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starwarsnonsense · 5 years

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Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2020

Now I’ve got my embarrassingly late ‘Best of 2019′ list out of the way, I can finally proceed to the list that’s probably more exciting - my most anticipated films of 2020!

This list excludes films that have already been screened at festivals (otherwise, stuff like Saint Maud would be here). It’s also somewhat analogous to groping about for a light switch in the dark - these lists very rarely accurately predict my ultimate favourites for the year, so it’s more of a fun speculative exercise. Hopefully this puts some intriguing-looking films on your radar for the year ahead!

1. Dune (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

Plot: The story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.

Why be excited? The reasons to be excited about Dune should be pretty self-evident - it’s directed by one of the greatest filmmakers working today (Villeneuve’s Incendies and Blade Runner 2049 are all-timers for me), and is based on one of the best science-fiction novels ever written. The cast - Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, and more - is absolutely stacked with talent. There’s every reason to believe that this will be something special, and I couldn’t be more pleased that Villeneuve is the man responsible for filling that Star Wars-shaped hole in the December release schedule.

2. Annette (dir. Leos Carax)

Plot: A stand-up comedian (Adam Driver), and his opera singer wife (Marion Cotillard), have a two-year-old daughter with a surprising gift.

Why be excited? You may not have heard of him, but Leos Carax is one of the most exciting directors working - he only makes around one film a decade, but the films he does make tend to be very special. I’ve only seen one film of his - Lovers on the Bridge - but that was filled with such ecstatic romance and wondrous visuals that it made me tremendously excited for Annette. Annette is a top-to-bottom musical with songs by American duo Sparks (if you know them for anything, it will be ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us’), and said songs will be delivered by Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. It goes without saying that both actors are extremely talented performers with great voices (see Driver in Marriage Story and Cotillard in Nine for evidence), and I’m looking forward to seeing how they demonstrate their talents here.

3. Last Night in Solo (dir. Edgar Wright)

Plot: A young girl (Thomasin McKenzie), passionate in fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences.

Why be excited? I’m not the biggest Edgar Wright fan, but I admire him greatly and the premise of Last Night in Soho is like cat-nip to me. Speaking to Empire, Wright explained the story as follows: “I’m taking a premise whereby you have a character who, in a sort of abstract way, gets to travel in time. And the reality of the decade is maybe not what she imagines. It has an element of ‘be careful what you wish for’.” I’m a sucker for a good, old-fashioned high concept, especially when said films play with genre and really challenge the viewer. The two female leads - Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit, Leave No Trace) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Emma) - are among the very best young actors working today, and the supporting cast features absolute legends such as Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp. Whether it’s successful or not, this film feels like a genuinely original prospect and I’m eager to see how it turns out.

4. The Green Knight (dir. David Lowery)

Plot: A fantasy re-telling of the medieval tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Why be excited? There has been a sad lack of films based on mythology in recent years - or, to be more accurate, there has been a sad lack of films that attempt to honour what the myths were actually trying to convey. The stunning trailer for Green Knight promises a film that genuinely engages with its source material, and is just as interested in the psychological truths of the tale as the spectacle of its fantastical scenarios. Dev Patel is an extremely talented actor coming off another great movie in The Personal History of David Copperfield, and the supporting cast (Alicia Vikander!) appear to be fully committed to their parts. I’m excited to see a true myth on the big screen again, and David Lowery (A Ghost Story, The Old Man & The Gun) can be trusted to give an old tale a new sense of vitality.

5. The French Dispatch (dir. Wes Anderson)

Plot: The staff of a European publication decides to publish a memorial edition highlighting the three best stories from the last decade: an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.

Why be excited? It’s a Wes Anderson movie! Of course I’m excited! In all seriousness, the trailer was all I needed to get hyped about this. It’s clearly Anderson’s quintessential style, but it also shows flashes of some very bold and striking compositions (yes, I’m thinking of Chalamet on the back of that motorcycle) that you wouldn’t necessarily think of in relation to him. I’m intrigued by the prospect of there being stories nested within a story, which feels like the perfect choice for the structure of a film about a newspaper. The cast features all of Anderson’s old favourites (Swinton! Murray! McDormand!), as well as some exciting new additions (Timothée Chalamet, Elisabeth Moss, Christoph Waltz, among others) that feel so well-suited to his style it’s surprising they haven’t worked together before. Bring on all those immaculately composed shots and exquisite colour palettes.

6. Tenet (dir. Christopher Nolan)

Plot: Unknown. The project is described as an action epic revolving around international espionage.

Why be excited? I hate to sound repetitive, but ... it’s a Christopher Nolan movie. That alone is enough to be hyped about this. Details of the plot are vague for now, but the teaser suggests the sort of intelligent, high-concept film-making we’ve come to expect from Nolan. John David Washington - who impressed in BlacKkKlansman - is a great choice for the lead, and I also love that Tenet will feature Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki (among my favourite actors) in prominent roles. There’s not much else to say given how little we know about this, but suffice to say I’ll be there on day one!

7. Wonder Woman 1984 (dir. Patty Jenkins)

Plot: Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) comes into conflict with the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1980s and finds a formidable foe by the name of the Cheetah (Kristen Wiig).

Why be excited? The original Wonder Woman was an absolute delight, and I couldn’t be more pleased that Patty Jenkins is back to continue Diana’s story. The decision to pick up with Diana in the 1980s is most intriguing (and paves the way for all kinds of exciting choices when it comes to the music and the fashions), especially since it looks like the film is actually going to explore the implications of being an immortal being in a mortal world.

8. Raya and the Last Dragon (dir. Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins)

Plot: A lone warrior from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra teams up with a crew of misfits in her quest to find the Last Dragon and bring light and unity back to their world.

Why be excited? The animation scene in 2020 looks kind of ... blah at the moment, with the notable exception of Raya and the Last Dragon. The setting was described by the film’s producer as "a reimagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization that venerated the mythical dragons for their power and their wisdom”, and that alone is enough to fire up my imagination. Off the back of Moana and the Frozen films (which I all unabashedly love), I trust Disney Animation to instil this with plenty of colour and verve.

9. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (dir. Charlie Kaufman)

Plot: An unexpected detour turns a couple’s road trip into a terrifying journey through their fragile psyches.

Why be excited? Directed by Charlie Kaufman (writer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), I’m Thinking of Ending Things is based on a prize-winning novel. However, despite the pedigree the main reason I’m looking forward to this is Jessie Buckley. Buckley gave a star-making performance in Beast a few years ago, and has since proven herself an actor of immense talent and skill (see Wild Rose for proof of what a powerhouse she is). I’m excited to see her career continue to go from strength to strength, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things seems poised to be a great showcase for her.

10. The Last Duel (dir. Ridley Scott)

Plot: King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) settle his dispute with his squire (Adam Driver) by challenging him to a duel.

Why be excited? Ridley Scott is a bit of a mixed bag for me, and has never come close to reaching the heights of Alien and Blade Runner with his recent work. Nonetheless, against my better judgement I can’t help but be excited by the prospect of a medieval epic with Scott at the helm. The acting talent attached to The Last Duel is top-notch, and I’m particularly fond of Jodie Comer (of Killing Eve fame) and Adam Driver (do you really need me to say more?). There’s a very real danger of the highly sensitive plot (the ‘dispute’ at the heart of the story concerns an accusation of rape, the truth of which is to be determined with a duel) being mishandled by Scott, but the involvement of screenwriter Nicole Holofcener gives me some hope. This could turn out to be a misfire, but my hope is that it will, at the very least, be interesting.

#dune #annette #last night in soho #green knight #the french dispatch #timothee chalamet #Adam driver #jessie buckley #the last duel #i'm thinking of ending things #raya and the last dragon #wonder woman 1984 #tenet #films #2020 in film #cinema

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threshasketch · 7 years

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Painting Per Episode Master List

I’m painting a picture per episode of Supernatural to improve my digital painting skills! Each painting uses a screencap as a reference. I’ll add links to paintings for each episode as I complete them.

The reference screencap gets posted with each painting over on my Twitter account, and I make step by step gifs of my painting process for each episode as well.

Enjoying my work? Please consider supporting me on Patreon. It’s a “pledge any amount you want” type of situation, and I’m jobless at the moment, so I appreciate it very, very much. ♥ For one-time tips, see also: buy me a Ko-Fi?

Okay, here's the episode list proper. As you can see, this project’s gonna take me awhile:

Season 1:

Season 2:

Season 3:

Season 4:

Season 5:

Season 6:

Season 7:

Season 8:

Season 9:

Season 10:

Season 11:

Season 12:

Season 13:

Season 14:

Season 15:

1 - Back and to the Future | 2 - Raising Hell | 3 - The Rupture | 4 - Atomic Monsters | 5 - Proverbs 17:3 | 6 - Golden Time | 7 - Last Call | 8 - ??? | 9 - ??? | 10 - ??? | 11 - ??? | 12 - ??? | 13 - ??? | 14 - ??? | 15 - ??? | 16 - ??? | 17 - ??? | 18 - ??? | 19 - ??? | 20 - ???

#painting per episode #threshasketch #supernatural #threshie #master list #yes I DID lovingly hand type in every single episode title #and good golly season 2 liked long titles!#spn #digital painting

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agentdalecooper12 · 7 years

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Re-celebrate "Draft and Develop"!

Remember when we Packers fans used to celebrate the draft and develop process as an amazing system that would continuously keep our team young and full of back-ups capable of filling in for injured starters? Of course, we had the 2010 season in mind when the large handful of injured players happened to be replaceable and the season ended with a championship. Since then, the draft and develop strategy has not produced a fifth Lombardi trophy and many fans have fallen out of love with what they thought was a fail-proof scheme. This skepticism is mostly based on result without thorough consideration of the various circumstances of subsequent seasons and the ever changing face of the NFL. I think fans put too much stock in the draft itself. On Packers teams in the past few years, there are several reflections we should make that give more credence to the value of development. These reflections include current players who have clearly developed and players set to take the next jump in 2017.

Current players that have shown a clearly developed status include (among others) Micah Hyde, Lane Taylor, David Bakhtiari, Jordy Nelson, Mike Daniels, Davante Adams, and even Aaron Rodgers.

Ted Thompson did a strange thing on draft day in 2005. He used a first round pick on a quarterback, despite Brett Favre still performing well. But Ted knew the pick was about development as much as draft. In 2007 against the Cowboys, my friend Jim and I watched the Packers insert a developing Rodgers after a Favre injury. We lost the game, but after seeing Rodgers’ performance both Jim and I agreed that we weren’t worried about the future at quarterback. You know how that turned out.

Jordy Nelson was a second round pick in 2008. As a rookie, he played behind Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. By his third year (2010), he had only 45 catches for less than 600 yards and two touchdowns. Despite those pedestrian numbers, we saw him take leaps in the playoffs culminating in a major performance in Super Bowl XLV. Jordy developed into the great receiver that he is just as Driver was entering his decline. In contrast to fan criticism, Davante Adams has developed much faster than Jordy. Last season was Adams’ third campaign, and we were treated to 997 yards and 12 touchdowns. Complainers will point out that he could have had 14 touchdowns and over 1000 yards had he been better in the Bears game at Soldier Field, but that’s too harsh. With Davante, we have a strong #2 or #3 receiver who has become a trusted target for Rodgers.

Along the offensive line, David Bakhtiari and Lane Taylor have solidified Green Bay’s blindside for the league’s best quarterback. Bakhtiari was a 4th rounder out of Colorado, which perennially won only a game or two per season. Taylor was undrafted and inserted into the Packers’ line-up in place of a Pro Bowl left guard. Do we hear enough praise for our O-line that only touts one 1st round draft pick in Bryan Bulaga? I don’t think so. Dallas has invested high draft picks and has reaped the benefits. Seattle and Minnesota are roundly criticized for doing a poor job in investing enough protection for their quarterbacks. Green Bay hasn’t had to spend high picks in creating a top-3 line. I believe this comes from their development system. Green Bay has been able to create what 75% of the league can’t even draft using top draft picks.

Our defense has been a sore spot for several years now. There’s no getting around their failures in the 2014 and 2016 NFC championship games. If TT is relying on top round picks and the improvement of existing young players to get us to the Super Bowl, I don’t think anyone sees how he can be confident in that hope. Nevertheless, there are examples of rather astounding development in recent seasons. Although he has recently departed for the Buffalo Bills and never made a Pro Bowl, Micah Hyde matured from a fifth round pick into a clutch player in several contests last year. Recall the 2013 playoff game against the 49ers during Hyde’s rookie season. On San Francisco’s last drive, Hyde had a very catchable Kaepernick throw in his hands but couldn’t hang on. With that interception, we would have almost certainly avenged the previous season’s embarrassment. It’s a different story now. A few months ago, our 10 year-old son asked me whether Hyde’s one-handed, back-handed pick against the Vikings or his jumping of Dak Prescott’s bubble screen in January was a more impressive interception. The fact that Hyde could make both of those plays is pretty great. I told him that I found it interesting that the catch against the Vikings was made with his body while the Dallas pick was basically made with his mind. A player that can finish an interception as well as read a quick pattern has proven his development. There will be times these next few seasons that the Packers will miss Micah Hyde.

Thankfully, another mid-round defender is firmly in Green Bay for the next several seasons. Mike Daniels, a compensatory fourth rounder in 2012, is a feared specimen and a rare gem as a frontline monster on a 3-4 defense. Opposing teams have long since stopped overlooking the undersized defensive end and have had to game plan away from him. Daniels has taken modest early years and added a fiery passion that he backs up on a weekly basis. As much as we fans found the D-line’s early dominance against the run last year, we should not doubt that Daniels can lead the front line to greater feats in 2017.

During this coming season the Packers will look for all players to take the next jump, and I believe there are a few guys we should give our attention to. Safety Kentrell Brice was a pleasant surprise during the second half of last season (26 tackles). He has two great mentors in Morgan Burnett and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, and his willingness to lay the wood on opposing receivers and backs should provide enough support to allow Burnett to continue his own development as a safety-linebacker hybrid. Brice will have to improve his coverage skills. Linebacker Kyler Fackrell’s sophomore season includes finding ways to fill the giant shoes of the departed Julius Peppers. Obviously he will not rise to the future hall-of-famer’s production by next fall. But if the Packers don’t re-sign Datone Jones and look to the draft for outside linebacker help, Fackrell (18 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble) must develop either a more consistent pass rush or a knack for setting the edge. If both Kenny Clark (21 tackles, 4 hurries) and Dean Lowry (8 tackles, 2 sacks) can multiple their early successes up front, then the Mike Daniels-led infantry should be a feared set of run stoppers and pass rushers. If you get a chance, find footage of Kenny Clark sniffing out a Zeke Elliot screen pass in the playoffs. He releases off the line beautifully with great anticipation and drops him for a two-yard loss. On the offense, it was a rare treat to see undrafted rookie Geronimo Allison have a trusted relationship with Aaron Rodgers that showed itself with key catches and a couple of touchdowns on only a dozen receptions. Allison is lanky and fairly sure-handed. I’d like to see him develop a sideline presence akin to Jordy.

So during this offseason, we’ve seen Ted Thompson use free agency in ways that Packers fans never seem to understand and once again treat draft information as though it’s the Manhattan Project. Despite all of that, let’s remember that 8 consecutive playoff appearances is a very uncommon occurrence. Many NFL fans call us spoiled, and they are right. Just remember that our spoiled status comes from unexpected developments in players that most unspoiled teams never foresaw.

#Green Bay Packers #Packers draft 2017 #Packers defense 2017 #Packers free agency 2017 #Packers offense 2017 #Packers draft and develop

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