The Oscar-bait starts dripping in…
A prime bit of Oscar-bait is the weepie Beautiful Boy (63), with Steve Carell as the father of Timothee Chalamet, who happens to a meth addict. Co-opting the John Lennon song, this would appear to be the type of movie Hallmark might make, but it has much higher designs than that. Debating whether to see it. If it gets Oscar nominations, I have to.
Probably not an Oscar contender is Bohemian Rhapsody (49), the story of Freddie Mercury and thereby Queen. Rami Malek was thought to be a contender, but the lukewarm reviews and a lot of competition probably ends that pipe dream. I love Queen–if pressed, I would say they are my favorite ’70s band, so I will see this on DVD.
I’ve not seen too much of Tiffany Haddish, who has become a big star almost over night. Her latest film won’t help, though. Nobody’s Fool (39) is getting bad reviews. The description makes it sound like black sisters in a twist on The Odd Couple. Pass.
Even worse reviews are coming in for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (38), a take on the fairy tale that seems to be ripping off every children’s fantasy film of the last twenty years. Reviews warn that those who love the ballet should stay away. Directed by the unlikely duo of Joe Johnston and Lasse Hallstrom.
The film that most intrigues me this weekend is Suspiria (64), a remake of the 1977 Dario Argento film, directed by Luca Guadagnino in his follow up to Call Me By Your Name. The film is polarizing critics–Metacritic has ratings ranging from 100 to 0! The original film was schlock, but the idea of an arthouse type making a Gothic horror film is delicious. But Mick LaSalle has warned us: “Suspiria is not just a movie unworthy of your time. It’s an experience one should reflexively recoil from, up there with things like fire, pain, humiliation and embarrassment. Easily, it’s one of the worst movies of 2018.”
Gone Elsewhere 
Bohemian Rhapsody surpassed even the highest projections. Meanwhile The Nutcracker will open at or just below 20m on a 130m+ budget.