Dearest Review: Short Cuts 2019, Part 2: Oscar's Live Action Short Film Nominees

 

ShortsTV once again presents this year's Academy Award nominated animated, live action and documentary short films at a theater or streaming service (starting February 19th) near you. These special programs are usually the only way for most movie fans to see all of these otherwise illusive short film nominees that can make or break your office Oscar pool. In the second of three parts, Movie Dearest takes a look at this year's five nominees for Best Live Action Short Film.

To paraphrase Margo Channing: "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a gloomy time". No doubt about it, the majority of the shorts nominated here are a bleak bunch. Subjects range from racial violence to infanticide to dying alone, so be prepared to shocked, sickened and really really bummed out. On the other hand, be prepared to be challenged with five thought-provoking mini-movies (all from first-time Oscar nominees) that may possibly be the best collection of contenders in any category this year.

In addition to my reviews and video links, I've suggested a similarly-themed Oscar nominated feature film to pair with each short film nominee to create our own Academy-sanctioned double feature. Bring on the popcorn!

And the nominees are...

Detainment, Vincent Lambe and Darren Mahon (Ireland, 30 minutes).

Two 10-year old boys are interviewed by the police about their involvement in the kidnapping and brutal murder of a 2-year old child. With a script directly based on the interview transcripts from the James Bulger case, this dramatic reenactment has aroused controversy in England (where the tragic event took place in 1993) and drawn heavy condemnation from the victim's family, who was not contacted regarding its production. It is difficult to disassociate oneself from the ethical and moral questions that surround Detainment, and it is extremely unsettling to watch as it is played out; even though no actual violence is depicted, I couldn't help but to grow concerned for the welfare of the young actors in it (one spends the bulk of the film in abject hysterics, for example). However this raw realism does not make one feel sympathetic for the killers, as some criticisms against the film have claimed. Yes, it does show them as human, but humans who did a monstrous, unspeakable thing, and Detainment elicits no empathy towards them. And considering the facts of what happened, how could it?

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 7/10
Pair it with: Germany's Foreign Language Film contender Never Look Away is also based on a true story that has also been denounced by those who really lived it.

Fauve, Jeremy Comte and Maria Gracia Turgeon (Canada, 17 minutes).

Wrapped up in their adolescent game of one-upmanship, a pair of preteen boys stumble into a life-threatening situation. A grim and gritty exploration of young male machismo gone horribly wrong, this Sundance Special Jury Prize and Toronto International Film Festival Award winner is stunningly soul-stirring in several respects, from its growing sense of unease that slowly, chillingly intensifies as the chain of events unfold to a somber, sobering closing moment of fleeting innocence. Fauve (French translation: Wildcat) is a powerful, disconcerting examination of the consequences of unchecked masculine aggression.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 8/10
Pair it with: These characters would fit right in with the skateboarding guys in the Documentary Feature nominee Minding the Gap.

Marguerite, Marianne Farley and Marie-Hélène Panisset (Canada, 19 minutes).

When an elderly woman learns that her home care nurse is a lesbian it stirs within her memories of an unrequited love from long ago. Even though its main character is terminally ill, this is the least depressing of the nominees, which may help it stand out with Oscar voters when they cast their final ballots for the winner; it's already won every other award its been up for, including several LGBTQ film festival prizes. With a beautifully nuanced performance from veteran Canadian actress Béatrice Picard at its center, Marguerite is a bittersweet tale; heartbreaking yes, but also heartwarming.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 8/10
Pair it with: The Favourite may seem the obvious choice, but its satirical tone would be wildly out of sync here; go with The Wife instead, another story of a woman looking back on her life choices.

Mother (a.k.a. Madre), Rodrigo Sorogoyen and María del Puy Alvarado (Spain, 19 minutes).

A woman's life is turned upside down when her 6-year old son calls from his vacation with her ex-husband and says that his father has disappeared and he is alone on a beach somewhere in France. Already the winner of a Goya Award (Spain's Oscar) and the basis for a feature film adaptation (currently in post-production), Mother/Madre is an intimate, nerve-racking deep dive into a parent's worst nightmare. Taking place chiefly in one location, with long continuous shots to add to the swept-up-in-the-moment feel, this nominee will have you on the edge of your seat throughout and on your feet at its abrupt ending.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 7/10
Pair it with: Another tense nail-biter about a mother trying desperately to protect her children, A Quiet Place.

Skin, Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman (USA, 20 minutes)

An innocent smile between a black man and a white boy leads to a savage assault and a mind-blowing act of retaliation. Featuring familiar faces Danielle Macdonald (Dumplin', Bird Box) and Lonnie Chavis (young Randall on This Is Us), Skin closes out this year's nominees with another emotional roller coaster, one that takes you on a harrowing ride through redneck day trips, hate crime scenes and one very well-equipped garage/tattoo parlor. This one is very intense, and features an almost-too much to be believed payback scenario that nevertheless delivers a powerful payoff. Like Mother, this short has also already been turned into a feature, which premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 7/10
Pair it with: Of Fathers and Sons, a Documentary Feature nominee, explores further what leads a parent to raise a child to hate.

Coming soon: Reviews of the Oscar nominees for Best Documentary Short Subject.

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.

Reverend's Reviews: The Best LGBTQ Love Stories on Film

Maurice

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, plenty of people are turning to romantic movies for entertainment, encouragement and/or solace. There have long been lots of straight love stories on film but, thankfully, there is now a growing number of memorable LGBTQ romances for us to indulge in.

Such movies geared toward our community are actually fairly recent, with few such films made before the 1990’s. Most previous films featuring LGBTQ characters typically saw them being killed, committing suicide, or otherwise being punished for their non-conformist yearnings. Pioneering early productions incorporating more positive depictions of LGBTQ protagonists include Midnight Cowboy (1969), Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Making Love (1982) and My Beautiful Laundrette (1985). Big name stars including Dustin Hoffman, Glenda Jackson, Al Pacino, and Daniel Day-Lewis courageously headlined these movies, which helped boost their appeal to straight as well as LGBTQ audiences.

Desert Hearts

Gay cinematic love stories really started to take off with 1987’s sympathetic Maurice. This gorgeous Merchant-Ivory adaptation of E.M. Forster’s autobiographical novel, which Forster refused to allow to be published while he was living, focuses on the repressed feelings shared between two young, upper-class British men (one of them played by a pre-stardom Hugh Grant). While their relationship doesn’t endure, the title character is more successful with a dark and handsome groundskeeper.

Pre-90’s romantic favorites among the ladies include the true story Silkwood (1983), in which Cher plays a lesbian power plant worker caring for her radiation-exposed friend (Meryl Streep, in an early Oscar-nominated performance); Desert Hearts (1986), a passionate, 1950’s-set love story between a divorcee and the Nevada ranch hand she meets; and Personal Best (1982), Robert Towne’s graphic-at-the-time exploration of love between two female athletes and the male coach who threatens to come between them.

Blue is the Warmest Color

More recent, admirably unapologetic additions to the lesbian love canon are Blue is the Warmest Color, the acclaimed and erotic 2013 film about a young French woman’s sexual awakening, and 2015’s award-winning Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as women having a secret affair in the closeted 1950’s. Last year’s Disobedience is another achingly sexy romance between two women (played by Rachel McAdams and current Oscar nominee Rachel Weisz) set against a backdrop of repressive, Orthodox Judaism.

For many LGBTQ people, the most cherished romantic movies are coming-of-age stories. Notable love stories in this genre include 1996’s Beautiful Thing, the British tale of tentative first love between two lonely high school boys (based on Jonathan Harvey’s hit play); the similar but lesbian-themed The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995); and Get Real (1998), in which a brainy gay boy crushes on his school’s star athlete and finds his attentions reciprocated, at least for a time. Two of my personal favorites in this subgenre are 1996’s Lilies, about a tortured love triangle in a Catholic school for boys, and Come Undone (2000), a no-holds-barred French drama about two toned and tanned young men who fall in love on the beach during summer vacation.

Call Me By Your Name

Two more recent additions here are 2017’s universally acclaimed Call Me By Your Name, in which a teenager unexpectedly falls in love with the dreamy but decidedly older graduate student-assistant employed by the boy’s father, as well as last year’s Love, Simon, about a gay high schooler’s struggle to come out and find first love. Fortunately, Simon is ultimately successful.

Love and loss often seem to go hand-in-hand in real life, so it isn’t surprising that a few gay-themed films considered the most romantic also involve death and dying. The Oscar-winning gay cowboy saga Brokeback Mountain (2005) is the undisputed champ in this regard, and the film has resonated even more strongly in the wake of co-star Heath Ledger’s tragic death just a few years after its release. Other lovably tragic love stories are the revolutionary AIDS dramas Parting Glances (1986) and Longtime Companion (1989), Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy (1988), the fact-based Soldier’s Girl (2003), A Home at the End of the World (2004) and the 2009 Peruvian gay ghost story Undertow.

Brokeback Mountain

I would add to these David Lewis’s 2009 film Redwoods, starring gay fave Matthew Montgomery and the beautiful Brendan Bradley as two men who embark on a life-changing relationship that endures beyond death, as well as Tom Ford’s exquisite A Single Man (also 2009). Colin Firth scored a deserved Academy Award nomination for the latter thanks to his moving yet frequently funny turn as a gay university professor grieving the sudden death of his partner.

As if being homosexual, bisexual or trans wasn’t considered unorthodox enough, a few recent movie gems feature unexpected romances between unusual pairings. From Beginning to End is a 2009 Brazilian film about an Olympics-bound swimmer in love with another man. The catch? The two are half-brothers who were raised together from a young age. So controversial it was never released theatrically in the US, it is worth seeking out on home video or streaming. And then there’s Plan B from Argentina, in which two heterosexual men bond as friends over one’s messy breakup with his girlfriend (whom the other man is now dating) but ultimately become lovers. I found this film refreshing in its disdain for sexual labels and very touching in the end.

The Danish Girl

2010’s Paulista, also from Brazil, boasts a male-to-female trans title character who knowingly has an affair with her initially in-the-dark but increasingly vulnerable father. It isn’t for everyone but some trans viewers may find their dilemma intriguing, to say the least. Meanwhile, 2015’s The Danish Girl recounts the story of the first man to undergo gender-reassignment surgery. This Oscar-winning biopic is unique in that it begins as a heterosexual romance between its married subjects but becomes more queer as the wife grows to support her transgender husband/wife.

The Circle (2014) is an even more factual, inspiring love story. Director Stefan Haupt employs a combination of documentary footage and dramatic recreations to relate the decades-spanning romance between Ernst Ostertag and Robi Rapp. They met as young men in the 1950’s and fought right-wing oppression in their native Switzerland. Both were still alive and together at the time of this remarkable film’s production.

Moonlight

2016’s Moonlight famously upended the Academy Awards telecast when it was proclaimed the actual Best Picture winner after La La Land was mistakenly announced. Based on an autobiographical play, this moving film depicts a neglected black boy’s coming of age including his first sexual experience as a teenager with his male best friend. They re-connect as adults in the film’s final, hopeful segment.

My new fave gay love story is last year’s A Moment in the Reeds. Little seen to date but now available for streaming, I can’t recommend this movie highly enough despite its bittersweet ending. It depicts the poignant romance between a Finnish man and the Syrian asylum-seeker his father hires to work on their house. It also proves to be the most sensual, soulful gay movie I've seen in years, even more so than Call Me By Your Name.

A Moment in the Reeds

If none of the aforementioned movies strike your fancy, don’t worry: there are more! Trick, Jeffrey, Fried Green Tomatoes, Yossi & Jagger and its 2012 sequel simply titled Yossi, The Wedding Banquet, Carrington, Wilde, The Pillow Book, Big Eden, Aimee & Jaguar, Latter Days, Ciao, Shelter, Weekend and Gods Own Country could all be worthy nominees for the most romantic LGBTQ film of all time. However or wherever you find inspiration, we here at Movie Dearest wish you a happy Valentine’s Day!

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Dearest Review: Short Cuts 2019, Part 1: Oscar's Animated Short Film Nominees

ShortsTV once again presents this year's Academy Award nominated animated, live action and documentary short films at a theater (starting tomorrow in New York City, this Friday everywhere else) or streaming service (starting February 19th) near you. These special programs are usually the only way for most movie fans to see all of these otherwise illusive short film nominees that can make or break your office Oscar pool. In the first of three parts, Movie Dearest takes a look at this year's five nominees for Best Animated Short Film.

Although it is highly likely that all three short film categories will be unceremoniously relegated to the commercial breaks during the Oscar telecast later this month, that doesn't diminish the quality of and the filmmaking talent displayed within all 15 of this year's nominees.

2018's slate of tiny toon contenders lean heavy toward personal stories, brought vividly to life through the power of animation; expect to get "the feels" with many of these. There is also a uniquely strong Asian influence in this year's nominees, with three of the five featuring Asian characters and themes.

In addition to my reviews and video links, I've suggested a similarly-themed Oscar nominated feature film to pair with each short film nominee to create your own Academy-sanctioned double feature. Bring on the popcorn!

And the nominees are...

Animal Behaviour, Alison Snowden and David Fine (Canada, 14 minutes).

A collection of neurotic anthropomorphized animals gather for a group therapy session that is disrupted by the arrival of an apish new member. The most "cartoony" of the nominees, this National Film Board of Canada entry is filled with bits both clever (a leech named Lorraine who suffers from separation anxiety) and trite (a pig with eating issues). Unfortunately, there's more of the latter than the former, which makes it feel dated. This is somewhat not surprising when you learn that this is the first short film from Snowden and Fine since their charming Bob's Birthday won this category 25 years ago.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 6/10
Pair it with: Another motley menagerie of chatty critters, the canine cast of Isle of Dogs.

Bao, Domee Shi and Becky Neiman (USA, 8 minutes).

A Chinese-Canadian woman gets a second chance at motherhood when one of her handmade dumplings comes to life. Not only is this Pixar's first short directed by a woman, it also contains the first really WTF moment in the studio's history. I won't spoil it here, but suffice to say it is weird, so much so that it took me a second viewing to warm up to Bao (which roughly translates as "precious", "baby" or "bun", so all bases are covered here). Even so, this allegorical tale of food and family and learning to let go suffers from a clumsy, muddled delivery that makes it all a little (ahem) hard to swallow.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 6/10
Pair it with: Since they both feature unusual offspring, stick with Incredibles 2, which it screened with in theaters.

Late Afternoon, Louise Bagnall and Nuria González Blanco (Ireland, 10 minutes).

An elderly woman (voiced by Fionnula Flanagan) finds herself lost in her fading memories, drifting between her vibrant past and mundane present. This Tribeca Film Festival Award winner is the first nomination for the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon in this category following three straight Best Animated Feature nods (including last year's The Breadwinner). A beautifully realized reverie, Late Afternoon is an emotionally rich yet simply told meditation on the sometimes generous, oft cruel capriciousness of memory. One of the best films, feature or short, nominated in any category this year.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 9/10
Pair it with: The similarly time-bending animation Mirai.

One Small Step, Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas (China/USA, 8 minutes).

Meet Luna, a Chinese-American girl with a doting father and the dream of being an astronaut. The first project from Taiko Studios (founded by a group of former Disney artists in 2017) is an impressive, polished debut, boding well for their future as an independent (an Oscar nod right out of the gate doesn't hurt either). Granted, the story isn't anything groundbreaking, but it is lovingly told and it handles it weightier moments a lot smoother than Bao, its closest competitor thematically. Plus, it has an enthusiastic "girl power" spirit that will more than likely prove inspirational for any budding Sally Rides or Katherine Johnsons out there.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 8/10
Pair it with: Considering the title is a direct nod to the famous Neil Armstrong quote, how could it be anything but First Man?

Weekends, Trevor Jimenez (USA, 16 minutes).

The son of a divorced couple splits his time living at home with his mother during the week and spending the weekend in the big city with his father. An autobiographical rumination on the director's childhood, this short is the second one from the Pixar "co-op program" to make it to the Oscars (following Borrowed Time two years ago), and it won the Annie Award just this past weekend (it was actually the only Oscar finalist to even be nominated there). Like its young protagonist, Weekends drifts back and forth, between concrete remembrances and surrealistic memories, capturing effectively the unnaturally nomadic existence forced upon children of divorce.

Watch trailer.
Dearest Rating: 7/10
Pair it with: That other dysfunctional Asian "family" in Shoplifters.

Coming soon: Reviews of the Oscar nominees for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Documentary Short Subject.

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.

The 12th Annual Movie Dearest Dearie Awards

For the twelfth year in a row, Movie Dearest takes a look back and celebrates the year that was with a salute to the best in film, television and the stage with the 2018 Movie Dearest Awards, a.k.a. the "Dearies".

And the winners are...

Movie of the Year: Can You Ever Forgive Me?
We both adored this indie (it was Kirby's #1 of 2018 and Chris's #2) despite the fact its main characters are initially pretty despicable. Melissa McCarthy gives a revelatory dramatic performance as bitter, real-life lesbian celebrity biographer/literary forger Lee Israel, while veteran character actor Richard E. Grant plays Jack Hock, her disingenuous, flamboyantly gay co-conspirator. Both have been worthily honored with numerous nominations and awards, culminating in their current Oscar nods. Lee just wants to be able to pay her rent and take care of her elderly cat, while Jack wants to be loved and have a roof over his head. Who can argue with that? The actors' and the film's impressive achievement is in making viewers fall in love with these wounded souls, warts and all. It is a truly transformative and transforming movie. It also makes me that much more excited for director Marielle Heller's next biopic: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers! - CC

Women of the Year: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone & Rachel Weisz
Beyoncé may have said/sung it best with "Girls Run the World" but, historically speaking, this may have never been more accurate than the 18th century court of Queen Anne of Great Britain. In fact, she created Great Britain through the unification of England and Scotland as one sovereign state. Thanks to the ah-mah-zing, Sapphic-leaning work of Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in Yorgos Lanthimos's bitchily provocative The Favourite, Queen Anne and her dueling mistresses came roaring back to life in 2018, and how! All three have been nominated repeatedly for their no-holds-barred performances, with Colman already winning several prominent awards as Best Actress. Weisz (who headlined another lesbian-themed film, Disobedience, last year) and Stone are both Oscar winners and continue to thrill audiences with their wide-ranging roles. While this previously honored pair threaten to "cancel each other out" at this year's Academy Awards and Colman will likely lose to the overdue Glenn Close, the trio's internationally-appealing girl power cannot be denied. Long live the queens! - CC

Men of the Year: Hugh Grant & Ben Whishaw
These well-respected British thespians both had banner years. Whishaw (who is openly gay) once again voiced, charmingly, the marmalade-loving title bear in the terrific sequel Paddington 2. He also movingly played the grown-up but still codfish-mouthed Michael Banks in Mary Poppins Returns. Meanwhile, Grant played the hilariously histrionic villain Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2 and brought the house down with his own big musical moment, "Rain on the Roof." But sparks and vitriol burned in equal measure when Whishaw and Grant appeared together onscreen as lovers on the down low in the fact-based miniseries A Very English Scandal (available on Amazon Prime). It tells the story of Jeremy Thorpe (Grant), a prominent member of Parliament who had a secret affair with Norman Scott (Whishaw, in a Golden Globe winning performance) in the 1970's while homosexuality was still illegal in the UK. These two beloved actors were great both together and separately in 2018, and for this reason we are pleased to knight them in our OMD: Order of Movie Dearest. - CC

New Star of the Year: Elsie Fisher
There's not too many 15-year-olds that have immortalized not just one but two memorable movie catchphrases, but our New Star of the Year has. Prior to 2018, our Elsie was best known for voicing the spunky Agnes in Despicable Me, who, upon winning a stuffed unicorn at a carnival, squeals "He's so fluffy!" (a phrase we often use even when we are nowhere near little girls, carnivals or stuffed unicorns). Last year Elise made a star-making turn onscreen in Eighth Grade as Kayla, the socially awkward teen who signs off on each of her "tips for socially awkward teens" vlogs with a perky "Gucci!" And if that wasn't enough to make you sit up and take notice of Miss Fisher, then her impressively naturalistic performance did. It certainly impressed a lot of award voters, winning the young actress several plaudits, including a Golden Globe nomination, a Critics' Choice Award and, presently, a Dearie... we imagine her response will be an ever-enthusiastic "Gucci!" - KH

TV Show of the Year: Schitt's Creek
Let us count the ways that this Dorian Award winning Canadian import (now in the midst of its fifth season via Pop TV in the US) has endeared itself to fans worldwide. First, it reunited SCTV alum Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara as Johnny and Moira Rose, formerly filthy rich but now down and out in the titular town. It introduced us to the immensely talented Daniel Levy (yes, Eugene’s son) and Annie Murphy as their blissfully, hilariously self-involved offspring David and Alexis. And then it surrounded them with a quirky cast of locals to bounce off of, including Chris Elliott as Mayor Roland Schitt and Noah Reid as David’s new “butter-voiced beau” Patrick. The result is an utterly uproarious, surprisingly heart-warming comedy that you must binge, so head on over to Netflix now to get caught up on Schitt’s Creek, no paddle necessary. - KH

Stage Show of the Year: Torch Song
Harvey Fierstein's theatrical classic Torch Song Trilogy re-appeared on Broadway last year, having first premiered back in 1982. Ugly Betty alumnus Michael Urie headlined the cast as Jewish drag queen Arnold Beckhof, with Tony and Oscar winner Mercedes Ruehl co-starring as Arnold's domineering "ma". Fierstein (who was honored last month with our GALECA Timeless Star award) revised his original three plays, which collectively ran about four hours. The new, streamlined Torch Song enjoyed a successful limited run last year in NYC and will soon begin a national tour, once again starring Urie. Under the direction of Moises Kaufman, it has been acclaimed as both a significant time capsule and refreshingly up to date in depicting gay life under challenging circumstances. It would be a shame to miss this celebratory revision/revival when it appears in your vicinity. - CC

Documentary of the Year: McKellen: Playing the Part
From his legendary theatrical performances in everything from Shakespeare to Amadeus to his iconic film roles as James Whale, Gandalf and Magneto, there is no doubt that Sir Ian McKellen is a master of his craft on both stage and screen. He is also the first openly gay actor to become a movie star after coming out of the closet, and has used his fame to tirelessly advocate for gay rights worldwide. As seen in this comprehensive and entertaining biodoc (now available via Amazon), Sir Ian excels in every part he plays, especially as an endlessly witty raconteur who does a killer Maggie Smith impersonation. - KH

Foreign Film of the Year: Border
Considering that previous movies about trolls ended up like this and this, one couldn't be blamed for being a little leery about this odd, grim fairy tale from Sweden about a pair of troll folk who meet cute at her work as a border patrol agent and then have crazy troll sex in the woods. Throw in a host of story elements that range from “slightly upsetting” to “graphically disturbing” to “holy shit, what is that?” and yeah, you're a long way from choreographed dance routines to Justin Timberlake pops songs. Thus it's no wonder that Border has become a "love it or hate it" type of movie (we, obviously, side with the former), even with its critical acclaim and recent Oscar nomination (for its seamless makeup designs). Oh, and let's not forget the plot twist that outs the film as quite possibly the most unique expression of “genderfuck” ever filmed. - KH

Unsung Film of the Year: A Moment in the Reeds
The best gay-themed film of 2018, featured at several LGBT festivals and now available on streaming and home video, was this poignant, timely love story between a Finnish man and the Syrian asylum-seeker his father hires to work on their house. It also proved to be the most sensual, soulful gay movie we've seen in several years. (Sorry, Call Me By Your Name, even though this movie ends on a similarly bittersweet note.) Whether hanging out naked in the sauna or lounging by the lake, Leevi (Janne Puustinen, who will appear in this year's Tom of Finland) and Tareq (the hunky Boodi Kabbani) made our heads swoon and our hearts go pitter-pat. We're booking a trip to Finland pronto! - CC

DVD of the Year: Buddies
Long before the likes of Longtime Companion and Philadelphia there was Buddies, the very first movie about AIDS. You probably never even heard of this landmark 1985 indie, let alone seen it, until last year when this forgotten classic finally made its home video debut. The story – the naïve David (David Schachter) volunteers to be a “buddy” to a PWLA and is assigned to the jaded Robert (Geoff Edholm), who is wasting away, family- and friendless, in a hospital bed – may be overly familiar now, but Buddies did it first and, most importantly, it still delivers dramatically today. A must-see for any student of LGBTQ history and queer cinema. - KH

Movie Music of the Year: Mary Poppins Returns
Following in the Academy Award winning footsteps of the legendary Sherman Brothers was surely a daunting task for composer/songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman when they were tasked with creating the music and songs for this long-awaited sequel to the beloved classic Mary Poppins. But the Tony Award winning pair of Hairspray fame certainly rose to the occasion, as proven by their own Oscar nomination for the bittersweet lullaby “The Place Where Lost Things Go”, sung by our new Mary Poppins, Emily Blunt, who also shines in “Can You Imagine That?” and (in Cockney no less) “A Cover is Not the Book”. Blunt is joined on the soundtrack by Broadway wunderkind Lin-Manuel Miranda (who belts out the show-stopping “Trip a Little Light Fantastic”) and Disney Legends Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury, who leads the high-flying finale “Nowhere to Go but Up”. We can imagine that we’ll be returning to the magical music of Mary Poppins Returns for many years to come.- KH

The Neil V. Cohen Award for Campy TV Show of the Year: The Bad Seed
The 1956 camp classic The Bad Seed has long been a favorite around these parts, so we were happier than a pig-tailed psychopath in tap shoes when this Lifetime remake turned out to be as much of a hoot as the original. Kudos to director Rob Lowe (yes, that Rob Lowe) for not only casting himself in the Nancy Kelly role but for giving the pivotal role of Rhoda (here named Emma for some reason) to Mckenna Grace, who played a young Tonya Harding in I, Tonya so you know she's more than qualified to creatively off whoever gets in her way, most notably the skanky nanny who's all thirsty for Lowe's DILF. But nothing beats the killer cameo appearance of Patty McCormack, the original Rhoda, as a child psychologist who says of Emma "she reminds me of myself at that age". To all those responsible for this Bad Seed Redux, Movie Dearest sends you a basket full of hugs and kisses! - KH


We hope you enjoyed this year's Dearies and thank you for visiting Movie Dearest in 2018! Here's to 2019...

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine, and Kirby Holt, creator and editor of Movie Dearest.