You Can to Return to Wakanda Next Month as ‘Black Panther’ Comes Back to Theaters

Fresh off its SAG Best Ensemble win in its historic quest for Oscar gold, Black Panther is back on the public’s mind.  Disney is taking note of that and is providing the public with another opportunity to gather in the theaters and return back to Wakanda again.  Almost a full year after it’s theatrical premiere, Black Panther will return to various AMC theaters nation-wide to celebrate Black History Month at various participating theaters.

Tickets will be free and there will be two showings per day for these screenings.  As part of this opportunity, Disney will also be donating $1.5 million dollars to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).  Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger made the announcement yesterday.

“Black Panther is groundbreaking for many reasons, including the rich diversity of voices behind its success.  The story also showcases the power of knowledge to change the world for the better, and the importance of ensuring everyone has access to it. We’re proud to provide thousands of free screenings of ‘Black Panther’ in hopes it will continue to inspire audiences, and to support UNCF with a $1.5 million grant to make the dream of higher education a reality for more students.”

To attend one of the screenings, head to See It First to locate participating AMC theaters in your local area to attend the screenings.

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'Black Panther' Makes Superhero Movie History As First-Ever Best Picture Nominee

After a decade of box office dominance that has changed the Hollywood landscape, Marvel Studios made history as Black Panther became the first superhero movie to earn an Academy Award nod for Best Picture.  Overall, Ryan Coogler's blockbuster hit came away with 7 nominations.

While the previous standard for comic book movie excellence went to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, that film's 8 Oscar nominations were mostly in technical categories, with the exception of Heath Ledger's win for Best Supporting Actor. Furthermore, some might claim Alejandro Inarritu's 2015 drama Birdman qualifies, but it's a movie about a man who once played a fictional costumed hero.

Black Panther also earned nominations for Best Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Production Design, Costume Design, Original Song for "All the Stars", and Ludwig Goransson's Original Score.

If Black Panther wins anything at all it will be a first for Marvel, which has had multiple films up for Best Visual Effects and other technical categories but has never secured a win.  Avengers: Infinity War was nominated in the Visual Effects field this year, as well.

Since superhero fatigue doesn't appear to be a real thing that exists in this world, Black Panther's shattering of the golden ceiling is likely to be just the first of many, whether it be for Marvel, DC, or one of their competitors.

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2019 Oscar Nominations: 'Roma' And 'The Favourite' Tie With 10

The 91st Academy Awards nominations were announced earlier this morning by the chatty duo of Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross. The winners will be awarded on February 24th live on ABC with a revolving door of celebrity hosts.

Leading the pack with 10 nominations is Alfonso Cuaron's personal drama, Roma, which founds its way into the Best Picture, Best Foreign Language, Best Director, and, in a slight surprise, Best Actress for first-time performer Yalitza Aparicio. Tied with it was Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite, while Vice and A Star is Born tied with 8.

Only 8 nominees were chosen for Best Picture, and the big story is that Marvel Studios has finally earned their first in the category with Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. Overall the groundbreaking superhero film came away with 7 nominations and made history as the first legit superhero film ever to earn that honor. I'll post more on this shortly.

The full list of nominees is below!

Actress In A Supporting Role
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Costume Design
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Alexandra Byrne, “Mary Queen of Scots”
Ruth Carter, “Black Panther”
Sandy Powell, “The Favourite”
Sandy Powell, “Mary Poppins Returns”

Sound Editing
“A Quiet Place”
“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“First Man”
“Roma”

Sound Mixing
“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“First Man”
“Roma”
“A Star is Born”

Animated Short Film
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
BAO
LATE AFTERNOON
ONE SMALL STEP
WEEKENDS

Live Action Short Film
DETAINMENT
FAUVE
MARGUERITE
MOTHER
SKIN

Music (Original Score)
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mary Poppins Returns”

Editing
“Black Klansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Vice”

Actor In A Supporting Role
Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”
Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
Sam Elliott, “A Star is Born”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

Actor In A Leading Role
Christian Bale, “Vice”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

Actress In A Leading Role
Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga, “A Star is Born”
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Animated Feature Film
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mirai”
“Ralph Breaks The Internet”
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

Cinematography
Robbie Ryan, "The Favourite"
Lukasz Zal, “Cold War”
Caleb Deschanel, “Never Look Away”
Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma”
Matthew Libatique, “A Star is Born”

Best Director
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”
Paweł Pawlikowski, “Cold War”
Yorgos Lanthimos, ‘”The Favourite”
Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma”
Adam McKay, “Vice”

Documentary Feature
“Free Solo”
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening”
“Minding the Gap”
“Of Fathers And Sons”
“RBG”

Documentary Short Subject
BLACK SHEEP
END GAME
LIFEBOAT
A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN
PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE.

Foreign Language Film
“Capernaum” (Lebanon)
“Cold War” (Poland)
“Never Look Away, (Germany)
“Roma” (Mexico)
“Shoplifters” (Japan)

Makeup and Hairstyling
“Mary Queen Of Scots”
“Border”
“Vice”

Best Picture
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Roma”
“A Star is Born”
“Vice”

Visual Effects
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Christopher Robin”
“First Man”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Adapted Screenplay
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“A Star Is Born”

Original Screenplay
“The Favourite”
“First Reformed”
“Green Book”
“Roma”
“Vice”

Music (Original Song)
“All The Stars” from “Black Panther”
“I’ll Fight” from “RBG”
“Trip A Little Light Fantastic” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from “The Ballad of Busters Scruggs”

Production Design
“Black Panther”
“The Favourite”
“First Man”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Roma”

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The PDC Staff Gives You Their Picks for the Best Films of 2018!

Another year is wrapped ladies and gentleman so, of course, it's time to look back! 2018 was a year that, by most accounts...you know what, no quipy remarks here, 2018 sucked. Thankfully when the world outside sucks we always have the warm embrace of a good movie to retreat to. I'm sure that, at least partially, due to the craptastic nature of the real world the movie industry had a record breaking year pulling in over 41 BILLON dollars around the world and 11 Billion in the US alone. Outside of the business end of things, 2018 was a year that saw diversity in film surge and prove that you could be plenty profitable without a white guy in the lead or behind the camera with Black Panther grabbing the #1 spot of the year and Crazy Rich Asians bringing in over $150 million. It wasn't just confined to live action either as the long awaited sequel Incredibles 2 focused almost solely on a female lead in Elastigirl and Miles Morales became the defacto Spider-Man for a whole new generation of kids (Sorry Tom Holland) when we all entered the Spider-verse. Star Wars had it's first miss with Solo: A Star Wars Story (though that's debatable, the movie was good and it made PLENTY of cash), Ryan Reynolds shook off the one-hit wonder thinkers with Deadpool 2. And finally, it was the year where the words "I don't feel so good..." picked up a whole new, heart-breaking meaning as Avengers faced off against the Mad Titan, Thanos, and left us all slacked-jawed in the wake of "The Snap"..........dammit Quill.

Be sure to check out all of our end-of-year coverage, including Travis' top 20 picks, right here!

John Nolan

Honorable Mention: Venom

It’s a cop out but I had to add the honorable mention for Venom which I know will discredit me with plenty of people, but what can I say I had a TON of fun with this flick and at the end of the day that’s why I go to the movies. Obviously, there’s 100 things you can pick apart about this movie…the CGI was hit or miss (but decidedly more hit and way better then most DCEU flicks) and the story was far from logical, but it had one thing right and that’s all that mattered, Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock. His dynamic with the symbiote coupled with the way he threw himself headfirst into the role took something that really should have been forgettable at best and turned it into a blockbuster comic book flick and the start of a new franchise.

3. Halloween

David Gordon Green’s sequel/reboot of the iconic horror franchise had a BIG hill to climb for the respect and admiration of fans old and new. But damned if he and Danny McBride didn’t do it. The casting of Jamie Lee Curtis back in the role of Laurie Strode was a good step in the right direction but was far from a guarantee of success, after all she’s come back for a few of the less then stellar sequels (though I loved H2O). No, it was their obvious love of the source material and reverence for the mythology that put this one through the uprights for fans. Everything about it felt perfect and while it was depressing to see Laurie Strode so many years later still traumatized by the events of the original film it did make sense. Not many films can reproduce the magic of an original film a year later, much less 40 but that is exactly what they did with Halloween.

2. Bad Times at the El Royale

There’s always been something about movies involving a bunch of different storylines colliding in a shared space that I’ve loved. I also find old “Route 66” type motels fascinating, there’s a real aura about them. That being said I was kind of a mark for this flick, when you add in the charisma and sheer talent of Jeff Bridges, Chris Hemsworth and newcomer Cynthia Erivo you have a movie that keeps you glued to the screen. Every thing about the flick had me hooked but above all it was the atmosphere, the allure of this decked out but out of date motel, like a time capsule from the days of Sinatra, the secret rooms, the shadowy “off the books” functions taking place within, all of it mixed together for a flick that didn’t just entertain but kept you guessing every moment right up until the bloody end.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

At this point there is literally nothing new I could say about this movie…. but I’m going to say some stuff anyway. The culmination of 10 year’s worth of blockbuster filmmaking Avengers: Infinity War took our expectations and blew them out of the water. Even past the obvious spectacle of it all the movie was a masterclass in storytelling. The simple fact that they were able to cram SO much story and SO many characters and keep the film moving at a lightning pace while at the same time keeping it from feeling rushed deserves praise on its own. The snap heard round the world (or at least round the MCU) was a moment that will make lists of most iconic moments for years to come. 

Roxana Hadadi

3. WIDOWS

I remain so confused by the lack of love, either commercially or in year-end awards, for Steve McQueen's and Gillian Flynn's "Widows." Here is a movie that tackles modern issues of race, sex, and class; that features stellar performances from a pitch-perfect ensemble led by Viola Davis and populated by Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Cynthia Erivo, Brian Tyree Henry, and Michelle Rodriguez; and that considers the different ways we lie to each other and to ourselves, and the moments that inspire us to change. It was very heavy! It was very good! It had a great moment where Colin Farrell basically tells Robert Duvall that he's hoping for his death, and then Viola Davis tells Colin Farrell that she is hoping for his death! I don't understand why more people didn't care for this film when it was absolutely one of the year's best.

2. PADDINGTON 2

Believing in goodness was very hard this year, and "Paddington 2" was like a soothing balm. Ben Whishaw's continuously excellent performance as Paddington, the bear who believes that "If we're kind and polite the world will be right," remains flawless, and the film built around it -- the gorgeous production design, the hilarious turn from a villainous Hugh Grant, and the delightful nature of Paddington's time in prison and his friendship with Brendan Gleeson's stern-faced baker Nuckle's -- was equally exceptional. When I wanted to believe the world can get better, "Paddington 2" provided all the hope I needed.

1. ANNIHILATION 

No film haunted me this year like Alex Garland's "Annihilation," adapted from the first novel in the Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. This was a movie that seemed misunderstood by everyone from the beginning -- the studio didn't know how to market it, international rights were dumped to Netflix, and the box office was nothing to talk about. But oh my, what a sci-fi spectacle -- what an exploration of trauma and transformation, what a menagerie of nightmarish images (that goddamn bear!), what a consideration of how the world we thought we know can turn into something decidedly other. It's the movie I've thought about most this year and that I will continue considering over and over again in my mind for years to come.

Khalil Johnson

3. BLINDSPOTTING 

This seems to be the Oakland's year as three young bay area filmmakers made films authentically black, and absolutely Oakland!  We'll get to the obvious one later on but an exceptional film that kinda slipped under the radar earlier this year was Blindspotting.  Life-long friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal wrote and starred in a movie that centers on the two as one is nearing the end of his probation in a rapidly gentrifying Oakland, and a police shooting of an unarmed black man just occurred.  Of course, Diggs is expected to shine.  I was surprised by Casal's performance as Collin's hot-tempered friend Miles as the two's friendship changed through the film.  Casal manages to give us the movie version of Tommy from Power as the film headed towards its explosion ending.  The weird mix of incorporating spoken word rapping/poetry in crucial moments was an interesting experiment as well.  While they make this film Oakland-specific, this is really about folks from the hood dealing with the hood being stripped of its "hood" as property values increase, juice shops pop up, and wannabes start acting like it's "their city."

2. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

As we are in the era of superhero movies as the modern blockbuster, it's nice for a movie in this genre to come in and completely nail everything it is supposed to in a few, fresh creative way.  I'll admit, I was not expecting to like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.  For one, I like the MCUs rendition of one of my favorite comic characters (as movies finally got Spider-Man and Peter Parker right with Spider-Man: Homecoming after so many years).  I also didn't want Miles Morales to be reduced to an animated movie as I think the first African-American/Latino webslinger deserves to be seen in a live action movie.  I thought Sony could not do these characters right as I have not been a fan of just about all of their movies (Spider-Man 2 was good though).  Boy was I WRONG in my worries and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is an outstanding movie!!

It's easily the best animated movie of the year, and possibly one of the best films of the year.  As soon as I saw the comics code authority logo at the beginning of the film, I know this movie was "for me."  We should also differentiate between other movies surrounding superheroes.  They are "superhero" movies, this is a "comic book" movie.  This movie is essentially a comic book brought to life as we not only see thought bubbles but Spidey's famous "thwip" and even a moment when a bagel is thrown and the word "bagel" pops up on the screen.  With so many Easter Eggs moving 1000 miles a minute, this is a movie made by geeks for geeks.  The film has such heart and soul and shouldn't be as good as it is, but it is.  I was surprised by how "black" the movie ended up being: graffiti while playing "This Or That" on a boombox, code-switching, and countless other things I didn't expect in a comic book movie.  The always needed (but soon will be missed) Stan Lee cameo is one that will touch at your heartstrings and I'm more than happy with how Miles was presented, authentically Miles.  Ya did good Sony, very good!

1. BLACK PANTHER

I tried to be "neutral" when it comes to Black Panther, but screw that.  One of my favorite characters got his own big screen movie after his impressive cameo in Captain America: Civil War, and suffice to say, Black Panther took over the world delivering not only one of Marvel's best films over the past decade, but most important ones.  

The movie does a superb job building the world of Wakanda.  Unlike most MCU movies, this is a complete film that really doesn't depend on all the others and you don't have to play catchup.  Ryan Coogler and the production team made the fictitious advanced African country a living, breathing character and introduces to audiences the concept of Afro-futurism.  Black Panther was unlike most superhero movies as it isn't just bad guys destroying the world and heroes come and save the day.  This movie speaks to the idea of colonialism, isolationism, the effects of slavery and white supremacy, and because it's Coogler, he made sure to sprinkle a little bit of Oakland in it.

Marvel's also had somewhat of a "villain problem" for most of their movies over the past 10 years.  For the most part, they are one and done and mostly forgetable.  However, Erik Kilmonger (and Thanos) proves to be the exception to the rule.  A young black man, raised in Oakland after being abandoned just wants to use Wakandan technology to right the wrongs that have happened to black people all over the world.  He was so sympathetic that many started saying #kilmongerwasright, and in the end, he proves to be the best type of villain: one who forever changes the hero as T'Challa ends up opening Wakanda to the rest of the world.  You can't talk about Black Panther without discussing the women of Wakanda as this movie is all about how strong black women run things in a society that treats them as equals.  The king's bodyguards, the Dora Milaje are all badass warrior women and T'Challa's sister Shuri is easily the scene stealer of the year.  Keep your eyes on actress Leticia Wright as she's gonna be a power player for years.  Black Panther wasn't just a superhero movie, it was a cultural event that captivated the world by storm and had people across the globe shouting "Wakanda Forever!"

MAE ABDULBAKI

3. BLACK PANTHER/SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE
Black Panther is one of those superhero films that comes along and changes things up a bit. As much as the MCU has a good amount of strong films, Ryan Coogler’s first venture into the shared universe welcomed us into Wakanda with open arms. It was a superhero movie with amazing characters, a rich world, a fantastic villain, and, besides being the first Marvel film to be led by a Black lead, it was also layered with sociopolitical commentary that rang so strongly throughout the film. In addition, Black Panther so seamlessly included its female characters so that they were a part of the story and powerful on their own. They led, they questioned, they fought, and it was beautiful to watch because it was something no other MCU film had ever done before.

I know I'm cheating, but I couldn't keep Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse off my top 3 list, so it's being paired with Black Panther. This film is a breakthrough in so many ways. It's probably one of the best Spider-Man movies ever and its various animation styles add to its uniqueness. Miles Morales is the representation we all deserve to see more of and the film is able to so easily blend in all the verses together. It was a fresh take on a superhero film that broke boundaries while still having pathos and its own individuality, while maintaining its place within the larger and established Spider-Man universe. Besides all that and gifting us with Miles and his family, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is also a gorgeous film and you'd be remiss to miss out on watching it.

2. IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
There's something about Barry Jenkins’ film-making that is truly poetic. His focus on characters and the weight of their emotions on the narrative is wonderfully nuanced and striking. Jenkins’ use of close-ups and the way James Baldwin's words were woven throughout the film so rhythmically was exceptionally beautiful and thoughtful, adding in a sense of deep intimacy that brought out the best in the story even when some of the characters were at their lowest. If Beale Street Could Talk is like a lovely portrait, visually stunning at first sight, but much deeper and richer the longer you look at it. Its ability to tell a detailed and still very relevant story, paired with fantastic performances by its cast, is what made it a standout in 2018.

1. WIDOWS
Steve McQueen’s film is practically flawless and no matter how many times I think about Widows, there’s always something new to analyze, a new aspect to uncover, and another layer of depth to think about. It’s as much of a heist movie as it is a sociopolitical drama and a feminist journey that details women breaking free, discovering themselves, and learning to come into their own and relying on their strength without being held back. It’s been severely overlooked on so many best of lists for 2018 and not given as much attention by audiences either, and it’s deserving of so much praise for the way it handles all of the film’s characters and plots. Plus, it has the best ensemble cast of 2018, led by the phenomenal Viola Davis. Widows is thrilling, suspenseful, empowering, and deserves to be seen.

Jake Sokolsky

3. A SIMPLE FAVOR

Paul Feig’s modern-day film noir starts off my list of the best movies from 2018. I found this movie to be a devilish good time. A Simple Favor has many different levels, and I really enjoyed all of them. Feig successfully takes a murder mystery and adds his usual comedic mastery to it.  While A Simple Favor does have its fair share of ridiculous moments, somehow Feig has you go along for the ride and not bother looking back or questioning it. The film is carried by the stellar performances of both leading ladies in Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. Lively looks like she is having a blast playing Emily, the foul-mouthed, no bullshit taking, head of PR for a popular fashion magazine. Kendrick’s Stephanie is an outwardly innocent mom of the year candidate whose son happens to be friends with Emily’s son, leading to a very unlikely friendship amongst two seemingly opposite people. Yet as time goes on, Stephanie may be a little more like Emily than anyone – maybe even herself – realized. When Emily disappears, Stephanie pulls out all the stops to figure out what happened to her best friend - updating all of the viewers on her Mommy Vlog of her progress along the way. 

2. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Last year’s Spider-Man: Homecoming was a breath of fresh air to one of my favorite childhood Superheroes, but Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took that to an entirely new level. In the name of full transparency, I did not know much about Miles Morales and his backstory – which only made some parts of the film even better in my mind. I grew up with the Spiderman animated series, a few of the comics, and of course Tobey Maguire – but when it came to Mile’s Spidey, I was out of the loop. Well I am all-in now.

The crazy thing is, I was legitimately excited for Spider-Verse after seeing the first round of trailers. Then I saw the post-credits scene after Venom and I was honestly not impressed. I thought it was trending to be too childish and wouldn’t be my cup of tea. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong. The film works on every level. It is a fun ride that is full of laughs, awesome action, a compelling story, characters you actually care about, and the growth and development of a new hero that everyone can embrace. Not to mention even with all those core cinematic elements in place, the animation is second to none. Great job all around here. 

1. A QUIET PLACE

A film’s ability to pull you into its world is such a difficult feat to accomplish and A Quiet Place is able to do so as well as any film in recent memory. The whole film is a tense, and almost silent, thrill ride. Seeing A Quiet Place in theaters was a blast and a truly unique experience. The entire audience was so drawn into the film that any slight noise in the theater turned heads. It seemed like everyone just forgot about their snacks and popcorn, adapting to the character’s desperation to keep quiet for fear of the monsters that may be lurking around any corner.

I could not have been more impressed with Krasinski, whose fingerprints are all over the movie from directing, starring, and helping pen the screenplay. Working with his real-life wife Emily Blunt, the two make you feel legitimately invested in the well-being of their family. A Quiet Place doesn’t waste any time, it has no real backstory or explanation of how the world got to the state that it is in, we’re just thrown right into this hellish reality. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat from the jump until the credits begin to roll. There is a sequel in the works, which I am a little weary of, but as long as the same creative minds are behind it – I have no reason to not go in with high hopes. 

HONORABLE MENTION: OVERLORD

Overlord was a mix of a tense WWII war film with a high-octane zombie movie. Throw in some crazy Nazis, some honorable soldiers, a local villager as a possible love interest and you have yourself a damn good time. 

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Travis Hopson's 20 Best Movies Of 2018

It was just two years ago that Rogue One was my top movie, then in 2017 The Last Jedi was narrowly edged out by The Florida Project. And to think in 2018 there won't be a single Star Wars movie on the list, as Solo: A Star Wars Story was merely...well, it was okay. I didn't even write it down as a consideration, and the number of movies I could've put on here is quite lengthy.

This was another great year of film, and I think my picks reflect the diversity we saw as Hollywood tried to make up for past failures. We saw arthouse films and blockbusters alike take up high-minded themes, John Krasinski emerge as one of our top horror directors, and Sony step up to challenge the big boys at Marvel...using Marvel characters.  I've said it before, but there's no such thing as a bad year in film. There is always something for everyone to choose from and enjoy, and 2018 gave me plenty of entertainment in a wide array of genres. I even learned to love the rom-com again. Thanks, Netflix.

But this year I found myself pretty much bowing down to my fandoms. This was one of the best years I can remember for superhero movies, nostalgia, everything that brought out the kid in me.

Anyway, my list is both subjective and superfluous. Ask me tomorrow and it'll probably be different. Spare me your emails asking why a certain movie isn't anywhere to be found. Plenty of movies I liked a lot failed to make the cut. Sorry, Spike, you know how I feel about you but BlacKkKlansman was #21.

20. At Eternity's Gate
Willem Dafoe captures the mystique, genius, and deep sadness of Vincent Van Gogh in Julian Schnabel's lovely At Eternity's Gate, a film as rich and layered as one of the artist's cherished paintings.
19. Assassination Nation
With maniacal, violent glee Assassination Nation shoves everything wrong in America dead in our faces and dares us to be better. Those who are easily triggered need not fucking apply.
18. Bodied
Almost a companion piece to Assassination Nation, Joseph Kahn's rap battle comedy Bodied spits uncomfortable truths about racism while dropping some sick rhymes.
17. The Hate U Give
A YA adaptation that isn't about a white girl savior in a post-apocalyptic world, but a serious, important film about a black girl dealing with the reality of racism and injustice. The Hate U Give should be seen by everyone, regardless of age or race, and Amandla Stenberg has the performance I think will take her career to the next level.
16. Burning
Class resentment, loneliness, repressed violence, and ego make for a toxic but fascinating brew in Lee Chang-dong's Burning, a slow burn thriller that features The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun as you've never seen him before. You'll never think of him as Glenn again.
15. Never Goin' Back
A spiritual companion to Spring Breakers, Augustine Frizzell's unrelentingly raunchy Never Goin' Back features brazen performances by Maia Mitchell and Jessie Camila Morrone as drug-addled young women who will do anything for a beach vacation. They're both morons, often high on coke, but somehow they got this world figured out in a way nobody else does. I could watch this movie all day. And have.
14. Annihilation
I still can't tell you what the Hell is really going on in Alex Garland's weird, beautiful,  surreal sci-fi film, but I think that's kind of the point? As Natalie Portman and her team venture beyond the veil to explore a strange phenomenon, the experience is wholly sensory and defies easy explanation.
13. Support the Girls
You might think that a film set at a Hooters-esque sports bar promoting "brews, boobs, and big screens" by a wait staff in crop tops and booty shorts wouldn't be the most feminist movie of the year. But that is just part of the quiet brilliance of Andrew Bujalski's Support the Girls, which keeps its girl power ideals close to the vest while acknowledging the daily struggle women go through, whether it be economic or casual workplace harassment.
12. Shoplifters
Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda's Shoplifters finds him once again exploring the idea of family, and whether the bonds we choose to forge are stronger than those we are born into. The close-knit group of struggling thieves live in the shadows, but step into the light to bring in a troubled young girl and make her a part of their family. The experience changes them all in profound ways, but the open-hearted example they set has the potential of changing us, as well.
11. A Star is Born
The first half of Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born is basically one long extended first date between his alcoholic singer and Lady Gaga's aspiring star. I haven't wanted so badly to be the lame wingman just hanging out with them as they slowly fall in love over the course of a revelatory evening. It's all just setup for Cooper's surprisingly assured direction, which shows him skillfully capturing a swooning romance, a concert drama, and sobering tragedy all at once. Brilliantly done.

10. Deadpool 2
I feel like Deadpool 2 isn't getting the love of the first movie and that's unfortunate because this one's better. It actually has a story, an actual hero arc for Ryan Reynolds' foul-mouthed merc, and the God damned friggin' Juggeranut! Plus the best cameo by the X-Men...well, ever.

9. Mission: Impossible-Fallout
Tom Cruise gave up an ankle for you people! He leaped from a freakin' plane for you people! Henry Cavill kept his mustache for you people! Christopher McQuarrie transformed Abu Dhabi into Paris for you people! And the result? Not only the best movie of this two-decade-long franchise but one of the best action movies, from start to incredible finish, that we've had in years.

8. Bumblebee
As Optimus Prime, Soundwave, Shockwave, and Starscream battled in the awesome Cybertronian sequence in Bumblebee, I squealed with joy in a way that I haven't since I was an 8-year-old kid seeing Transformers: The Movie for the first time. My only hope is the guy sitting two seats away didn't hear it, and that he doesn't recognize me.

7. Green Book
By all rights I should've hated Green Book. I pretty much expected to. A Hollywood-ized look at racism, identity, and the overcoming of prejudice, the Peter Farrelly-directed (!!!) film is also a buddy comedy and road trip movie that's practically begging for some Oscars love. And yet I can't deny the sheer pleasure in Viggo Mortensen's gruff Italian driver teaching Mahershala Ali's refined classical pianist the delicate art of eating fried chicken. Sometimes it's the simple things that hook me.

6. A Quiet Place
The movie I saw most this year had the least amount of audience chatter. John Krasinski's A Quiet Place stunned audiences into a bond of silent fear with its terrorized family. I've never experienced anything like that before, and it could only happen in the theatrical experience. If there's ever a movie that demands to be seen in a crowded multiplex, this was it.

5. Black Panther
Any movie that can make millions of people attend dressed like extras from Coming to America gets a thumbs up from me. The baddest, blackest movie of the year was Marvel's Black Panther, which brought kickass superhero action, diversity, and social conscience to the MCU. This was a tough call for me, choosing between this and Avengers: Infinity War, especially since both feature incredible villains, and I'm all about the villains. Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger is a revolutionary with a warrior heart, a Malcolm X to T'Challa's Martin Luther King. The ideological war between them is just as exciting as the physical one, and I hope Marvel realizes they can make smart comic book movies and people will respond enthusiastically.

4. Avengers: Infinity War
Like I said above, this was a tough call, but in the end I had to go with the movie that was completely dedicated to the villain's journey. Josh Brolin's Thanos is so much more than he has ever been in the comics. There's a soulfulness to his genocidal quest that is both perplexing and captivating. Granted, I almost always root for the heel to win, but in this case I actively cheered on Thanos' mad quest to wipe out the universe and smiled with glee when the snap of his fingers wiped away everybody's heroes. He'll get his comeuppance in a few months, but for now I'll continue to savor his victory as the greatest pulled by any bad guy in the history of cinema. Who can claim to have accomplished more?

3. First Reformed
I had no idea what to expect with First Reformed, but it wasn't much. Paul Schrader hadn't made a movie worth seeing in years, Ethan Hawke is hit 'n miss with me, and the religious subject matter isn't at all up my alley. And yet I was hooked right from the start, as Hawke's troubled Protestant minister grapples with his faith both in private, where he keeps a journal of his most sacrilegious thoughts, and in public where he can hardly hide his disdain for the world. It's a fascinating, complex descent into spiritual oblivion that Hawke carries on him like the entire weight of the universe is on his shoulders.  One of the few movies I saw this year that you could show to a dozen different people and get a dozen different opinions about.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The best Marvel movie of 2018 wasn't by Marvel Studios, but by Sony Pictures. The most diverse year in comic book movie history was led by a black/Latino kid named Miles Morales, and through him we are reminded of all the things that make Spider-Man the greatest of Stan Lee's creations. He's just a regular kid, and while he doesn't have an Uncle Ben level tragedy in his life, Miles has his own problems to deal with having to do with his mixed-race heritage. That's something we've never seen in a Spider-Man story on the big screen before. With an array of colorful characters, terrific humor, and kinetic animation, Spider-Man has never been this good cinematically and I hope it's just the beginning.

1. Roma
As the soapy water washes away across the opening credits of Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, for about 5 straight minutes, you instantly understand this is the kind of deeply personal movie that a filmmaker gets to make once in a career. For Cuaron, who is notoriously obsessive about every shot, he holds every frame of Roma so tight it's like he can barely stand to let them go. A love letter to the era of his childhood and the women who inspired him, Roma is both intimate and profound, with gorgeous black & white cinematography that Cuaron, naturally, shot himself. It comes across less like a movie, and more as if we're walking through a flipbook of Cuaron's fondest memories. When we so often complain that originality is gone from Hollywood, Roma is truly a film that could only have been made by Cuaron.

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'Black Panther' Earns 12 Critics Choice Award Nominations, 'The Favourite' Leads With 14

We may have a new Oscar frontrunner, or better put, a new Oscar Favourite. Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite earned an incredible 14 nominations for the 24th Critics Choice Awards, decided on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association of which I am a member. That included Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Olivia Colman, and continuing the pattern of this awards season, both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz for Best Supporting Actress.

Following closely on its heels was Marvel's Black Panther with 12 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and Best Acting Ensemble. Damien Chazelle's First Man, which has been very quiet thus far, apparently struck a chord with BFCA members who gave it 10 nominations.

The full list of nominees is below. The Critics Choice Awards takes place on January 13th 2019 and will air on The CW.

24TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS

FILM NOMINATIONS

BEST PICTURE

Black Panther

BlacKkKlansman

The Favourite

First Man

Green Book

If Beale Street Could Talk

Mary Poppins Returns

Roma

A Star Is Born

Vice

BEST ACTOR

Christian Bale – Vice

Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born

Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate

Ryan Gosling – First Man

Ethan Hawke – First Reformed

Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody

Viggo Mortensen – Green Book

BEST ACTRESS

Yalitza Aparicio – Roma

Emily Blunt – Mary Poppins Returns

Glenn Close – The Wife

Toni Collette – Hereditary

Olivia Colman – The Favourite

Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born

Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mahershala Ali – Green Book

Timothée Chalamet – Beautiful Boy

Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman

Sam Elliott – A Star Is Born

Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams – Vice

Claire Foy – First Man

Nicole Kidman – Boy Erased

Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk

Emma Stone – The Favourite

Rachel Weisz – The Favourite

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Elsie Fisher – Eighth Grade

Thomasin McKenzie – Leave No Trace

Ed Oxenbould – Wildlife

Millicent Simmonds – A Quiet Place

Amandla Stenberg – The Hate U Give

Sunny Suljic – Mid90s

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Black Panther

Crazy Rich Asians

The Favourite

Vice

Widows

BEST DIRECTOR

Damien Chazelle – First Man

Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born

Alfonso Cuarón – Roma

Peter Farrelly – Green Book

Yorgos Lanthimos – The Favourite

Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman

Adam McKay – Vice

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Bo Burnham – Eighth Grade

Alfonso Cuarón – Roma

Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara – The Favourite

Adam McKay – Vice

Paul Schrader – First Reformed

Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly – Green Book

Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski – A Quiet Place

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole – Black Panther

Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Barry Jenkins – If Beale Street Could Talk

Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters – A Star Is Born

Josh Singer – First Man

Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Alfonso Cuarón – Roma

James Laxton – If Beale Street Could Talk

Matthew Libatique – A Star Is Born

Rachel Morrison – Black Panther

Robbie Ryan – The Favourite

Linus Sandgren – First Man

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Hannah Beachler, Jay Hart – Black Panther

Eugenio Caballero, Barbara Enriquez – Roma

Nelson Coates, Andrew Baseman – Crazy Rich Asians

Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – The Favourite

Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas – First Man

John Myhre, Gordon Sim – Mary Poppins Returns

BEST EDITING

Jay Cassidy – A Star Is Born

Hank Corwin – Vice

Tom Cross – First Man

Alfonso Cuarón, Adam Gough – Roma

Yorgos Mavropsaridis – The Favourite

Joe Walker – Widows

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Alexandra Byrne – Mary Queen of Scots

Ruth Carter – Black Panther

Julian Day – Bohemian Rhapsody

Sandy Powell – The Favourite

Sandy Powell – Mary Poppins Returns

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

The Favourite

Mary Queen of Scots

Suspiria

Vice

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

First Man

Mary Poppins Returns

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Ready Player One

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Grinch

Incredibles 2

Isle of Dogs

Mirai

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

Deadpool 2

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Ready Player One

Widows

BEST COMEDY

Crazy Rich Asians

Deadpool 2

The Death of Stalin

The Favourite

Game Night

Sorry to Bother You

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Christian Bale – Vice

Jason Bateman – Game Night

Viggo Mortensen – Green Book

John C. Reilly – Stan & Ollie

Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool 2

Lakeith Stanfield – Sorry to Bother You

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Emily Blunt – Mary Poppins Returns

Olivia Colman – The Favourite

Elsie Fisher – Eighth Grade

Rachel McAdams – Game Night

Charlize Theron – Tully

Constance Wu – Crazy Rich Asians

BEST SCI-FI OR HORROR MOVIE

Annihilation

Halloween

Hereditary

A Quiet Place

Suspiria

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Burning

Capernaum

Cold War

Roma

Shoplifters

BEST SONG

All the Stars – Black Panther

Girl in the Movies – Dumplin’

I’ll Fight – RBG

The Place Where Lost Things Go – Mary Poppins Returns

Shallow – A Star Is Born

Trip a Little Light Fantastic – Mary Poppins Returns

BEST SCORE

Kris Bowers – Green Book

Nicholas Britell – If Beale Street Could Talk

Alexandre Desplat – Isle of Dogs

Ludwig Göransson – Black Panther

Justin Hurwitz – First Man

Marc Shaiman – Mary Poppins Returns

TELEVISION

BEST DRAMA SERIES

The Americans (FX)

Better Call Saul (AMC)

The Good Fight (CBS All Access)

Homecoming (Amazon)

Killing Eve (BBC America)

My Brilliant Friend (HBO)

Pose (FX)

Succession (HBO)

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Freddie Highmore – The Good Doctor (ABC)

Diego Luna – Narcos: Mexico (Netflix)

Richard Madden – Bodyguard (Netflix)

Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul (AMC)

Billy Porter – Pose (FX)

Matthew Rhys – The Americans (FX)

Milo Ventimiglia – This Is Us (NBC)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jodie Comer – Killing Eve (BBC America)

Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Deuce (HBO)

Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Sandra Oh – Killing Eve (BBC America)

Elizabeth Olsen – Sorry For Your Loss (Facebook Watch)

Julia Roberts – Homecoming (Amazon)

Keri Russell – The Americans (FX)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Richard Cabral – Mayans M.C. (FX)

Asia Kate Dillon – Billions (Showtime)

Noah Emmerich – The Americans (FX)

Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)

Matthew Macfadyen – Succession (HBO)

Richard Schiff – The Good Doctor (ABC)

Shea Whigham – Homecoming (Amazon)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Dina Shihabi – Jack Ryan (Amazon)

Julia Garner – Ozark (Netflix)

Thandie Newton – Westworld (HBO)

Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul (AMC)

Yvonne Strahovski – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Holly Taylor – The Americans (FX)

BEST COMEDY SERIES

Atlanta (FX)

Barry (HBO)

The Good Place (NBC)

The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

The Middle (ABC)

One Day at a Time (Netflix)

Schitt’s Creek (Pop)

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Hank Azaria – Brockmire (IFC)

Ted Danson – The Good Place (NBC)

Michael Douglas – The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

Donald Glover – Atlanta (FX)

Bill Hader – Barry (HBO)

Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)

Andy Samberg – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)

Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Allison Janney – Mom (CBS)

Justina Machado – One Day at a Time (Netflix)

Debra Messing – Will & Grace (NBC)

Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

William Jackson Harper – The Good Place (NBC)

Sean Hayes – Will & Grace (NBC)

Brian Tyree Henry – Atlanta (FX)

Nico Santos – Superstore (NBC)

Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Henry Winkler – Barry (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Betty Gilpin – GLOW (Netflix)

Laurie Metcalf – The Conners (ABC)

Rita Moreno – One Day at a Time (Netflix)

Zoe Perry – Young Sheldon (CBS)

Annie Potts – Young Sheldon (CBS)

Miriam Shor – Younger (TV Land)

BEST LIMITED SERIES

A Very English Scandal (Amazon)

American Vandal (Netflix)

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)

Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)

Sharp Objects (HBO)

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Icebox (HBO)

Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)

King Lear (Amazon)

My Dinner with Hervé (HBO)

Notes from the Field (HBO)

The Tale (HBO)

BEST ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Antonio Banderas – Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)

Darren Criss – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Paul Dano – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)

Benicio Del Toro – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)

Hugh Grant – A Very English Scandal (Amazon)

John Legend – Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Amy Adams – Sharp Objects (HBO)

Patricia Arquette – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)

Connie Britton – Dirty John (Bravo)

Carrie Coon – The Sinner (USA Network)

Laura Dern – The Tale (HBO)

Anna Deavere Smith – Notes From the Field (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Brandon Victor Dixon – Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)

Eric Lange – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)

Alex Rich – Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)

Peter Sarsgaard – The Looming Tower (Hulu)

Finn Wittrock – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Ben Whishaw – A Very English Scandal (Amazon)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Ellen Burstyn – The Tale (HBO)

Patricia Clarkson – Sharp Objects (HBO)

Penelope Cruz – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Julia Garner – Dirty John (Bravo)

Judith Light – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Elizabeth Perkins – Sharp Objects (HBO)

BEST ANIMATED SERIES

Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)

Archer (FX)

Bob’s Burgers (Fox)

BoJack Horseman (Netflix)

The Simpsons (Fox)

South Park (Comedy Central)

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'Black Panther' Star Letitia Wright Says She'd Be Excited To See Shuri Rule Wakanda

There's a new Disney princess in town, and this one may be the new ruler of Wakanda. Black Panther breakout Letitia Wright attended this year's MCM London Comic-Con and during a Q&A session revealed that T'Challa's brilliant sister Shuri could find herself Wakanda's new leader very soon...

"If the opportunity came about, then why not? It would be comic book accurate. Yeah, that would be amazing. It means more training, more learning and it would really be an amazing adventure. Shuri becomes a savage in the comic books. From going to comedic and fun and like a kid - to then just pulling out some claws. I'm excited."

In the comics, Shuri takes over as Black Panther when her brother is depowered and must go off to recover. After enduring the trials to gain the powers of the Panther god, Shuri defends Wakanda against the threat of Doctor Doom and others, proving herself to be a capable leader due to her fighting skills and technological expertise.

Of course, the film universe is very different, and the reason for Shuri's potential ascension has to do with the events of Infinity War. While we know that Shuri has survived Thanos' cataclysmic actions because the movie's directors have said so, we don't know the fate of Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa just yet. My gut tells me we'll see Shuri in a Black Panther outfit of her own in Avengers 4.

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A Marvel Producer Really Didn't Want This Character To Die In 'Avengers: Infinity War'

*SPOILERS*, of course.

The best part about seeing Avengers: Infinity War multiple times is being able to pick out those who have yet to experience it. The best time to do that is, obviously, at the end of the film when many of the heroes we've come to love turn to dust at the snap of Thanos' fingers. Many characters vanish at that point; most of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Winter Soldier, Spider-Man, and others. It's quite the emotional roller coaster that still leaves audiences gasping for air.

While I think most of us know that most if not all of these characters will return somehow, at least one Marvel exec wasn't so sure. Producer Nate Moore, who happens to have worked on Black Panther, did his best to try and convince the Russos not to kill somebody. Any guesses who it was? Yep, a certain king of Wakanda...

“I knew pretty well what they were talking about and personally urged them to reconsider,” Moore told HuffPo. “But the storytelling made sense, so I love that we got to see a little bit more of Wakanda in that film, and I hope to see how they’re going to resolve that.”

He continued,  “Touching on all the different ideas you can have, you talk about the pros and cons of each, and they had some really compelling arguments as to why what happened happened. I think ultimately it made for a really interesting, almost more complicated ending to that film because of how well ‘Black Panther’ was embraced by audiences. Again, personally painful, but I understand the reasoning.”

Knowing more about the Russos' reasons would probably veer into spoiling Avengers 4, because otherwise I imagine the conversation went something like "Duh, because killing Black Panther would be a super cool twist!"

Anyway, expect T'Challa to return in time for Black Panther 2, unless they decide to have Shuri and M'baku battle it out for the crown?

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Giveaway: Win A Digital Copy Of Marvel's 'Black Panther'

To celebrate the release of Marvel's Black Panther in Bluray/DVD combo pack, we're offering our readers the chance to win a digital copy of the film now!

SYNOPSIS: Bring Wakanda Home with Extensive Bonus Features that Allow Viewers to Explore Deeper into the Wondrous World of Wakanda. Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther,” the highly celebrated story of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), a young African prince who takes on the mantle of King and Super Hero, has thrilled and inspired generations of moviegoers around the globe. Now, fans can bring home the phenomenon, packed with light-hearted fun, pulse-pounding action and a powerful message, and watch it over and over again, Digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ and Movies Anywhere on May 8 and on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™, DVD and On-Demand on May 15.  With both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos immersive sound, 4k Ultra HD offers consumers a transformative viewing experience. Never-before-seen extras feature commentary from director Ryan Coogler; deleted scenes; outtakes; and several making-of featurettes, which detail the Black Panther’s evolution, the remarkable women of Wakanda, the history of T’Challa’s proud nation, and the cosmic origin and technological applications of vibranium. 

For a chance to win, simply send an email to punchdrunktrav@gmail.com with your full name, mailing address, and "Black Panther contest" in the subject line. Five winners will be selected on Tuesday, May 22nd and notified by email.  Good luck!

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Punch Drunk DVDs: 'Black Panther' And More!

NEW THIS WEEK

Black Panther

One of the year’s biggest movie’s finally comes home! Set in the secluded African Utopia of Wakanda, Mravel’s latest, Black Panther picks up after the events of Civil War, with T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returning home to accept the throne and become king. Unfortunately for him, Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), a mysterious mercenary with shadowy ties to his family’s past, arrives and upsets the balance of Wakanda, testing T’Challa’s place as king -- and as Black Panther – in a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Brilliantly directed by Ryan Coogler ‎(Creed), Black Panther is the blockbuster of the year that you don’t want to miss.

We Said: “Black Panther is a comic book movie like no other. All props to Blade, the Marvel film franchise Wesley Snipes carried and laid the groundwork for a lot of what we see today, but Black Panther is a completely different animal that explores topics the genre has never scraped the surface of. Colonialism, racial identity, technology vs. legacy, nativism, all of these and more are tapped into by the brilliant, complex script by director and co-writer Ryan Coogler (working with Joe Robert Cole). Some of these themes are familiar to Coogler from his breakout drama Fruitvale Station, which he then brought into the mainstream with Creed. Now on the biggest platform of his career Coogler has set out to education and entertain, while staying firmly, and sometimes frustratingly, within the Marvel framework.[…] Black Panther proves that you can make a movie that is significant to the black audience, and just a damn good superhero movie that everyone can enjoy. Marvel has a new ruler on the throne. Long live the king!” Rating: 4 out of 5

BUY NOW

Also Available: The Shannara Chronicles: Season Two, Samson, The Forgiven, Bent, and Rick and Morty: Season Three

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Box Office: Avengers: Infinity War Remains #1 for its Third Week, Life of the Party Pulls a Respectable 2nd Place

1. Avengers: Infinity War- $61.8M/$547.8M
No surprise here. Black Panther brought in a new realm of staying power for Marvel movies and Infinity War is following suit. Holding on to first place, though the contenders weren't exactly, blockbusters they were definitely #1 material against other aging competition. Just to point out the significance of the latest Marvel endeavor here are the records they have nabbed this week alone Avengers: Infinity War topped the domestic box office for the third weekend in a row, delivered the second largest opening in China ever, became the eighth largest domestic release of all-time, fifth largest global release and became the first superhero film to ever top $1 billion internationally....not bad for the third week of release.
2. Life of the Party (Review)- $18.5M
Melissa McCarthy's take on the Back to School scenario pulled in a super respectable 18 million. While the certified comedy star probably pulls in estimates closer to $30 mil in an opening week this really isn't a bad pull. Scheduling killed them, the thing with a phenomenon like Marvel's latest is that you have to account for the people that DIDN'T go in the first two weeks that are filing in now. These are the same folks that would be likely to see McCarthy on opening weekend.
3. Breaking In(Review)- $16.6M
Gabrielle Union's new thriller, where she plays a mom who's forced to defend her family after a break in, did about exactly what you'd expect. If not for the elephant in the room a #2 start for this film is expected.
4. Overboard- $10.1M/$29.5M
5. A Quiet Place- $6.4M/$169.5M
6. I Feel Pretty- $3.7M/$43.8M
7. Rampage- $3.3M/$89.7M
A surprise sub-$100M Dwayne Johnson film. Falling down to number 7 and making less than 5 million in it's 5th week this looks like it will be a rare loser for the most electrifying man in motion pictures. Keep in mind though this is just domestic, the film had already made nearly $300M by the end of April in international markets, so you could say The Rock is so good that even when he loses, he wins.
8. Tully- $2.2M/$6.9M
9. Black Panther- $1.9M/$696M
It looks like T'challa's time in the top 10 may be close to over, but don't cry for Wakanda...at 13 weeks into it's release it's officially the 2nd longest running film in the top 100 and STILL in the top 10, Wakanda gonna be alright. Bear in mind that's with a -271 change in theaters showing the movie. If you go by a per theater average it would still be close to the high five.
10. RBG- $1.1M/$2M

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Ryan Coogler Saya Female 'Black Panther' Spinoff Would Be An "Amazing" Opportunity

Ignoring everything that happened at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, things are looking up for anybody involved with Black Panther. That obviously includes director Ryan Coogler, who is at Cannes right now talking about the experience of making the most successful black superhero movie ever, and one of the most successful superhero movies, period. He also talked about the possibility of a spinoff featuring just the female characters from Wakanda, who proved nearly as popular as Black Panther himself.

During the course of the film, there comes a stretch of time when T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is no longer present. It's during that time when the women in his life step up and take over, and that's when Coogler realized he may have something special just with them...

“There is a whole section of the film where T’Challa [Chadwick Boseman] is out of the movie and you are just following the women,” Coogler says assuming everyone in the theater has seen the movie by this point. “And thats one of my favorite parts of the movie when I watched it. And I didn’t expect that.”

“Everybody thinks he’s dead and there is a good chunk of time left in the movie and the women actually save him and bring him back and that part of the movie you feel like you’re watching something fresh and new. That part of it was exciting. We have these actresses who could easily carry their own movie. Some of them have before. We had an embarrassment of riches with Lupita, Letitia [Wright], Danai [Gurira], Angela [Bassett]. And we were so fortunate. So when that part of the movie happens I’m like, ‘I wanna watch this movie. I’d watch this movie with just them.'”

Of course, that led to the question of whether Coogler would direct a female Black Panther spinoff, to which he replied, “That would be amazing if the opportunity came up. They did it in the comic-book version.”

Coogler is referring to Shuri, who takes over as Black Panther in the comics. There have been other stories that follow members of T'Challa's royal guard, the Dora Milaje.

Black Panther is, for the time being, the #1 movie in the world with $1.33B. A sequel is already in the works and you can bet Marvel is going to do everything possible to get the most out of this franchise. It's a business, after all, a fact that hasn't escaped Coogler in the least...

“At the end of the day it’s a business and the business is informed by all these things that life is informed by. Colonization, institutional, bias, racism. All these things. The business was built amongst all these things, but the truth is what I kept telling myself is because I was an athlete. I’m not anymore. There was a time. Now, I’m like ‘Can I make it up that ramp without falling?’ [Laughs] But, there was a time not that long ago that my dad would tell me that owners of American baseball teams would say ‘I don’t know if we put black and hispanic players on the field that people would still come to the games.’ There was a time in basketball where there were no black people in the NBA and it’s because people thought people wouldn’t come to the games. I was born in ’86. I came up in the ’90s I think in the NBA everybody’s black. Everyone in the stands is usually mixed bag, but mostly white but they have on the black players jerseys. That’s the world I grew up in. So, for me, it was ‘Why can’t film have more black movies?’ People say maybe these films don’t travel but for us it was like, ‘I don’t know if that’s the case.’ And it was great to have partners in Marvel and Disney who were excited about that as well. We didn’t feel like we were the only ones banging the drum.” [Variety]

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