| Movies about traveling to Mars have been becoming more prevalent the last few years. The catalyst has been all the Mars probes – the latest one Perseverance even includes a helicopter as well as a very impressive new method for landing. When any screenwriter writes a screenplay about traveling to Mars (the most important of these is “The Martian” released in 2015 starring Matt Damon) – the science and logistics have to be the most important parts of the story. The new Netflix release “Stowaway” is lacking in both science and logistics, because the story here is that a maintenance worker become a stowaway during a trip to mars (this could never happen), and then other things go wrong (could definitely happen) and as a result the ship does not have enough oxygen for 4 people because the mission was planned for 3 people. The problem here, is that Nasa or Spacex would have redundant oxygen for any manned mission to Mars of the Moon, because there is nothing more important than Oxygen. Therefore, the odds of an oxygen problem like the one in this story, barring an explosion like what happened with Apollo 13 – would be highly unlikely. The other problem with this movie is that the story dragged on way too long in between the major action points, making the entire film rather boring. The acting in this movie is good enough, despite the weak story, including Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Shamier Anderson and Daniel Dae Kim, but is far from enough to save this movie. Also I thought that the ending was far too abrupt, almost as if the screenwriter ran out of ideas. I agree with the low ratings on IMDB of only 5.6 and I do not recommend this film. |
Daily Archives: April 26, 2021
Oscar Winners 2021
All avid moviegoers who look forward to the Academy Awards as a once a year major event, are now – after Pandemic Academy awards last night – looking for a quick return to normalcy. There was nothing watchable with the Academy Awards last night. This is understandable under the circumstances but this Oscar show was hard to sit through.
The winner for best picture “Nomadland” (reviewed in this blog) was a good movie/documentary about the plight of so many homeless and near homeless in this country, but it was also a movie that does not compare to a best picture winner within a normal year. Hopefully, maybe even next year, the Oscars will have a host again, maybe even Billy Crystal, and this show will be a major event again.
Best original screenplay
Judas and the Black Messiah
Minari
Promising Young Woman – WINNER
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best adapted screenplay
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
The Father – WINNER
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
The White Tiger
Best international feature film
Another Round – WINNER
Better Days
Collective
The Man Who Sold His Skin
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Best actor in a supporting role
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER
Leslie Odom, Jr, One Night in Miami
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah
Best makeup and hairstyling
Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER
Mank
Pinocchio
Best costume design
Emma
Mank
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER
Mulan
Pinocchio
Best director
Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
David Fincher, Mank
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland – WINNER
Best sound
Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Sound of Metal – WINNER
Soul
Best live-action short film
Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers – WINNER
White Eye
Best animated short film
Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You – WINNER
Opera
Yes-People
Best animated feature film
Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul – WINNER
Wolfwalkers
Best documentary short
Colette – WINNER
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song for Latasha
Best documentary
Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agent
My Octopus Teacher – WINNER
Time
Best visual effects
Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet – WINNER
Best actress in a supporting role
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman, The Father
Amanda Seyfried, Mank
Youn Yuh-Jung, Minari – WINNER
Best production design
The Father
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank – WINNER
News of the World
Tenet
Best cinematography
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank – WINNER
News of the World
Nomadland
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best film editing
The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal – WINNER
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best original score
Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul – WINNER
Best original song
Husavik, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Fight For You, Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER
Io Sì (Seen), The Life Ahead
Speak Now, One Night in Miami
Hear My Voice, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best picture
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland – WINNER
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best actress in a leading role
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day, The United States vs Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand, Nomadland – WINNER
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
Best actor in a leading role
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins, The Father – WINNER
Gary Oldman, Mank
Steven Yeun, Minari
Best makeup and hairstyling
Advertisement
Emma
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER
Mank
Pinocchio
Best costume design
Emma
Mank
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER
Mulan
Pinocchio
Best director
Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
David Fincher, Mank
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland – WINNER
Best sound
Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Sound of Metal – WINNER
Soul
Best live-action short film
Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers – WINNER
White Eye
Best animated short film
Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You – WINNER
Opera
Yes-People
Best animated feature film
Onward
Over the Moon
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul – WINNER
Wolfwalkers
Colette – WINNER
A Concerto Is a Conversation
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
A Love Song for Latasha
Best documentary
Collective
Crip Camp
The Mole Agent
My Octopus Teacher – WINNER
Time
Best visual effects
Love and Monsters
The Midnight Sky
Mulan
The One and Only Ivan
Tenet – WINNER
Best actress in a supporting role
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman, The Father
Amanda Seyfried, Mank
Youn Yuh-Jung, Minari – WINNER
Best production design
The Father
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank – WINNER
News of the World
Tenet
Best cinematography
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank – WINNER
News of the World
Nomadland
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best film editing
The Father
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal – WINNER
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best original score
Da 5 Bloods
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Soul – WINNER
Best original song
Husavik, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Fight For You, Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER
Io Sì (Seen), The Life Ahead
Speak Now, One Night in Miami
Hear My Voice, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best picture
The Father
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland – WINNER
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best actress in a leading role
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day, The United States vs Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand, Nomadland – WINNER
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
Best actor in a leading role
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins, The Father – WINNER
Gary Oldman, Mank
Steven Yeun, Minari
A Screenwriters Perspective: Current and Past Movies. 