For questions: hcasner@aol.com
First, a word from our sponsors: My short film 8 Conversations in 15 Minutes 58 Seconds will premiere at STUFF, the South Texas Underground Film Festival on January 27th, 2019 http://www.stuftx.org/
Check out my Script Consultation Services at http://ow.ly/HPxKE. I offer several types of service. Testimonials can be found at the blog entry.
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out the second edition of my screenwriting book, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader published on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD1XP9Y
Finally, I have published two collections of short stories, The Starving Artists and other stories, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FS91CKJ and The Five Corporations and the One True Church and other stories, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KY5Z3CF
This was not the best of times for movies, but possibly not the worst. Even AFI this year, one of my last resort sources for my end of year list, only provided one addition: the hysterical dark comedy, Pig. After a rather lackluster first half, wondering if there was going to be any films to join The Death of Stalin and First Reformed on my top ten, I finally started seeing hope on the horizon and slowly, but don’t call me Shirley, managed to cobble together a worthy set of cinema. Enjoy.
BEST FILM – Top Ten
The Death of Stalin
The remainder in alphabetical order
22 July
Burning
Favourite, The
First Reformed
Guilty, The
Mary Poppins Returns
Pig
Shoplifters
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse
Burning – Chang-dong Lee
In alphabetical order
Death of Stalin, The – Armando Ianucci
Favourite, The – Yorgos Lanthimos
First Reformed – Paul Schrader
Roma – Alfonso Cuaron
Shoplifters – Hirokazu Koreeda
Death of Stalin, The – Armando Iannucci, David Schneider
In alphabetical order:
Burning – Jungmi Oh, Chang-dongLee
Favourite, The – Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
First Reformed – Paul Schrader
Pig – Mani Haghighi
Shoplifters – Hirokazu Koreeda
Olivia Colman – The Favourite
In alphabetical order:
Emily Blunt – Mary Poppins Returns
Ella Hunt – Anna and the Apocalypse
Melissa McCarthy – Will You Ever Forgive Me?
Carey Mulligan – Wildlife
Rachel Weisz – The Favourite
In alphabetical order:
Claire Foy – First Man
Jong-seo Jun – Burning
Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone – The Favourite
Ethan Hawke – First Reformed
In alphabetical order:
Steve Buscemi – The Death of Stalin
Jakob Cedergron – The Guilty
Lily Franky – Shoplifters
Hasan Majuni – Pig
Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody
Ah-in Yoo – Burning
Richard E. Grant – Will You Ever Forgive Me?
In alphabetical order:
Mahareshi Ali – Green Book
Jonah Hill – Don’t Worry. He Won’t Get Far on Foot
Michael Palin – The Death of Stalin
Steven Yeun – Burning
Death of Stalin, The
In alphabetical order:
Anna and the Apocalypse
Favourite, The
Mary Poppins Returns
Anna and the Apocalypse – Score
Favourite, The – Costumes, Sets
Mary Poppins Returns – Score, Costumes, Sets
Roma – Cinematography
The Marx Brothers Night at the Opera Award of doing to Il Trovatore what should be done to Il Trovatore: Anna and the Apocalypse for doing to Glee and High School Musical what should be done to Glee and High School Musical
The How to Get Ahead award: Pig (you’ll have to see the film to get the joke)
The Aliens Award for proof a sequel can be better than the original: Mary Poppins Returns
The Carrie Award for proof you can make a musical out of anything: Anna and the Apocalypse
Worst Oscar Bait Award: Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
The Oliver North Award for best spelling of a title: The Favourite