Actor-comedian and Oscar®–nominated writer Kumail Nanjiani and actress–producer–director Tracee Ellis Ross announced the 91st Oscars® nominations today (January 22), live from the Academy’s headquarters in Beverly Hills via a global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the Academy’s digital platforms, a satellite feed, and broadcast media.
Academy members from each of the 17 branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.
The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide
And The Nominees are.
Performance by an actor in a leading role
- Christian Bale in “Vice”
- Bradley Cooper in “A Star Is Born”
- Willem Dafoe in “At Eternity’s Gate”
- Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody”
- Viggo Mortensen in “Green Book”
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
- Mahershala Ali in “Green Book”
- Adam Driver in “BlacKkKlansman”
- Sam Elliott in “A Star Is Born”
- Richard E. Grant in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
- Sam Rockwell in “Vice”
Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Yalitza Aparicio in “Roma”
- Glenn Close in “The Wife”
- Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”
- Lady Gaga in “A Star Is Born”
- Melissa McCarthy in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
- Amy Adams in “Vice”
- Marina de Tavira in “Roma”
- Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk”
- Emma Stone in “The Favourite”
- Rachel Weisz in “The Favourite”
Best animated feature film of the year
- “Incredibles 2” Brad Bird, John Walker and Nicole Paradis Grindle
- “Isle of Dogs” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson
- “Mirai” Mamoru Hosoda and Yuichiro Saito
- “Ralph Breaks the Internet” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston and Clark Spencer
- “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Achievement in cinematography
- “Cold War” Łukasz Żal
- “The Favourite” Robbie Ryan
- “Never Look Away” Caleb Deschanel
- “Roma” Alfonso Cuarón
- “A Star Is Born” Matthew Libatique
Achievement in costume design
- “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” Mary Zophres
- “Black Panther” Ruth Carter
- “The Favourite” Sandy Powell
- “Mary Poppins Returns” Sandy Powell
- “Mary Queen of Scots” Alexandra Byrne
Achievement in directing
- “BlacKkKlansman” Spike Lee
- “Cold War” Paweł Pawlikowski
- “The Favourite” Yorgos Lanthimos
- “Roma” Alfonso Cuarón
- “Vice” Adam McKay
Best documentary feature
- “Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill
- “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes and Su Kim
- “Minding the Gap” Bing Liu and Diane Quon
- “Of Fathers and Sons” Talal Derki, Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme and Tobias N. Siebert
- “RBG” Betsy West and Julie Cohen
Best documentary short subject
- “Black Sheep” Ed Perkins and Jonathan Chinn
- “End Game” Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
- “Lifeboat” Skye Fitzgerald and Bryn Mooser
- “A Night at The Garden” Marshall Curry
- “Period. End of Sentence.” Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton
Achievement in film editing
- “BlacKkKlansman” Barry Alexander Brown
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” John Ottman
- “The Favourite” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
- “Green Book” Patrick J. Don Vito
- “Vice” Hank Corwin
Best foreign language film of the year
- “Capernaum” Lebanon
- “Cold War” Poland
- “Never Look Away” Germany
- “Roma” Mexico
- “Shoplifters” Japan
Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
- “Border” Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer
- “Mary Queen of Scots” Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher and Jessica Brooks
- “Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
- “Black Panther” Ludwig Goransson
- “BlacKkKlansman” Terence Blanchard
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” Nicholas Britell
- “Isle of Dogs” Alexandre Desplat
- “Mary Poppins Returns” Marc Shaiman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
- “All The Stars” from “Black Panther”
Music by Mark Spears, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth and Anthony Tiffith; Lyric by Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, Anthony Tiffith and Solana Rowe - “I’ll Fight” from “RBG”
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren - “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman - “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt - “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
Music and Lyric by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch
Best motion picture of the year
- “Black Panther” Kevin Feige, Producer
- “BlacKkKlansman” Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele and Spike Lee, Producers
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” Graham King, Producer
- “The Favourite” Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday and Yorgos Lanthimos, Producers
- “Green Book” Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, Producers
- “Roma” Gabriela Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón, Producers
- “A Star Is Born” Bill Gerber, Bradley Cooper and Lynette Howell Taylor, Producers
- “Vice” Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, Producers
Achievement in production design
- “Black Panther” Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart
- “The Favourite” Production Design: Fiona Crombie; Set Decoration: Alice Felton
- “First Man” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
- “Mary Poppins Returns” Production Design: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
- “Roma” Production Design: Eugenio Caballero; Set Decoration: Bárbara Enríquez
Best animated short film
- “Animal Behaviour” Alison Snowden and David Fine
- “Bao” Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb
- “Late Afternoon” Louise Bagnall and Nuria González Blanco
- “One Small Step” Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas
- “Weekends” Trevor Jimenez
Best live action short film
- “Detainment” Vincent Lambe and Darren Mahon
- “Fauve” Jeremy Comte and Maria Gracia Turgeon
- “Marguerite” Marianne Farley and Marie-Hélène Panisset
- “Mother” Rodrigo Sorogoyen and María del Puy Alvarado
- “Skin” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman
Achievement in sound editing
- “Black Panther” Benjamin A. Burtt and Steve Boeddeker
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone
- “First Man” Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan
- “A Quiet Place” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
- “Roma” Sergio Díaz and Skip Lievsay
Achievement in sound mixing
- “Black Panther” Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali
- “First Man” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis
- “Roma” Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García
- “A Star Is Born” Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow
Achievement in visual effects
- “Avengers: Infinity War” Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick
- “Christopher Robin” Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones and Chris Corbould
- “First Man” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm
- “Ready Player One” Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler and David Shirk
- “Solo: A Star Wars Story” Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Dominic Tuohy
Adapted screenplay
- “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
- “BlacKkKlansman” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee
- “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
- “If Beale Street Could Talk” Written for the screen by Barry Jenkins
- “A Star Is Born” Screenplay by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters
Original screenplay
- “The Favourite” Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
- “First Reformed” Written by Paul Schrader
- “Green Book” Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
- “Roma” Written by Alfonso Cuarón
- “Vice” Written by Adam McKay

Movie
Review of “Good Bad Ugly”

Director: Adhik Ravichandran
Starring: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Das, Trisha, Simran
Genre: Action / Crime Drama
Rating: 4.5/5
“Good Bad Ugly” centers on Red Dragon (Ajith Kumar), a notorious gangster who chooses to surrender himself in the hopes of turning over a new leaf and reuniting with his estranged son. However, when unforeseen threats emerge, Red Dragon is forced to step back into the dangerous underworld to protect the only family he has left.
“Good Bad Ugly” plays to the strengths of Ajith Kumar, delivering a fan-pleasing portrayal of both his vintage villainy and his matured emotional depth. Ajith’s powerful screen presence, coupled with his iconic voice, shines against Arjun Das’s brooding and intense new-age antagonist, creating an electric old-school versus new-school dynamic. The nostalgic return of Simran is a clever nod to longtime fans, bringing heart and familiarity. Trisha brings a strong, grounded performance as the moral compass in Red Dragon’s life, helping move the emotional threads of the story. The film smartly balances action, comedy, and sentimental fan-service moments.
While the film delivers on fan expectations, its narrative could have benefited from tighter pacing and deeper character development for its supporting cast. Some plot conveniences and an overreliance on nostalgia may limit broader audience appeal beyond the fanbase. Certain dramatic beats felt rushed, leaving little time for emotional resonance to fully land.
The ambition to blend high-octane action with heavy emotional stakes sometimes leads to tonal inconsistencies. At moments, the shift from gritty underworld drama to lighter fan moments feels abrupt. Additionally, though Ajith Kumar’s effort to showcase his dancing skills is commendable and welcomed by fans, it slightly disrupts the otherwise darker tone the film establishes.
“Good Bad Ugly” is a tribute to Ajith Kumar’s enduring legacy, offering vintage thrills while teasing new dimensions to his craft. It’s a solid entertainer that successfully taps into fan nostalgia while hinting at an exciting evolution for AK. While not without its flaws, the film’s heart, energy, and performances make it a must-watch for fans and a compelling action-drama for broader audiences.
Streaming
Presence: A Horror Movie For People That Don’t Like Horror Movies

In these uncertain times, you can’t beat a good old-fashioned horror movie. Unfortunately, Presence is not an old-fashioned horror movie. Yet, as I discovered, this is a good thing!
When I heard about the premise of this movie, I was intrigued. The stylishly subtle trailer was, appropriately, haunting. And was that Lucy Liu? A haunted house movie from the perspective of the ghost? As a seasoned horror movie buff, I was all in!
Like the majority of people I missed the films brief theatrical release. Luckily I was able to catch it on streaming. Visually the film is easy to enjoy from your own home, as it’s rather cosy looking. I never thought I’d be describing a horror movie as ‘cosy’ looking but it’s true! This is not a James Wan type creepy, dusty, decrepit house harbouring a haunting. No, this is a 100 year old jewel toned, oak finished colonial style home.
Despite this the story follows the beats we are all familiar with: troubled family of four move into a new house. The big deviation from the trope is we, the audience, are seeing events unfold from the POV of the ghost or presence.
Director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven) chose to film the entire piece using a small (14mm) hand-held digital camera. Soderbergh himself acted as the ‘presence’ following the actors around. From the audiences perspective it is like watching the family through a barrier or pane of glass. Cleverly, windows and mirrors are hugely prominent and integral throughout.
The presence mainly follows and tries to interact with the daughter of the family, Chloe (Callina Liang), who has recently suffered the trauma of her best friend dying suddenly. Through Soderbergh’s experimental filming, we feel the dysphoria and frustration the ‘ghost’ is feeling at trying to affect the world around it, particularly during the anxiety-inducing final scene!
However, in what could be yet another mismarketing of a film, the trailer promised to be the ‘scariest movie you will see this year’ and ‘terrifying’; instead, they delivered this subversive, character-driven, family drama. If you are expecting jump scares and dramatic music stings, this is not your movie. I could understand if someone was disappointed that the only seemingly scary thing is the mother’s and son’s relationship, right up until the gut-punch of the final scene.
Presence is definitely a slow burn, tension building until the final scene, and the unveiling of the ‘presence’ giving us a new understanding of the whole story. The ending is disturbing and stays with you as you re-analyse earlier scenes.
My one complaint is that the character Ryan (West Mulholland) with his Chesney Hawkes hair, perhaps needed more subtlety. The rest of the cast was completely solid and believable as a family with so many unspoken issues.
I wouldn’t recommend this film for everybody but maybe be as so bold to say it’s a horror movie for people that don’t like horror movies. It’s well-lit and cerebral with realistically flawed characters.
Presence is available to stream.
Three and a half stars.
Streaming
Anime Review: Fog Hill of the Five Elements (Wu Shan Wu Xing)

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Historical
Runtime: Each episode runs approximately 20-30 minutes
Director: Lin Hun (also the Creator)
Studio: Samsara Animation Studio
Main Voice Actors (Chinese Cast):Liu Zhi Shi as Wen Ren Yu Xuan Zhou Qi as Shen Nong Fang Yuan as Xuan
Overview
Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a breathtaking Chinese anime (donghua) that merges traditional Chinese ink-painting aesthetics with high-intensity martial arts action. Created and directed by Lin Hun, this series delivers a spellbinding visual experience that rivals, and in many ways surpasses, mainstream Japanese anime. Produced by Samsara Animation Studio, the anime is a labor of love, known for its hand-drawn animation and meticulous detail.
Set in a mythological world where elemental beasts roam free, the series follows the Five Elemental Envoys tasked with protecting humanity. The story focuses on Wen Ren Yu Xuan, the Fire Envoy, whose actions set off a chain of events threatening the delicate balance between humans and beasts. The tale is steeped in Chinese folklore and myth, weaving a complex narrative of duty, power, and sacrifice.
Without question, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is one of the most visually stunning animated series in recent memory. The blend of traditional Chinese ink wash painting with modern dynamic action scenes is masterful. Every frame looks like a moving scroll painting, with fluid character movements and kinetic fight choreography that puts many mainstream series to shame.
The characters are deeply tied to traditional archetypes found in Chinese legends but are fleshed out with emotional depth and conflict. Voice acting by Liu Zhi Shi, Zhou Qi, and Fang Yuan brings authenticity and gravitas to their respective roles. The dialogue is steeped in poetic language, enhancing the mythic feel of the story.
The soundtrack complements the epic visuals with traditional Chinese instrumentation mixed with modern elements. The sound design heightens the impact of every battle and emotional moment.
Rating: 9/10
Fog Hill of the Five Elements earns a 9 out of 10 for its groundbreaking animation style, deep mythological storytelling, and heart-pounding action. The only downside is its limited number of episodes and slow release schedule, which leaves fans craving more.
Pros
- Unparalleled hand-drawn animation
- Unique art direction inspired by traditional Chinese painting
- Rich mythological lore
- Epic fight choreography
Cons
- Sparse episode release
- Story pacing can be uneven at times
Final Verdict 9/10
If you’re an anime enthusiast or a fan of animation artistry, Fog Hill of the Five Elements is a must-watch. Its fusion of stunning visuals, martial arts action, and mythological storytelling makes it one of the standout titles in modern animation. Whether you’re into Japanese anime or Chinese donghua, this series deserves a spot on your watchlist.