TRAVIS BYRAM'S MOVIE REVIEWS

Why beat around the bush! Let's dive right in... BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: ( Call Me by Your Name , The Disaster Artist , Logan , Molly's Game , Mudbound ) I think Disaster Artist's nod here is more because it's a great concept, but the movie is pretty predictable as far as buddy pictures go. It's Franco who should've been up for playing Wiseau, but if the accusations against him are true, I'll feel a lot better letting this snub slide. All the nerds rejoiced when we heard Logan announced, but Call Me by Your Name is the clear winner here. It's slyly subtle dialogue hooks you in, and devastated you/makes you cheer in equal parts. Molly's Game is unbridled Sorkin goodness, and pretty underrated if you ask me, but CMBYN will walk away with the trophy. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: ( The Big Sick , Get Out , Lady Bird , The Shape of Water , Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ) These movies are being recognized for being outstanding, fresh exam...

The generic cup of Guillermo del Toro's latest, The Shape of Water , runneth over. It is fantastical, horrific in points, a musical element (I won't spoil that surprise), intense psychological drama, comedic moments courtesy of the always-fabulous Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins, and of course, as the amphibian man will tip off to you, sci-fi. But if I had Michael Shannon pointing a gun to my head (and let's be honest, with the performances he gives, that might not be out of the realm of possibility), I'd label The Shape of Water a romance. It's ruminations of love and hate and the ways we can show love, express it, would be goopy and syrupy in the hands of a lesser director, but del Toro is full-on freaky fairy tale here, and if you're wondering why the movie with the big green fish man is getting nominated for so many awards, I suggest you read my review. Of course, the magic of this movie is that you don't have to choose. It's gruesome, it's...

What was I complaining about in the last post...horror films? Well, in the middle of October, as Halloween is just around the corner...we still haven't gotten a true horror movie. Crimson Peak comes close, but director Guillermo del Toro has described it more as a Gothic romance, a very accurate description, though many times throughout the film I did find myself squirming and jumping from anticipation or jump cuts...both fairly effective. Something a great director (an Eastwood, a Kubrick, a Spielberg) most have is a particular, identifiable style. In that sense, del Toro is on his way. I've seen his Blade II, Hellboy and Pan's Labryinth , all dripping with his signature macabre and creative style. Hellboy is the most accessible and enjoyable out of those three, while PL is the best in terms of story quality. The man's been attached to so many projects it's hard to keep count: he was so close to directing the Hobbit trilogy (that would've been an interesting ...