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It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘Roma’ (starring  Yalitza Aparicio) is directed by Alfonso Cuaron and has nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress (Aparicio), Best Supporting Actress (Marina de Tavira) Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and more.

The synopsis:

A year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories:

1. Did we like it?

2. How did everyone look?

3. Will we steal stuff from it?

4. Is it problematic?

It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘BlackKklansman’ (starring John David Washington and Adam Driver) is directed by Adam McKay and has nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Driver), Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and more.

The synopsis:

It’s the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The young detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories:

1. Did we like it?

2. How did everyone look?

3. Will we steal stuff from it?

4. Is it problematic?

It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘Vice’ (starring Christian Bale) is directed by Adam McKay and has nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Bale), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams), Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and more.

The synopsis:

Governor George W. Bush of Texas picks Dick Cheney, the CEO of Halliburton Co, to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney's impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and defence secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world.

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories:

1. Did we like it?

2. How did everyone look?

3. Will we steal stuff from it?

4. Is it problematic?

Our 2019 Oscars pre-show is here...We make picks and predictions in each of the major categories, plus come up with an innovative new term for things that weren't nominated but deserved to be. 

In an unexpected twist, 'Happy Death Day 2 U' pivots the franchise from horror to science fair/buddy heist. Thanks we hate it!

Also, horror movies are back in a big way thanks to upcoming Octavia Spencer and Linda Cardellini projects.

It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘The Favourite’ (starring Emma Stone, Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz) is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and has nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress (Colman), Best Supporting Actress (Stone and Weisz), Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and more.

Synopsis: 

In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead, while tending to Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, and Abigail sees a chance to return to her aristocratic roots.

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories:

1. Did we like it?

2. How did everyone look?

3. Will we steal stuff from it?

4. Is it problematic?

It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘A Star Is Born’ (starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga) is directed by Bradley Cooper and has nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Cooper), Best Actress (Gaga), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Elliott), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and more.

Synopsis: 

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers -- and falls in love with -- struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories:

1. Did we like it?

2. How did everyone look?

3. Will we steal stuff from it?

4. Is it problematic?

It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘Black Panther’ (starring Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan) is directed by Ryan Coogler and has nominations for Best Picture and more.

Synopsis: 

After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he's drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories:

1. Did we like it?

2. How did everyone look?

3. Will we steal stuff from it?

4. Is it problematic?

We saw 'Cold Pursuit' (the Liam Neeson dark comedy that isn't really a dark comedy until it suddenly becomes a dark comedy about an hour into the movie) and my goodness...what a movie! We were so enthralled by it that we also watched its Norwegian inspiration, 'In Order of Disappearance'...starring Stellan Skarsgård!

Also: DJ recaps The Grammys, how to play a piano, and the reaction to Kacey Musgraves winning Album of the Year. Ray Romano has a new comedy special and it's underwhelming. The first trailer for 'Aladdin' is here and...it's a nope! 

It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘Green Book’ (starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen) is directed by Peter Farrelly and has nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Mortensen), Best Supporting Actor (Ali), Best Original Screenplay and more.

Synopsis: 

“Dr Don Shirley is a world-class African-American pianist, who is about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits Tony Lip, a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx. Despite their differences, the two men soon develop an unexpected bond while confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation.”

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories:

1. Did we like it?

2. How did everyone look?

3. Will we steal stuff from it?

4. Is it problematic?

It’s Oscars season and we’re reviewing the Academy’s big category picks. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (starring Rami Malek) is directed by Bryan Singer and has nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor and more.

Synopsis: 

"Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day."

We put the movie through our critically acclaimed rating system, which grades based on four categories: 1. Did we like it? 2. How did everyone look? 3. Will we steal stuff from it? 4. Is it problematic?