I've decided to bring back my Album Of The Year nominee reviews. The field got expanded this year, so expect a review a week or thereabout. I'll draw at random which album I'll review week to week. I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 200.
(All Rights to Cash Money/Republic/Young Money)
"Scorpion" - Drake
1) "Survival"
It has a tranquil instrumental. The track doesn't go as far as it could.
2) "Nonstop"
Contains a nice beat and bass-line. Drake uses clever word play here on how he doesn't have a weak side.
3) "Elevate"
This track overall is very "one-note".
4) "Emotionless"
Starts off with a choir/gospel intro. There's a nice balance with the backing vocalist. "Emotionless" is about our obsession with painting our lives in a better light on social media; "I know a girl whose one goal is to visit Rome, Then she finally got to Rome, And all she did was post pictures for people at home, 'Cause all that mattered was impressin' everybody she's known".
5) "God's Plan"
"God's Plan" really tells a message.
6) "I'm Upset"
This track gets rather repetitive.
7) "8 Out Of 10"
It sort of meanders, but it does contain an interesting outro.
8) "Mob Ties"
Contains a nice backing.
9) "Can't Take A Joke"
This has a really nice flow.
10) "Sandra's Rose"
There's an interesting line here; "Louisville hush money for my young gunners. Rick Pitino, I take 'em to strip clubs and casinos".
11) "Talk Up" (ft/ Jay-Z)
Has a nice beat, but the track seems kind of basic.
12) "Is There More"
It starts off kind of trippy. This tells a message, on how there's more to life.
13) "Peak"
It has a slow groove with an electric influence.
14) "Summer Games"
Contains a catchy pop-beat.
15) "Jaded"
Its a nice low-key track that really grooves.
16) "Nice For What"
Has a catchy beat that really flows.
17) "Finesse"
This track slows it down, but it does take a bit to get where its going.
18) "Ratchet Happy Birthday"
Has a funky intro, but this feels all over the place.
19) "That's How You Feel"
This has a nice drum beat. Its interesting, yet it does get repetitive.
20) "Blue Tint"
Drake shows off with some interesting lines; "What a time this is, To be alive for this shit, President doin' us in...". There's a nice midway breakdown.
21) "In My Feelings"
This has a solid dance beat that's really catchy (which is a given with all the memes that surrounded "In mY Feelings".)
22) "Don't Matter To Me" (w/ Michael Jackson)
There are some blending issues.
23) "After Dark" (ft/ Static Major & Ty Dolla $ign)
This really grooves.
24) "Final Jeopardy"
This track just feels like its there, like a throwaway.
25) "March 14"
This is a very moving closing track. We see Drake coming to terms here, talking about being a co-parent and how he can do better to his child.
Drake gets really personal in "Scorpion". The length of the album does drag it down, with some pacing issues. It can feel like a bit of a chore at times.
This is the first episode of a new pod series "Road To The Oscars". It'll be a weekly or biweekly podcast, depending on awards/nominations handed out during the awards season.
I think this will go down to Alex or Patricia. The Globes like newer material, but for some reason, I'm leaning towards Alex Bornstein.
Best Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method)
Kieran Culkin (Succession)
Edgar Ramirez (American Crime Story)
Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal)
Henry Winkler (Barry)
This seems like a pretty safe call, Henry Winkler for Barry.
Best Actress in a Limited Series/TV Movie:
Amy Adams (Sharp Objects)
Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora)
Connie Britton (Dirty John)
Laura Dern (The Tale)
Regina King (Seven Seconds)
A number of ways this could go, but I'm going with Patricia Arquette, for a role she just dove into (being practically unrecognizable).
Best Actor in a Limited Series/TV Movie:
Antonio Banderas (Genius: Picasso)
Daniel Bruhl (The Alienist)
Darren Criss (American Crime Story)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose)
Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal)
Talk about people diving into roles, I'm going with Darren Criss. He was just incredible in American Crime Story, adding so many layers to his character.
Best Limited Series/TV Movie:
The Alienist
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Escape at Dannemora
Sharp Objects
A Very English Scandal
I think this will go down to either Escape or Sharp Objects. With really no insight whatsoever, I'm going with Escape at Dannemora.
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy:
Kristen Bell (The Good Place)
Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown)
Alison Brie (GLOW)
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Debra Messing (Will & Grace)
A number of ways this could go. I'm going with who I think deserves it, Kristen Bell. Her work in The Good Place is simply fantastic.
Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy:
Sacha Baron Cohen (Who is America)
Jim Carrey (Kidding)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
Donald Glover (Atlanta)
Bill Hader (Barry)
I could easily see this going to Bill Hader, given the acclaimed Barry, but like with actress, this should go to Donald Glover. What he did in the "Teddy Perkins" episode transcended comedy.
Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy:
Barry
The Good Place
Kidding
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
This seems like the perfect set-up for Barry; its both new and critically acclaimed (coming off a nice Emmy's haul).
Best Actress in a Drama:
Caitriona Balfe (Outlander)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale)
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
Julia Roberts (Homecoming)
Keri Russell (The Americans)
This could come down to Sandra and Julia. Like with previous categories, I'm going with who I'd like to see come away with it, Sandra Oh.
Best Actor in a Drama:
Jason Bateman (Ozark)
Stephen James (Homecoming)
Richard Madden (Bodyguard)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Matthew Rhys (The Americans)
I'm hoping this goes to Billy Porter. Pose deserves to get some recognition.
Best TV Series, Drama:
The Americans
Bodyguard
Homecoming
Killing Eve
Pose
I was hoping it would pull in some Emmy's, so I'm going with Killing Eve. Every episode was just a wild ride that had you on the edge of your seat.
Best Music, Original Song:
"All The Stars" (Black Panther)
"Girl In The Movies" (Dumplin')
"Requiem For A Private War" (A Private War)
"Revelation" (Boy Erased)
"Shallow" (A Star Is Born)
This seems like a fairly easy pick, "Shallow". This song in particular broke out into the mainstream for A Star Is Born, and deservedly so.
Best Music, Original Score:
Marco Beltrami (A Quiet Place)
Alexandre Desplat (Isle of Dogs)
Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther)
Justin Hurwitz (First Man)
Marc Shaiman (Mary Poppins Returns)
No obvious favorite stands out here. I went back and forth between "Black Panther", "First Man" and Mary Poppins, but I'm going with Ludwig Goransson for "Black Panther".
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams (Vice)
Claire Foy (First Man)
Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Emma Stone (The Favourite)
Rachel Weisz (The Favourite)
The nominations for Emma and Rachel for The Favourite makes this an interesting category to judge. However, I'm going with Regina King.
Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Timothee Chalamet (Beautiful Boy)
Adam Driver (Blackkklansman)
Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Sam Rockwell (Vice)
Green Book has been getting its fair share of acting awards...but I'm going with Richard E. Grant. He seems to have emerged as a bit of a favorite.
Best Animated Feature: The Incredibles 2 Isle of Dogs Mirai Ralph Breaks The Internet Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
It looks like we are going to have a rarity here, a non Pixar/Disney winner, as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse takes this award.
Best Actress, Musical or Comedy:
Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns)
Olivia Coleman (The Favourite)
Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)
Charlize Theron (Tully)
Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians)
Along with supporting actress, its interesting in where The Favourite actresses have seen placed, with Olivia nominated for supporting actress in other early awards. I'm going in fact with Olivia Coleman.
Best Actor, Musical or Comedy:
Christian Bale (Vice)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns)
Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)
Robert Redford (The Old Man & The Gun)
John C. Reilly (Stan & Ollie)
Given the vast transformation it took to get into his role, I'm going with Christian Bale. Vice has been polarizing, but Bale's performance has been consistently praised.
Best Actress, Drama:
Glenn Close (The Wife)
Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born)
Nicole Kidman (Destroyer)
Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Rosamund Pike (A Private War)
I really hope she takes this, I have Lady Gaga taking home Best Actress. She was just fantastic in A Star Is Born.
Best Actor, Drama:
Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born)
Willem Dafoe (At Eternity's Gate)
Lucas Hedges (Boy Erased)
Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
John David Washington (Blackkklansman)
This seems like it should be a safe bet for Bradley Cooper. Cooper along with Gaga really made A Star is Born shine.
Best Foreign Language Film: Capernaum (Lebanon) Girl (Belgium) Never Look Away (Germany) Roma (Mexico) Shoplifters (Japan)
This may be the easiest pick yet, given it's an Oscar best picture contender, Roma.
Best Screenplay:
Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara (The Favourite)
Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Adam McKay (Vice)
Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie & Peter Farrelly (Green Book)
A number of ways this could go. I could see If Beale Street Could Talk emerging among the top contenders, so I'm going with Barry Jenkins.
Best Director:
Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born)
Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)
Peter Farrelly (Green Book)
Spike Lee (Blackkklansman)
Adam McKay (Vice)
I'm going with Alfonso Cuaron. You could make the case that Roma is the best picture favorite right now.
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy: Crazy Rich Asians The Favourite Green Book Mary Poppins Returns Vice
With its top-notch ensemble work, I'm going with The Favourite.
Best Picture, Drama: Black Panther Blackkklansman Bohemian Rhapsody If Beale Street Could Talk A Star Is Born
I went back and forth between A Star is Born and If Beale Street Could Talk, but ultimately I'm playing it safe and going with A Star Is Born. It really showed what you can do with a musical.
With the likelihood that the New Year's special "Resolution" will see the 13th Doctor encounter Daleks for the first time, I thought I'd look back at the Modern series up till now and rank the Dalek-centered episodes. To be considered "dalek-centered", an episode's main plot had to focus around the Daleks, hence cameo appearances in "Day of The Doctor" or "The Pilot" don't count, for example.
9) "Victory Of The Daleks" (S5 Ep. 3)
Matt Smith's 11th doctor didn't have a good run of dalek episodes, with "Victory of the Daleks" being the weakest effort. For one, it's a bit of a rehash of the classic "Power Of The Daleks". On top of that, the episode seemed to introduce a new design that was solely made for merchandising, with the colorful daleks. And not to delve too much into the plot, but it was pretty scattered and all over the place.
8) "Daleks In Manhattan"/ "Evolution Of The Daleks" (S3 Eps. 4 & 5)
This provided a rather interesting plot point (half human/half dalek, that isn't looking for pure destruction), but it failed in its execution. Set in 1930 New York, there were a lot of stereotypes thrown in, like Tallulah's accent for starters. And while the "half human/half dalek" element sounds interesting, its conclusion is predictable in that daleks would ultimately never allow for such a thing.
7) "Asylum Of The Daleks" (S7 Ep. 1)
From here on out, it got tougher to rank these, with the remaining being rather solid and re-watchable episodes. The only thing that brings down Asylum is the side-plot of Amy & Rory's separation. It seemed to just get thrown in there out of nowhere without making a whole lot of sense, even with the eventual explanation.
But in terms of the Dalek-centered storyline, it was rather interesting exploring this asylum of battle-scarred/mad daleks. Along with that, we got our first sort of intro to Clara in the form of Oswin Oswald, as despite being turned into a dalek, she fights to keep her humanity by living in a fantasy of sorts.
This was a rather bombastic finale, with Earth itself being moved and reality itself being put in jeopardy. We also saw the return of Davros, and what gave this an extra oomph to the story was seeing the Doctor's and Sarah Jane's reaction to his return. You can rightfully criticize this finale for being a bit "fan-wankish", but as stated, its a bombastic, big finale that paces itself pretty well.
The one drawback I'll always have of this though was the conclusion of Rose ending up with the "Half-human" Doctor clone. That particularly felt like something you would have seen in fan-fiction.
5) "Into The Dalek" (S8 Ep. 2)
This was a really fascinating episode. We got a look inside an actual Dalek in a way never seen before. We also saw the mood of the 12th Doctor, and how it would play out throughout this season. With "Into The Dalek" and "Mummy On the Orient Express" the 12th Doctor shows a lack of compassion as he uses peoples' deaths to solve the problem at hand. "Into The Dalek" also brought forth an interesting philosophy, with Rusty saying that he isn't a good dalek, but the Doctor is in fact a "good dalek".
4) "Dalek" (S1, Ep. 6)
There was a lot on the line here, reintroducing the daleks to the modern series. Their return could have easily been some over-the-top affair, which is why it was pleasant to see how "Dalek" played out, with the interactions between the 9th Doctor, Rose and this one dalek, chained up. We got to see how the Doctor, not far removed from the time war interacted with it, and see Rose's compassion at first of this Dalek, believing to be the last one left.
3) "Doomsday" (S2, Ep. 13)
The first part of this finale was largely cybermen based, but "Doomsday" saw the interaction of daleks and the cybermen. There was a nice bit of back and forth when they first communicate, with some sassiness from the Daleks behalf.
"Doomsday" also had the tough task of saying farewell to Rose. Unlike in "Journey's End", Rose's farewell was well done, hitting all the right points.
2) "The Parting Of The Ways" (S1, Ep. 13)
This finale as well had a tough task of after just 1 season, saying goodbye to the 9th Doctor. It also marked the first big Dalek episode in Modern Who, in terms of the stakes at hand. The Doctor has to decide if its worth it to annihilate Earth in order to wipe out the Daleks once and for all (a similar obstacle the Doctor had to deal with during the Time War).
1) "The Magician's Apprentice"/ "The Witch's Familiar" (S9, Eps 1 &2)
This saw the return of Davros, and Skaro (the Daleks home world). There were a lot of interesting elements to this two-parter, from Clara and Missy's adventures, to the 12th Doctor's interactions with a young Davros who he ends up saving from battle (in the hopes of adding just a bit of compassion to the Daleks in the future).
What really puts this on top for me, is the dialogue between The Doctor and Davros during "The Witch's Familiar". The two are just one on one, gaming each other for the majority of the episode.
I've decided to bring back my Album Of The Year nominee reviews. The field got expanded this year, so expect a review a week or thereabout. I'll draw at random which album I'll review week to week. I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 200.
(All Rights To MCA Nashville)
"Golden Hour" - Kacey Musgraves
1) "Slow Burn"
It has a tranquil opening, with an added drum beat. A nice introduction to the album.
2) "Lonely Weekend"
This has more of a pop feel to it. Its catchy, but ultimately there isn't much there.
3) "Butterflies"
"Butterflies" is about just going through the motions of things; "Caught up in a web, I was gettin' kinda used to stayin' there". There's a unique synth backing to the track. On top of that, Kacey just paints a picture with her lyrics; "I was hiding in doubt 'til you brought me out of my chrysalis and I came out new all because of you".
4) "Oh, What A World"
It starts off with an electric-style intro, overall added by a cool instrumental.
5) "Mother"
This plays out like a letter. It says a lot with just a running time of 1:18.
6) "Love Is A Wild Thing"
This track starts off lyrically strong; "You can't find it sitting on a shelf in a store. If you try to hide it, it's gonna shine even more". This continues with the chorus; "Coming through the melody when the night bird sings". The lyrics paints a story.
7) "Space Cowboy"
Another track that showcases Kacey's plus lyrical work; "I ain't gonna fence you in. Go on, ride away in your Silverado.....Well sunsets fade, and love does too. Yeah, we had our day in the sun when a horse wants to run, there ain't no sense in closing the gate". A really touching and melancholy track.
8) "Happy & Sad"
This starts off with a smooth drum intro. Kacey is trying to balance out the two emotions named in the title; "And I'm the kind of person who starts getting kinda nervous when I'm having the time of my life".
9) "Velvet Elvis"
There's a fusion feel to this. The track overall feels a bit disconnected from otherwise solid vocals.
10) "Wonder Woman"
The introduction has a sort of retro feel to it. This track is about setting standards while not setting unattainable goals in relationships; "I don't know how to lasso the love out of you. Don't you know I'm only human? And if I let you down, I don't mean to". The vocals and instrumentals blends very well.
11) "High Horse"
"High Horse" has an uptempo dance-feel. The track feels very relate-able.
12) "Golden Hour"
There's a classic/fusion style to this. It goes on to have a slow/dream-like tempo that while tranquil, causes it to drag.
13) "Rainbow"
It starts off with a nice piano intro, but it gets repetitive melodically.
You can make the case that Kacey Musgraves has pulled off that country/pop mix better than Taylor Swift did. The songs lyrically wise still feel grounded and paint a story. A really solid album.
