The Gurus o’ Gold Highlight Best Picture, Best Foreign Language, Best Documentary

Checking in a week before Oscar nomination voting ends: predictions for documentary feature, foreign language film, and of course, best picture, with a good range of wiggling in the rankings after major guilds have announced their nominees.

The DVD Wrapup: Mid90s, Oath, Obamaland, Bad Reputation, Hell Fest, Time Freak, Kusama, Oddsockeaters, Bent, Harry/Sally, Nemesis, Frontline, Cats … More

Jonah Hill’s endearing dramedy is only the latest entry in a long list of movies in which skateboarding plays a key role in the social development of borderline characters looking for a reason to wake up in the morning.

Gurus Predict Globes Picks And Best Picture

The Gurus weigh in on Best Picture after the PGA nominations and Hollywood Foreign Press best pics before Sunday night gets its Globe on.

The DVD Wrapup: 2018’s Most Memorable Titles, Hobbyhorses, Martyr, CMA Live, Tailspin Tommy, Gilda, Miracle Worker … More

In Martyr, Hassane (Hamza Mekdad) is one of countless young Lebanese men for whom a college degree is no more useful than a medal earned in a long-ago war.

The Gurus o’ Gold On Key Categories

The Gurus let go of multiple outliers and one-vote-wonders for best picture this go-round.

While relatively small fields, there’s movement in the acting categories, including sentiment for Bohemian Rhapsody that elevates Rami Malek. Actresses off the Guru radar include Felicity Jones, Natalie Portman and Saoirse Ronan.

As with the Academy, the Guru screenplay predictions hold surprises, including BlacKkKlansman leading adapted predictions and Roma sandwiched by leader The Favourite and a maybe not-so-surprising showing for First Reformed, for yet-to-be-nominated writer-director Paul Schrader. The Gurus also shine light on recently-prized Ethan Hawke.

The DVD Wrapup & Gift Guide III: Venom 4K, The Super, Snowflake, Marie Curie, Gamechangers, Who We Are Now, 40 Guns, De Palma-De Niro,, Starman and more

For anyone over, say, 15, to fully appreciate Ruben Fleischer’s Venom, it’s necessary to possess a working knowledge of Eddie Brock/Venom’s origin story and those of several other key characters. If not, it’s just another vehicle to show off cool CGI effects,

The DVD Wrapup: Peppermint, Wild Boys, Un Traductor, Await Instructions, Lizzie, Coby, Afghan Love Story, Elizabeth Harvest, Brutal, Holiday Horror, Sound & Fury … More

After laying low for several years, preparing to exact her own justice on the people who killed her family, Riley returns to town a trained killer and martial-arts expert. At 5-foot-8, Garner is no less credible a vigilante than Liam Neeson, at 6-4.

The Gurus Predict Globes for Drama, Musical or Comedy, and Director

The Gurus predict the sentiment of the happy-go-lucky members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association this week, considering what tickled their fantasy this season: lots of love predicted for A Star Is Born, as well as possible chances for Green Book.

The DVD Wrapup: Support the Girls, M:I Fallout, Gosford Park, Serpent’s Egg. True Stories, School Daze, Candyman, Hanging Rock, Yellowstone … More

In her late 40s, Lisa knows that her first obligation is to the owner’s bank account, but her heart is divided between her wait staff and loyal customers. As balancing acts go, it’s a doozy.

Gurus o’ Gold Speak Best Picture, Foreign Language, Doc Feature

A Star is Born, Roma, Green Book and The Favourite and Black Panther sentiment shifts slightly, from Guru to Guru. Extra love for Mary Poppins Returns as screenings accelerate, and First Reformed after nods from the New York Film Critics Circle.

The DVD Wrapup: Gauguin, Blindspotting, Skate Kitchen, Wobble Palace, Third Murder, Outrage Coda, Nelly, Luciferina, MDMA, Heavy Trip, Agony, Family I Had … More

The movie sidesteps Gauguin’s assertion in his memoir that Tehura was 13 years old, not 17, when she was offered to him in marriage. In her first appearance in a movie, Adams isn’t asked to do much more than look exotic, pose well and provide companionship, all of which she does very well.

Gurus o’ Gold Go Best Picture, Director, Cinematographer

Post-Thanksgiving, the Gurus shake up the Best Picture field on a couple of pictures that have just opened, reflecting critical and financial reception, as well as bright-and-sunny early previews for Mary Poppins Returns.

The Gurus also look upon best director and best cinematographer for the first time in 2018, with much love for one big black-and-white picture: Alfonso Cuarón’s cinematography on Roma makes a rare Gurus sweep.

DVD Gift Guide II: Bergman@100, 2001 4K, Rambo 4K, Dances With Wolves, Robin Williams, Ernie Kovacs, Detectorists, Frosty, Elf … More

“In honor of Ingmar Bergman’s 100th birthday, the Criterion Collection is proud to present the most comprehensive collection of his films ever released on home video. … Arranged as a curated film festival, with ‘opening’ and ‘closing’ nights bookending double features and ‘centerpiece’ programs …”

Gurus O’ Gold On Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor

For mid-November, the Gurus update their predictions for Best Picture, and take a first look at best supporting actor and best actor.

The DVD Wrapup: Owl’s Legacy, Good Manners, Childrens Act, Juliet Naked, Unnamable, Little Italy, Gas Food Lodging, SWF, Detective Dee, Windtalkers … More

“The Owl’s Legacy” was supported by the Onassis Foundation and aired on French public television. When it failed to deliver the expected conclusions about the ancient Athenians’ influence on modern Greece, it was shelved for nearly 30 years.

The DVD Wrapup: Incredibles 2, Superman, Midaq Alley, La Boyita, 7th Day, Longing, Breaking Brooklyn, Mara, Capra Goes to War, Sleepwalkers, The Circus, Native America … More

If Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s creation hadn’t leapt from the pages of Action Comics #1 and captured the fancy of Americans of all ages, it isn’t likely that “Superman: The Movie” would have been released, 40 years later, and the superheroes in The Incredibles might look more like Batman than Kal-L, from Krypton.

The DVD Wrapup: Spy Who Dumped Me, Elena Ferrante, Sun at Midnight, Elephant’s Journey, Retro Afrika, Never Goin’ Back, Believer, Dragnet, Valley Girl, Black Sails … More

Credit for keeping viewers from sweating the improbable details largely belongs to McKinnon’s inspired riffing and improvisation, along with Fogel and co-writer David Iserson’s clever plotting and location-hopping.

The DVD Gift Guide I: Uni Monsters, Body Snatchers, Twilight 4K, Evil Dead, Trauma, Creepshow, Haunted Hill, Dude 4K, Saved by Bell, 3 Stooges … More

Stores began stocking up for Halloween sales as soon as Labor Day barbeques ended.

Gurus o’ Gold Take Up Best Picture, Actress and Supporting Actress

The Gurus slide up into your awards season still flushed with post-festival fever, ready with their insight and instinct. There are also impressive movies to praise, with only a few known titles yet to rear their heads.

First up: a shortlist of a dozen features for consideration, and a surprisingly consistent list of five candidates for Best Actress and for Best Supporting Actress.

The DVD Wrap: Ant-Man/Wasp, Whitney, Boundaries, BuyBust, Down a Dark Hall, Reprisal, Gen Wealth, 8 Hours Don’t Make a Day … More

Ant-Man and Wasp’s relationship also evolves into something fans of The Thin Man and Mr. & Mrs. Smith might recognize, with dialogue inspired, as well, by Elmore Leonard. This aspect, alone, increases the appeal of Ant-Man and the Wasp for adults. Naturally, room is left for a second sequel or prequel, as a stand-alone or an extension of The Avengers.