, which is why I know to check. That's fourconsecutiveyears I've found errors and omissions and a fifth going back to 2019.*
Enough of that. As I wrote the past two years, "I pay attention to the Razzies because they usually recognize the worst big-budget genre films and sniff out bad political films. They didn't disappoint me this year, as they recognized some poorly done genre films." None of the bad genre films surprised me, as I predicted lastyear, "'here's to hoping Madame Web doesn't earn at least one Razzie Award nomination next year and Johnson doesn't earn one as well for her role.' I'm afraid Madame Web will earn multiple Razzie nominations and might even win some of them. I just hope Sweeney escapes being nominated." Madame Web earned six, including Worst Actress for Dakota Johnson. At least Sydney Sweeney avoided a nomination.
That's not stopping me from posting would have been my votes, so here goes, beginning with the movie nominees.
Best Science Fiction Film: Dune: Part Two Best Fantasy Film: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Best Horror Film: Alien: Romulus Best Thriller Film: Strange Darling Best Action / Adventure Film: Deadpool & Wolverine Best Independent Film: The Substance Best International Film: Godzilla Minus One (Japan) Best Animated Film: Inside Out 2 Best Actor in a Film: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool & Wolverine) Best Actress in a Film: Demi Moore (The Substance) Best Supporting Actor in a Film: Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine) Best Supporting Actress in a Film: Margaret Qualley (The Substance) Best Younger Performer in a Film: McKenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) Best Film Direction: Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two) Best Film Screenwriting: Dune: Part Two (Denis Villeneuve Jon Spaihts) Best Film Visual / Special Effects: Godzilla Minus One (Masaki Takahashi, Tatsuiji Nojima, Kiyokk Shubuya, Takashi Yamazaki) Best Film Music: Dune: Part Two (Hans Zimmer) Best Film Production Design: Dune: Part Two (Patrice Vermette) Best Film Make Up: The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin) Best Film Editing: Dune: Part Two (Joe Walker) Best Film Costume Design: Dune: Part Two (Jacqueline West)
My predictions of winners different from my should-have-been votes:
I decided to go with the professional opinion and vote for Margaret Qualley as Best Supporting Actress in a Film, but I think Emmy-nominee Emma Corrin is just as good an actress and chewed more scenery as the villain of Deadpool & Wolverine, so she could upset.
I think McKenna Grace is a better actress and displayed more range in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire than Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but Ortega is a bigger star, so she's likely to win Best Younger Performer in a Film.
While I decided the makeup was integral to telling the story of The Substance, both Dune: Part Two and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice earned Critics' Choice Award nominations for their makeup, so either of them could win, particularly Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Dune: Part Two also earned a nomination for costume design at the Critics' Choice Awards, but I wouldn't be surprised if the superhero cosplayers who are on the Saturn Awards costumes committee would be able to sway the vote to Deadpool & Wolverine.
Follow over the jump for the television categories.
