6 Degrees: Friday Flix

Here’s what’s happening in the past week, since the Oscars were awarded last Sunday night. For more, check out our 6 Degrees of Film Magazine:

• There is still lots of talk swirling around The Black Panther and its staying power…The film has broken records at the box office, and has proven to have enormous appeal in the comic book film genre as well as for African Americans seeking positive role models in super-heroes. And in the all-important numbers game, The Black Panther has already made the top ten money makers of all time; passing Beauty and the Beast to reach the ninth spot, as it is expected to eventually overtake the last Star Wars entry in the near future.

• A Wrinkle in Time has received mixed reviews…From RogerEbert.com, we learn that the film is a mixed bag with ‘a lot to like.” And this from the Ebert site: ”…in the era of ‘grittiness’ in films, this film has ‘zero interest in seeming cool as it ramps up the sentiment, particularly in the final part of the movie.” From Film Drunk, the analysis is that the film is a series of “affirmations in search of a story.”

• Believe it or not, one week after the Oscars have ended, there’s speculation about nominees for the 2019 Oscar nominees…! Wes Anderson is an acclaimed director still looking for his Oscar win. And Martin Scorsese has another big budget film out, The Irishman, with a star -studded cast. Nominees from this year, Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan are starring in Mary, Queen of Scots.

• This week in Bad Movies: Dwayne Johnson accepted the “Razzie” for his part in last years forgettable Baywatch film version. There’s some talk of Spielberg having a dud on his hands with Ready Player One but it’s too soon to tell. In my opinion, the video game industry is a rather dicey venture when it comes to recreating its success in a Hollywood film. But even if it’s a dud, Spielberg’s film may not be so worthy as to be dubbed a “Razzie” entry. Films require that special something to belong in the classic Bad B Movie category…

• Women’s empowerment and diversity are still on the ascendance in Hollywood these days. The next big film festival, the South by Southwest Festival, is debuting several films from female filmmakers.

• On the Sequel front: Several entries that are already set for 2019 include How to Train Your Dragon 3; The Lego Movie Sequel; Godzilla: King of the Monsters; Avengers 4; a Men in Black sequel; Toy Story 4; The Secret Life of Pets 2; Top Gun: Maverick (33 years later!); Angry Birds 2 and Kenneth Branagh’s return as Poirot in Death on the Nile. The long-anticipated sequel to one of the most successful box office animated films of all time from Disney- Frozen 2, is set for November of 2019. And the sequel department would not be complete without the last entry in the granddaddy of all film sequels: Star Wars Episode IX out in December of 2019.

That’s it for this week. There are still some Oscar nominated films that are now On Demand that I want to see: The Darkest Hour is one of them. Next week, a look at some of the small screen films that deserve a viewing at least once in your life….The Armchair Film Festival is always one of my favorite festivals! Till then, see you at the movies!-ML