Tag / Kumail Nanjiani

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2020: The Year In Movies Part 2

Movie_Reel_22272 different people starred in the 154 movies I saw last year (starring in being the first two named stars, a tradition dating back to the old Chicago Tribune TV guide which populated the early days of my database), and 28 of them starred in more than 1 film. Those 28 thespians are:

Films Per Actor Per Year
Actor Name Films
Charles Bronson 4
Harrison Ford 4
Katie Holmes 3
Keanu Reeves 3
Bruce Willis 3
Renee Zellwegger 3
Chadwick Boseman 2
Alison Brie 2
Jessica Chastain 2
Adam Driver 2
Jesse Eisenberg 2
Karen Gillan 2
Carla Gugino 2
Tom Hanks 2
Anna Hutchison 2
Samuel L. Jackson 2
Gillian Jacobs 2
Felicity Jones 2
Ewan McGregor 2
Kumail Nanjiani 2
Al Pacino 2
Brad Pitt 2
Issa Rae 2
Arnold Schwarzenegger 2
Will Smith 2
Kristen Stewart 2
Charlize Theron 2
Jessie T. Usher 2

Now let’s take a look at the next batch of movies that I saw in 2020, following up on last Wednesday’s post.

The Prodigy (2019)
The soul of a serial killer takes over a young boy’s body, much to his mother’s chagrin.

Alex & The List (2017)
A dog trainer is given a list of things to change about himself by his fiancé before she’ll marry him.

Hide (2011)
A Boston detective investigates the mummified remains of six women.

Pretty Little Stalker (2018)
A writer takes in a troubled girl and sees her family disintegrate.

Road To Perdition (2002)
Tom Hanks and Paul Newman star in this adaptation of the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner.

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
The kids head back into the game, this time dragging along Dannys DeVito and Glover.

Are You In The House Alone? (1978)
A supposed horror movie that turned out to be a made-for-tv movie.

My Soul To Take (2010)
A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk the seven children born on the day he was allegedly put to rest.

Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason (2004)
The second installment in the series starring Renee Zellwegger.

Good People (2014)
A couple finds themselves in a pickle after discovering, and keeping, cash in their dead tenants apartment. Continue reading →

by jim

Post Mortem – Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley, the latest comedy from Mike Judge, wrapped up its 6 season run in December.  Premiering on HBO in 2014, the show centered on a startup that, for every step forward they took, ended up taking two steps back.  The last season saw them finally master their algorithm and the path to making it profitable, but found out that releasing it would destroy the concept of privacy and the online world as we know it.

Most of the crew, save the ostracized T.J. Miller, who was booted off in season 4, should continue to find good work that will entertain us for years to come.  Zach Woods has already appeared on HBO’s Avenue 5 and Kumail Nanjiani has found himself cast in The Eternals, part of the next wave of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Those Non-Acting Oscars

side_oscarThe 90th Academy Awards are going down next Sunday night, so here’s my uneducated predictions for the non-acting awards. I have seen a couple of these movies, so I will still mostly be going on gut feel and word of mouth with just a little bit of personal experience.

Best Original Screenplay

Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, The Big Sick
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, The Shape Of Water
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

I’ve actually seen three of these films, and, while I would love for Emily and Kumail to win, my money is going on Jordan Peele for Get Out.

Best Adapted Screenplay

James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist
Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green, Logan
Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game
Virgil Williams and Dee Rees, Mudbound

I’ve only seen one of these, but my guess is that the legend behind the story of The Disaster Artist will earn it the nod.

Best Animated Feature

The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent

I’ve only heard of two of these, one of which is from the good folks at Pixar, so I’ll go with that.

Best Cinematography

Roger A. Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
Bruno Delbonnel, Darkest Hour
Hoyte van Hoytema, Dunkirk
Rachel Morrison, Mudbound
Dan Laustsen, The Shape Of Water

Well, again I’ve seen none of these, so I will go with the war epic Dunkirk.

Best Costume Design

Jacqueline Durran, Beauty And The Beast
Jacqueline Durran, Darkest Hour
Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread
Luis Sequeira, The Shape Of Water
Consolata Boyle, Victoria & Abdul

Another category where I’m at a loss, so I’ll go with the live action Disney hit.

Continue reading →

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Post Mortem – The Meltdown With Jonah And Kumail

What do you get when you host a comedy show in the back room of a comic book store and then put it on TV?  You get The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, which aired for 3 seasons on Comedy Central before coming to an end last November.  Hosted by Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani, the show was a victim of its own success, as both hosts have seen their profile rise considerably since the show started in 2014.  Jonah recently starred in the re-booted MST3K, while Kumail has been part of the Silicon Valley cast since the beginning and has just starred in his first feature film.

While I’ll miss the show, and the up and coming comedians it featured, I know that Jonah and Kumail will continue to be entertaining for years to come.

by jim

Post Mortem – Franklin & Bash

franklin-bashAfter 4 seasons, TNT decided to cut bait on Franklin & Bash, the buddy lawyer dramedy starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer.  I bailed on the show this summer during its 4th season, when it came back without co-stars Dana Davis and Kumail Nanjiani, and seemed to have lost any creative spark.  At it’s best, it was never must-see TV, and this past season was far from its best.