Author: Derrick Murray

For the first time in a long time, Google seems just as caught off guard by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s announcement that he will be starring in “Zeus,” in an upcoming project said to be released in February. Apparently, the former California Governor is the only one who knows about this, as an extensive search of the internet brings up nothing regarding this project. And I do mean nothing. In a world where every Hollywood secret is revealed the minute they are whispered anywhere, a mythology project starring the former king of action flicks with literally no info is shocking. The action…

It’s not secret that I am a huge fan of true crime. I’m the go-to when new true crime documentaries show up [psst Netflix, I’m always down for a new true crime story]. Aside from the fascination of the crimes and criminal, the legal procedures are equally intriguing. Even for the most diehard true crime aficionado, it can be difficult to imagine a world prior to our current criminal justice techniques. Granted, they aren’t perfect by any means, but there are countless processes and technologies that simply didn’t exist for many, many decades. Things like interagency cooperation, DNA samples, fingerprints,…

If you’re like me, the consistent cycle of doom and gloom as the pandemic ravages the globe has done irreparable damage to your regular routine. That includes good, restful sleep, which I think we can all admit has been exceedingly difficult to come by. Insomnia has plagued me for the better of two years now, and I don’t think I’m alone. There is something to be said for societal and communal experiences, and insomnia and cycles of sleeping difficulties has been something we are all sharing as a struggle. Being health conscience despite my love of libations, I have long…

Dare I say, “Yakuza: Like a Dragon” is a damn near masterpiece. Beautiful, engaging, and absolutely worth it.

Awards season is upon us! It technically started with some of the smaller critics awards, and the mainstream season kicked off with the Golden Globes. But given how controversial the Globes are despite their small moves towards change, most of us have all but written off the show altogether. The SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards has more merit, and focuses on performances above all else. It should be noted that the nominations are surprisingly close to those of the Golden Globes, which I think says more about the latter than the former, in that they may actually be on the…

The new year is kicking off big with television releases dominating the streaming space. We started the year with a fantastic 4th season of “Cobra Kai,” only to be followed by the much anticipated “Peacemaker” a few weeks later. A spinoff of James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” the series follows film standout Peacemaker (John Cena) in a whole new adventure independent of the crew in the film, but still deeply connected to its events. I’ll be the first to admit that even thought I had a blast with the film, I was skeptical about the success of a spinoff. Not…

If we’re being honest, this category has the potential to sport the widest array of performances. Everything from clear, sure fire bets to win it all in Olivia Coleman, to a surprising turn as a legitimate actress in Kristen Stewart, to newcomers in Alana Haim and yes, all the way to probably underserved by academy darling Nicole Kidman. Needless to say, there is a lot of competition and possible contenders despite some clear front runners. I can’t stress enough how foolish it is to not bet on Coleman. Like the Best Actor category, there are a few key performances that…

I have vivid memories of how I discovered and watched “The Sopranos” all the way through for the first time. 12 years ago I was having a discussion with a co-worker about our shared loved for gangster cinema. As we were ranking films like “Goodfellas,” “The Godfather,” and “The Untouchables,” my co-worker quickly realized that Tony Soprano was nowhere to be found on my list of favorite cinema mob bosses. I think he had half a mind to get me fired when I told him I had never seen “The Sopranos.” He demanded that I get my shit together and…

Similar to the Best Supporting Actress category, these predictions for nominees always present a challenge. What actually qualifies a best supporting role? It seems to rest a lot on the narrative trope that they occupy in any given narrative, but even that isn’t always the standard for criteria. Because it’s such a wide array of performances that encompasses an even wider array of films, it becomes difficult to choose a solid, most likely top five nominees. But of course, we’re going to try and rise to the occasion and see what we can come up with. In another similarity to…

The Best Director category is usually extremely competitive at the Academy Awards, aka the Oscars. It’s also a pretty controversial one, as the Academy has only recently started branching out to nominating and selecting individuals who aren’t old stuffy white guys. While this year will certainly have a few them (as no Best Director list is complete without them), there is a chance that this year continues the trend of attempted diversity, believable or not. There are some definitive front runners and some long shot hopefuls, so let’s get into it. Here are my predictions for the Best Director nominees.…