Silver Screen Queens

We haven’t had the greatest experiences with Yorgos Lanthimos’s work (see our episode from last year on The Killing of a Sacred Deer), but THE FAVOURITE opened to near-universal acclaim, has more traditional subject matter, and features some of our favourite actresses really going for it, so we dove in.

• The Favourite (2018) - IMDb

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The latest addition to the DC film universe tackles one of the perpetual laughingstocks of the comic book world and makes him hot and charismatic in the form of Jason Momoa. Directed by action master James Wan, AQUAMAN also features Nicole Kidman demonstrating her range, the delightful Temuera Morrison, Willem Dafoe playing against type, and…Dolph Lundgren, enjoying a late career Lundgrenaissance.

• Aquaman (2018) - IMDb

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Miles Morales finally gets his own movie (animated, but still), and it turns out to be one of the most innovative animated films in years, melding comic book and cutting edge computer animation (as long as you aren’t epileptic - this film is NOT accessible). Dropping in the week before Christmas, it’s quite the gift.

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - IMDb
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s art style: we go behind the scenes - Polygon

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Based on the memoir of Lee Israel, a talented writer who turned to literary forgery when she fell on hard times, this gem of a movie celebrates an unapologetically queer, cranky woman trying to make it in an inhospitable world. Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant star as the eccentric leads, lightly moving through an impeccably-rendered 1990s New York.

• Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) - IMDb

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This is one set of YA novels that had passed us by, but they didn’t pass by Peter Jackson, who handed it over to his long-time storyboarder and special effects guy Christian Rivers to direct. The plucky heroine of this series is Hester Shaw, a scarred young woman hell-bent on avenging her mother’s murder. She’s joined by a blue-eyed angel in the form of Robert Sheehan as Tom, and Anna Fang, played by K-Pop star Jihae, who is worth the price of admission alone.

• Mortal Engines (2018) - IMDb
• Mortal Engines' Gross Excuses to Change Hester's Appearance | The Mary Sue
• Incredible Hester Shaw cosplay with full face make up and prosthetics | Making the Mortal Engines Movie
• (60) Peter Jackson and Christian Rivers on the Making of Mortal Engines! - YouTube
• Mortal Engines: Fans want to know why books' heavily scarred lead is now flawless | Stuff.co.nz
• My concerns about Wonder the film (and how to talk to your kids about Wonder)
• Facial difference as evil in Wonder Woman (and role models you should follow).
• The Skywhale - Wikipedia
• Misfits (TV Series 2009–2013) - IMDb
• Reese Witherspoon's Speech at Glamour's 2015 Women of the Year Awards | Glamour

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CREED was the best film of 2015 that hardly anyone saw (although clearly enough people saw it to make Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thomson and Ryan Coogler into stars). The sequel loses Coogler, but we are still here for it.

• Creed II (2018) - IMDb
• Creed (2015) - IMDb
• How 'Creed' Forever Changed the 'Rocky' Series - The Atlantic
• Why Bianca's Hearing Loss Storyline in Creed II Is So Important
• Creed II — Mediaversity Reviews

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Steve McQueen made a heist movie starring Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki and Michelle Rodriguez and we were There For It. Packed with stars, both in front of and behind the camera, WIDOWS is also a smart, socially conscious take on an old genre.

• Widows (2018) - IMDb
• Viola Davis on ‘Widows’ and the Pay Gap in Hollywood – Variety

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Even though we enjoyed the first fantastic Beasts film in 2016, this sequel has been surrounded by trouble since its inception, something that has continued into the reviews, which are universally terrible. Still, we are die hard Harry Potter fans, maybe there will be something for us in there?

• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) - IMDb

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Suspiria is now considered a classic of both the horror genre and Italian cinema. At a recent film festival, we were lucky enough to see a remastered print. Current darling of Italian cinema, Luca Guadagnino decided to follow up the phenomenal success of Call Me By Your Name by remaking this colourful and creative piece of art.

• Suspiria (1977) - IMDb
• Suspiria (2018) - IMDb

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Obviously, Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling’s follow up to LA LA LAND is…a Neil Armstrong biopic. We have an argument about it.

• First Man (2018) - IMDb
• Even Stevens (TV Series 2000–2003) - IMDb
• Adam Savage Meets the Spacesuits from First Man! - YouTube
• For Ryan Gosling, the approval of Neil Armstrong’s sons was a giant leap in bringing ‘First Man’ to the big screen - Los Angeles Times
• Astronaut Chris Hadfield Debunks Space Myths | WIRED - YouTube
• What It Was Like to Star in the Trump-Themed ‘Julius Caesar’

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