What to Look Forward To This Month

Want to know what's gracing your screens and piercing your eardrums? Hopefully this monthly segment on noteworthy and entertaining films, television and music news will be a starting point on 

*The release dates are Australia-based. 

FILM

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (Out Now)
Hopefully Ant-Man and the Wasp is here to relieve and fill up that Marvel sinkhole that is your heart #infinitywarstillstings. The first Ant-Man was entertaining enough, but I only saw it as a filler movie, so I do hope that the second film adds to the Marvel narrative and is a refreshing, intriguing film.

MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN (July 19th)
"I Have a Dream" that this film is going to make "Money, Money, Money!" It's been 10 years since the first Mamma Mia!, and I'm happy to "Take a Chance on (It)". Taking place once again on the aesthetically-pleasing Greek islands, it seems like this film will go back in time to when Donna met her three lovers. There's no doubt that it will be as delightful and sugary sweet as the first film, so I'm pretty keen to be a "Dancing Queen." Thank you for bearing with me and the weirdly-placed ABBA references.

THE BREAKER UPPERERS (July 26th)
This playful, original comedy is centred on a business started by two women who break up couples for cash. Directed and starring Kiwis Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami, it goes through the true meaning of cynicism, female camaraderie and love. If that doesn't push you over the edge, Taika Waitit is an executive producer, and we all need a lot more of him in our lives!

GENERAL
Keep your eyes out for the behind-the-scenes documentary Whitney, which chronicles the tumultuous life of powerhouse singer Whitney Houston, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the sequel to Denis Villeneuve's crime thriller set in Mexico. Although director Villeneuve has no attachment to the sequel, stars Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin have returned, so it will be worth checking out!

TELEVISION

While most TV shows being on break - never fear because Netflix is quietly, but surely, calling out for you to come closer and closer - awards season is kicking off sooner than you expected. The 2018 Primetime Emmy nominees have been announced, and there's some pretty spicy competish.

MUSIC

With music festivals and concerts galore popping up in the luminous summer vibes of the Northern Hemisphere, if you're in freezing cold Southern Hemisphere like me (#australiaforthewin), trying to keep taps on your favourite musicians is tough. You can't always rely on shoddy, screeching and shaky YouTube concert footage.

So, to keep yourself occupied, there's been a fair few musicians who have released funky tunes. Drake, Rihanna's stalker and an all-round quaint fella, has released his newest album called Scorpion. Athough it may not be my favourite, his music's pretty hot and this one's a banger.

That's my list of fantastical movies, television and music to watch out for this month. It's definitely not exclusive, so keep sniffing around for other fascinating things, as I have no doubt that you will be pleasantly surprised. 

Hey hey! It's Oscars time!

Yes, I know: Annabelle, seriously get it together! WHY does it take a couple of months to make a simple 1,000 word post on entertainment culture?! Yeah, well, I don't really have a great response to that, so I'm just gonna continue on, yeah?

Late last year, awards season has raised its feathered wings and soared into existence, and yet, we're still not sure who's going to take the coveted Best Picture award. Each nominee in each category has the merit to snatch away their respective award, but I'll be seeing how we can sort of predict what / who's going to win what.

P.S. I've included my opinions for the categories that I am semi-knowledgeable in, so that I don't look like a pleb.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick for "The Darkest Hour". Gary Oldman = Winston Churchill. 'Nuf said.

Best Costume Design: 

lol, I'm going to say Mark Bridges for "The Phantom Thread" just because it's a film about a dressmaker? I'd like to think that they'd have incredible costumes in this, but I could be wrong? (Please don't take my advice!)

Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing & Best Film Editing:

I combined these three award categories because I believe that "Baby Driver's" wins could come from them. However, "Dunkirk" and "Blade Runner 2049" can easily triumph and take these awards. Perhaps it's my personal prejudice, but because "Baby Driver" is one of my favourite films from last year, it'd be fantabulous for it to win at least one award. These three nominees are all deserving of the above accolades, however only one will win (well, obviously).

Best Production Design:

Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin ("The Shape of Water") are coming of an Art Directors Guild award and a BAFTA, so it'll take this like a fish out of water. Dennis Gassner and Alessandra Querzola ("Blade Runner 2049") might be contenders, from their win in the fantasy film category of the Art Directors Guild Award, so beware.

Best Cinematography: 

You are automatically submerged into the world that Roger Deakins ("Blade Runner 2049") presents - I haven't even seen the movie (WHAT?!!), but what the trailer offers in terms of creating a futuristic, cyberpunk world is enough for me to warrant his win.

Hoyte van Hoyteman ("Dunkirk") is definitely cruising behind him, and because I've definitely seen this film, I can say that the masterful weaving that Hoyte does to complement Nolan's world is fantastic to say the least.

Best Original Score:

Having the momentum from the BAFTAs and Golden Globes, Alexandre Desplat ("The Shape of Water") could win swimmingly. All nominees captured their film's themes and messages in a nutshell, so there could be competition from the other nominees. John Williams ("Star Wars: The Last Jedi") could take the award, however, the Academy could justify having already given him a "Star Wars" accolade for "The New Hope" in 1977.

Best Original Song:

If Pasek and Paul's ("This is Me" from "The Greatest Showman") status and credibility isn't already known, it will be cemented with this potential win. In an ideal world, Sufjan Stevens' ("Mystery of Love" from "Call Me By Your Name") would have this in the bag, with the songs he wrote for the film being the soundtrack of a summer's fling. But "This is Me" is an uplifting anthem for the down trodden, ostracised and freaks of the world. It's one of the better parts of "The Greatest Showman." Sue me, I didn't like it!

Best Original Screenplay:

In my opinion, the screenplay nominees in both categories are incredibly diverse and interesting, making these categories the strongest and my favourite of the year.

"Get Out's" only Oscar could come from this category, and it wouldn't be the film it is without Jordan Peele's astute commentary on race, white privilege, and social expectations and inherent prejudices. He masterfully told the story through the appropriate medium of horror, and presented a well-crafted, intriguing film.

The biggest threat comes from Martin McDonagh's "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." It does have the Golden Globes advantage, however misses the punch and pizzazz of "Get Out".

Best Adapted Screenplay: 

One of the numerous reasons why "Call Me By Your Name" is incredibly moving is because of James Ivory's delicate, purposeful and beautiful direction of the story. Using André Aciman's book as his foundation and inspiration, Ivory established a beautiful sensory world that explores love.

Considering that Ivory won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, he will most likely win the Oscar.

Best Director: 

Guillermo del Toro's ("The Shape of Water") time is now: having been in this business for years, he's a staple and exceptional filmmaker within his genre, so why wouldn't the Oscars choose him now? With the Directors Guild Award for Best Feature Film in his pocket, it'll be well-earned.

Jordan Peele ("Get Out") is standing on the Directors Guild Award for Best First-Time Feature Film, so he could nudge del Toro out of place. With Christopher Nolan's tour-de-force "Dunkirk", Greta Gerwig's 99% rating of "Lady Bird" on Rotten Tomatoes, and Paul Thomas Anderson's ("Phantom Thread") reputation and film canon are bound to make this a tight competition.

Best Supporting Actor: 

Same as above, although I've actually seen "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (yeah, I watch films...sometimes...)

Sam Rockwell ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri") will come on top. Even if you disagree with his character's arc and philosophies, "Three Billboards" should be highly credited with the casts' performances, and Sam Rockwell is no exception.

Best Supporting Actress:

I haven't seen any of the performances in this category, so I'll go with the popular vote: Allison Janney ("I, Tonya"). Kudos to Mary J. Blige ("Mudbound"), for being the first person to be nominated for an Oscar in acting and writing an original song in the same year.

Best Actor: 

Gary Oldman ("The Darkest Hour") is most certainly going to win: with acclaims and awards galore, it may be time that the Academy recognises his talent, finesse and successful career. Daniel Kaluuya ("Get Out") and Timothée Chalamet ("Call Me By Your Name) aren't too far behind, especially because both gave remarkable, spectacular, career-defining performances in their respective films.

Personally, I would have voted for either Daniel or Timothée - alas, the argument given is that both will have successful, incredible careers in the future. Even if that's true, I still believe that we should give awards based on the nominated performance given, not as a lifetime achievement award (#leoandtherevenant).

Best Actress: 

These actresses' performances propelled their respective films forward with the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent that they brought (soz, I've been watching too much "RuPaul's Drag Race").

Frances McDormand ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri") is turning out to be the undisputed winner - giving a haunting, realistic and sometimes hilarious performance about a mother who's trying to get the local police department to investigate the murder and rape of her daughter.

However, Saoirse Ronan ("Lady Bird") could give her a run for her money, having won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. With this being her third Oscar nomination, she's not playing around.

Best Picture: 

Lord, save us. We've finally come to this...dun, dun, dun! Honestly, I don't know who's going to win. I've watched some of these films, read and listened to others' reviews, opinions and thoughts, sussed out peep's vibes, and yet, I still can't think of a winner.

"The Shape of Water" seems to be the most logical answer, from its award season momentum, beautiful execution and touching story, however, it could quite literally go to any film. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" won the respective Golden Globe and BAFTA, but will the film's criticism and backlash follow through into the Oscars?

"Get Out", "Lady Bird" and "Call Me By Your Name" are all perfectly executed films with poignant messages and have the social momentum, but could any of them actually win? I doubt it, even though my personal choice would have been either "Get Out" or "Call Me By Your Name" - if you couldn't already tell.

It's such a tight race because of the current political climate we're in, and what all the nominated films present. I'd highly encourage you to go watch at least one of these films because they offer a unique, magnificent narrative and insight into its world.

That's it for me this award season :) I truly hope that you'll see me writing sometime soon - I'm going to try, please be patient with me xx

Emmys Wemmys! (2017 Primetime Emmys)

Yo, halla! What's up, what's up?! I'm FINALLY back online: I've sprung out the hole that is pending assessments, tears and pain, and exhaustion to come back and resurrect this beast from the graaavvveee! And just in the nick of time because tomorrow (for Australia) the Primetime Emmys will appear on our FB feeds, TVs and in random conversations. In general, it's quite a strong and fierce competition - with most categories having at least two front runners - so there's definitely room for surprise.

I'm going to lay out my predictions on who's going to win: it's definitely not going to be too accurate, as I haven't watched all shows (oops!) nor can I read minds, but with my fantabulous detective skills (cough, Wikipedia!) and personal opinions, I'll navigate through who I think might win at this year's Emmys.

Comedy: 

Comedy has had an excellent year, with lots of crazy ideas, witty humour and intriguing premises,
and the Emmys nominees somewhat show this. Whereas most nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series are already established and acclaimed, the one newcomer - and potential shake up - is "Atlanta." With a cleverly written script, random scenarios and heartwarming characters, this could beat "Veep's" two win streak: Donald Glover ("Atlanta") can easily snatch Outstanding Lead Actor, although there is fierce competition from Anthony Anderson ("Black-ish") and two-time winner Jeffrey Tambor ("Transparent"). Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Veep") is a shoe-in for Outstanding Lead Actress (if she wins, this will be her sixth consecutive win in this category :O), but her main competition could come from Alison Janney ("Mom"), who won in 2015 for the same role as a supporting actress.

Shifting to supporting performances, Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon will most likely win for their performances on "Saturday Night Live," both providing political commentary and gifted comedic performances. I'm hesitant to say that "S.N.L." will win Outstanding Variety Sketch Series - probably because of personal bias towards "Billy on the Street" - but "S.N.L." has had a strong social media presence and the political influence to win. "S.N.L." and "Atlanta" could both be big winners in the directing and writing categories, although "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" could have its second win in Outstanding Writing for a Variety Sketch over "S.N.L." Going on with John Oliver, it should and most likely will win Outstanding Variety Talk Series, gaining its second consecutive win because John Oliver's wit + Trump = utter, pristine gold.

Drama: 

With the omission of "Game of Thrones" (because the new season came out too late to be eligible), Outstanding Drama Series could really go to anyone at this stage. Bias may be playing out, but "Stranger Things" is a remarkable show, and coming off a Golden Globe win, I think that it's poised to win this category. "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Westworld" are both prominent, thought-provoking shows that can easily win this award, so this should be an interesting watch.

Outstanding Lead Actress could be Elisabeth Moss ("The Handmaid's Tale") or Claire Foy's ("The Crown"), with the former being an award show favourite and the latter winning the respective Golden Globe. Similarly with Outstanding Lead Actor, either Sterling K. Brown and Milo Ventimiglia could bring home "This Is Us's" only Emmys.

Millie Bobby Brown, if the Greek gods will be it so, should absolutely win Outstanding Supporting Actress, but there's fierce competition from every nominee in this category. John Lithgow could win for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in "The Crown," but yet again, the other nominees are equally as deserving. Overall, "Westworld" could potentially win their only awards in these categories, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

"Stranger Things" Duffer Brothers' could come on top from the Upside Down (had to!) with both Outstanding Directing and Writing awards, although, as I've said previously, the nominated dramas this year will prove a challenge. I believe that "Stranger Things" has managed to create an incredibly rich world and engaging plot that I do hope is acknowledged.

Other Categories: 

"Feud" has the most nominations, and could easily take several awards in the Limited Series categories, but there's strong competition from "Big Little Lies" and "The Night Of;" the former a front runner for Outstanding Limited Series. "The Night Of" could win for Outstanding Directing - it won Outstanding Cinematography in the Creative Emmys - and Outstanding Lead Actor for Riz Ahmed; here's hoping! "Big Little Lies" could take Outstanding Writing, Lead Actress and Supporting Actress; we'll have to wait and see.

This is the first time that "RuPaul's Drag Race" has been nominated in Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, and it better shantay, you stay! Otherwise, previous winners "The Voice" or "The Amazing Race" could snatch it up because apparently "The Voice U.S." is pretty impressive, which I can't say the same for "The Voice Australia."

Award season has officially started, and I never think of it as a winner v.s. loser situation, but instead as an opportunity to watch tons of new shows. Stephen Colbert's hosting, so expect political commentary galore and some witty observations. If you're not going to tune in, be sure to check out the nominated shows: there's some incredible shows out there!

This Was Bound to Come...

http://theodysseyonline.com/winthrop/oscarsaresowhite/279392

I've definitely been thinking about what to write about the Oscars since the nominations arised last month, and I think that I've figured it all out.

I definitely agree with the general public: it is unfortunate that in this day and age, there aren't a substantial amount of black actors and actresses nominated in the 20 acting categories, but at the same time, I agree with Viola Davis. You can't put all the blame on the Oscars; it is the industry itself. An industry where African-American, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Indian and other minority actors aren't given enough prominent, influential and significant roles in films and television; roles that don't specifically relate to slavery, domestic violence or other stereotyped roles. 

There needs to be diversity, not only in the casting of actors and actresses, but as well amongst directors, producers, management, and the creative team. Films are meant to be representative of the world around us, but watching a film with majority Caucasian actors and just maybe one token black, Hispanic or Asian actor isn't at all representative of what I see every day when I leave home. Not only in relation to ethnicity, but also regarding gender and sexual orientation - which is another post for another day - but these are issues that should have already addressed. 

Being a black Australian, this issue is somehow worse in the Australian film industry, where the industry seems to neglect even having diversity with Indigenous Australians, yet applauding the multicultural environment that we have. 

I agree that you can't just nominate someone based on their skin colour and ethnic background just to seem multicultural and accepting; that is offensive. What I do agree with is the Academy's decision to actively recruit more women and non-white members by 2020 and remove current members' their lifelong membership.

We need to stop stereotyping ethnicities, and instead embrace cultural differences and showcase the ethnically diverse societies that we live in. We don't need to actively have an all-black movie just to prove a point, but we should instead aim to replicate television shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community, How to Get Away with Murder and Orange is the New Black that represent a realistic society, not exactly stereotyping the roles that the actors are portraying.

It might seem like an 'unrealistic' checklist for Hollywood to fulfill, but that's hardly an excuse! I'm sure that from a world population of 7 billion people, there are suitable actors or actresses to cast in a film that aren't all Caucasian.

Overall, we need to depict the ethnically diverse societies that we live in. This year's Oscar nominations, regardless of the race debate, are indeed ground-breaking, remarkable films with stellar acting performances and impeccable behind the scenes work; definitely warranting a nomination. Although, regarding what Kenyan Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o said about this issue, we should be a "diverse reflection of the best of what our art has to offer today," and I don't see that in our entertainment industry today.

Soz for the unintentional hiatus; I'll be trying to write much more often! PEACE OUT!

What's Up With This Year's Grammy Nominations?

Before I start, thanks for the 106 page views! <3 If you like what you read, please follow this blog! :)

Yay, my first post, and it's on something that occupies my mind every year from December until February: the Grammys! And this year, the nominees for all categories have already undergone loads of criticism. Now, don't get me wrong, I do appreciate Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd; they are remarkable artists in their fields of music...but where was everyone else?

The Grammys have been on a downwards spiral with their nominees for previous years, but this year they seem to have disregarded prominent singles and artists who have made some of their greatest albums to date. I'm a Foo Fighter fan, and I screeched like a banshee seeing that they only had one nomination for "Best Rock Song - Something from Nothing;" not even getting a nod for "Best Rock Album" or "Album of the Year." Their recent album, Sonic Highways, was exceptional in its sound engineering, production, lyrics and vocals, and instrumental layout, and it only received one nomination? But hey, I'm a just crazy Foo Fighters fan; I adore anything that they create. 

The Grammys always seem to play it safe and keep in their comfort zone, and I believe that's what makes the majority of nominations seem generic and unsurprising, particularly in the Big Four categories - Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. They only ever seem to nominate artists who have been significantly publicised on the radio or social media outlets regarding their singles and/or album; which is ridiculous considering that there is an immense amount of talent from other artists who aren't in the Top 40 Countdown. 

Again, I'm not criticising pop artists - I'm merely saying that the Academy should be opening up to other genres in their major categories. Although, the surprising and fascinating fact about the nominees this year was, as in previous years, its inclusion of up-and-coming artists, such as James Bay and Tori Kelly, and artists that only a few people have heard of. 

Of course, some exceptional songs and artists were nominated: I would have figuratively kill someone if "Uptown Funk" or J. Cole weren't nominated for anything, but then again, there are people who would disagree with me; which is what makes award season so insightful! The opinions and voices of music, film and television fans come to light, and you read such diverse and interesting perspectives on a variety of topics. It's such a great time to read other articles, and I recommend just searching anything Grammy-related on the internet for completely different and unique opinions. :)

The fact of the matter is that even if a certain band, group, artist or song isn't nominated, fans will still listen to and respect their music; after all, it's just a Grammy. A Grammy, as with any award, really only puts an artist onto a larger platform than they were already on, but it doesn't stop them from being incredible at what they do. It mainly just infuriates a tonne of fans. ;)

Regarding this year's nominees, the Grammys have highlighted that the music world should be more open to artists other than the most popular and common ones, and as listeners, we'll start to appreciate the myriad of unique artists and songs in this world today. One of the highlights of the Grammys for me is discovering new artists and songs that I've never heard of, and even becoming lifelong fans of their work. 

Awards season is upon us, and even if Lana Del Rey or the Foo Fighters weren't nominated for as many awards as I would have hoped, I'll still keep an eye out for the winners in February! Congrats to the nominees and more of my posts coming this week - watch this space! Ta!

GIF Reference http://media.photobucket.com/user/Bigsteve87/media/Gifs/tumblr_lbj668mzhy1qat7rw.gif.html?filters[term]=shocked%20face&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=22

My Name Is, and This Is What I'm All About

I have waited such a long time to start writing this blog, and I'm super pumped about it! :D So...here goes! I'm Annabelle and if you don't get the impression when you meet me, I am a super enthusiastic person...over anything! If I hear the mention of "Harry" - and it doesn't even have to be followed by "Potter" - I'm immediately starting intently at the person hoping that they say "Potter" and not "Styles." I also love thinking and pondering about unique and random perspectives on various issues and topics, and finally discussing them with others because that's how new perspectives are brought up; new ways that you never thought about something before.

That's where I got this idea about starting a blog: combining my exuberant love for film, music, television and books and trying to interest and bring about potential discussion surrounding the world of entertainment. My posts will include critics and reviews on newly released entertainment items, my perspective on the current debates and discussions circulating the entertainment world, and of course just fun banter and random pop culture discussions! :D I'll be providing my perspective on such topics and hopefully stimulating conversations for you to start with friends when you've run out of things to talk about. I would also love to hear whether you disagree with something I have written or have something to add on; please write it in the comments! I am curious and open to debates and discussions! In short, I love entertainment and the easiest way for me to express that love is by writing endlessly about it. 

Thank you, and I do hope that the following posts are intriguing and highly entertaining! I will try and post at least once a week, and expect lame puns and jokes to follow! Ta!