2020 was fun, wasn't it? You don't need me to recap the fun we've all had this year. But here you can escape thinking about diseases, curfews and elections for 5 minutes with my traditional end of year movie post. Unfortunately, with the beginning of the death of cinemas, an intense work project and you know, 2020, my movie watching took a pretty sizeable dip this year. However, the show must go on! And I know the whole film industry has been anticipating the Scottscars since this time last year, so here we go!

I'll keep it brief as I know everyone just wants this year to be over, at this point.

First up, the running order for this post.

1. End of year statistics (everyone's favourite bit)

2. The Scottscars Awards, 

3. My predictions from last year

4. Finally, a brand spanking new set of predictions for 2021

STATISTICS!

    I hate watching movies in the house. Your phone goes off, the itch to check your social media, the crap sound/picture balancing on my mediocre tv/speakers- no thanks. But here's how we did anyway. 

Rosie and I made a set of drinking game rules that appear to work for every Adam Sandler movie ever and considering the amount of alcohol we needed to get through this year, it's definitely skewed the results.

Watched 97 movies (not including shorts)

Most watched actor/actress - Adam Sandler

Most watched director - Dennis Dugan (one of the Adam Sandler money crew)

Visited the cinema 21 times - :( thanks COVID

This year marked the first time I watched a movie that I own on Blu Ray, on Netflix instead, out of pure laziness and not being arsed to get up and change the disc. 

Anyway on to the highlight of a year full of lowlights.

The 2020 Scottscars

These awards contain no monetary value and cannot be exchanged in any way, shape or form

Best Comic Book Film

Sponsored by Coronavirus

Winner : Nothing to see here.

I wouldn't feel right giving any award with 'Best' in the title to Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman 84 or New Mutants. Will come back next year for this one.

          

Most Forgettable Film

Sponsored by what'stheirname?

Winner : Project Power

          Oh Jamie Foxx. Soul is one of the most memorable films of the year and Project Power is a film that I had to google again as I couldn't even remember the title. That one that was like X-Men, I think? People had powers and I think they came from pills? Was Jamie Foxx a cop? An Assassin? Was Joseph Gordon Levitt even in this? I honestly remember nothing from this snorefest.

Runners Up

Enola Holmes

Bloodshot

The Award for WTF Moment

Sponsored by 

Winner : Tenet (entire film)

I like Christopher Nolan alot. And I will take a complex film over a by the numbers script any day.

Tenet, however was on a whole other level, where I couldn't engage with it because I just couldn't understand what was going on at any time. And it turns out Robert Pattinson feels the same. 

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/05/robert-pattinson-made-tenet-without-understanding-plot-1202234249/

Technically incredible, the practical FX being the best I've ever seen in a movie, but it means very little if the film is too complicated to follow. Maybe I'm just not smart enough!

Oh and your characters probably shouldn't mumble for the whole run time.

Runners Up

Wonder Woman rides lightning

Wonder Woman rides a missile that Chris Pine fires from a tank

Wonder Woman makes her jet invisible randomly

Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman

Jim Carrey's extremely over the top acting in Sonic the Hedgehog.

The "Film I Really Should Have Seen Before Now" Award

Sponsored by Pulp Fiction

Winner: Se7en

Se7en is awesome, but you probably already know that.

Kevin Spacey is fantastic in it too, but I don't know if I'm allowed to say that these days.

Runners Up

Labyrinthe

Top Gun

You've Got Mail

Jumanji (Robin Williams one)

News Story of the year

Sponsored by Cyberpunk 2077

Winner : Trolls: World Tour puts the first nail in the coffin for cinemas everywhere.

    Whoever would have thought that a Trolls sequel would become so significant! This was the first major release that was announced to skip cinemas and go direct to streaming, pleasing parents everywhere as they could get an hour and a half break from watching Frozen on repeat. Unfortunately, it was an experiment that, on the surface, appears to have been successful (profitable) for the studio and has led to more and films going direct to streaming. This could be the beginning of the end for cinemas.

Runners up:

-Tobes in talks to reprise his role as Spider-man <3

-Warner Bros. announces that their entire 2021 slate will be available day 1 of release on streaming.

-Snyder cut is happening

The ICYMI award

sponsored by the Sega Dreamcast

Winner : Wolfwalkers

     Wolfwalkers is probably the best looking animated film I've ever seen (although Spider-verse  and Princess Kaguya might have something to say about that). A fantastic folkore fairytale, set in Kilkenny and bursting with celtic style. You won't want to miss this, but you might as it's been trapped as an Apple TV exclusive (yuck).

Try and find a way to give this one a watch, your eyeballs won't regret it. Bravo Cartoon Saloon!

Runners Up

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Palm Springs

Sonic the Hedgehog - don't judge it by the horrible first trailer. Sonic looks great now and the film is pretty darn solid. If you were one of the voices complaining for them to change their character design I hope you showed support by watching the final film!

Best Animated Film

Sponsored by Adobe Flash

Winner : Soul

Soul may have been the most important film of this year for me. It's is a movie from Pixar ,about a regular guy, his anxiety, existentialism and his purpose in life sprinkled with some jazz, the most technically breathtaking CGI ever seen in a 3D animated film and a Pixar-esque representation of pre life and post death. It's a movie dealing with relatable fears, heavy themes, clearly aimed at an older audience and most importantly it's a movie that prioritises its message and themes over creating an exploitable universe. 

In an age where studios, Disney in particular, are just churning out movies to set up universes and sell Funko Pops, Soul reminds us that Pixar isn't too far gone yet and that they are still the leading animation studio with worthwhile stories to tell and themes to explore. It's a reminder that the studio still has *ahem* soul.

Runners Up

Wolfwalkers

Weathering With You - a worthy follow up to Your Name? I think so. Can't wait to see JJ Abrams get his hands on it too and ruin the ending.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising-

This film includes the creator's original intended ending for the manga and it's truly a great conclusion- ruined by a quick retcon, deliberately implemented to make the movie pointless and to keep the series going.

Onward

Turd of the Year

Sponsored by Turkish Kebab City

Winner : Dolittle

More like DOES- LITTLE am I right?! *coughs*

You know what? I have no problem with films that are aimed at children and are therefore light on plot, light on character, high on gags and aim for cute. But even putting RDJ's questionable Welsh accent and half hearted performance aside, this film's script is a complete stinker that shouldn't be screened for children or anyone with a brain. 

I'll give you an example here. 

There's a dragon (for some reason) who has a sore stomach.

Dolittle says it's because she's heartbroken, it's made her sick. Ok fair enough.

He then proceeds to stick his hand up its ass and pull out a set of bagpipes that were clogging her up.

The dragon is all better. 

So the love sick thing was complete bullshit.

Oh and of course it then farts for 20 seconds. 

SKIP.

Runners Up

The New Mutants

Jiu Jitsu

Viy 2: Journey to China / The Iron Mask

Jojo Rabbit- sorry, I just didn't really warm to it

My Film of the Year

Sponsored by Spider-man 2 (Tobes, not Tom Holland)

Winner : 1917

          1917 is truly the best example of the power of movies that I could find this year and a definitive example of why we will always need movie theatres. A simple story, but one that the audience truly experiences every step of the way. Two soldiers have to carry a message across the horrors of a WW1 battlefield and through incredible sound, practical FX and one continuous uninterrupted shot you can't help but be transported there with them. 

Would this be as effective on the small screen? I honestly don't know, but this 1917 is proof to why movies need to experienced on the big screen and how  powerful they can be.

Runners Up: 

Soul

Parasite

Uncut Gems - My GOD it was nice to see that Adam Sandler is actually an actor

Wolfwalkers

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Notable Films I didn't see this year

A Whisker Away

Nomadland

Train to Busan presents: Penninsula

Proxima

Over the Moon

Mank

Minari

Red Shoes

Vanguard

Guns Akimbo

Extraction

Artemis Fowl

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Days

Call of the Wild (I'd say would have been a strong contender for turd of the year)

Let's get onto the predictions! Starting with how badly I did last year and then onto things that won't happen next year either.

LAST YEAR'S PREDICTIONS

1. Black Widow bombs, at least for Marvel's standards. People are over comic book movies and she's literally dead. 

Result-       VOID          - thanks covid

2. Wonder Woman 1984 is the highest grossing superhero film of the year.

Result-        VOID          - thanks again covid

3. Hayao Miyazaki retires AGAIN. At least in some capacity

Result-     No

4. They'll announce a Pokemon movie based in the Kanto region (based on the first games, Red and Blue)

Result-     No

5. Sonic earns just enough for a sequel to be announced

Result-     Yes!

6. Turd of the year is Dolittle

Result-      Yes!

7. Shia LaBoeuf is nominated for an Oscar

Result-       No, Shia surprise

8. New Ninja Turtles live action reboot trailer comes out and it sparks redesign demands on Twitter, similar to Sonic.

Result-       No

9. More films get their visual effects 'patched' similar to Cats.

Result-       No, at least not that I'm aware of

10. My film of the year is Soul

Result-      No     1917 tipped it

Final results-         2/8   

BONUS

a few years ago I said an animated Transformers movie would be announced, and it was!

Josh Cooley of Toy Story 4 directs

2021 PREDICTIONS

1. After all the delays, 007: No Time to Die is released on streaming the same day as the theatrical release, whenever that may be.

2. Black Widow also comes out in cinemas and on Disney Plus on the same day.

3. The Seth Rogen Ninja Turtles movie gets a trailer and the character design looks more like the 90s live action films.

4. The Snyder cut scores lower critical ratings than the 'Josstice League'

5. Marvel's Spider-man 3 gets delayed to 2022.

IF it does come out, it's a mess. Tries to put in too many characters and becomes convoluted. Also cops out of really dealing with the identity crisis.

6. The next Avengers movie is announced with a hugely different 'next generation' lineup

7.  Godzilla Vs Kong is turd of the year.

8. The Matrix 4 is criticised for being too safe and formulaic. Let down of the year.

9. At least one MAJOR cinema chain shuts its doors

10. My film of the year is The Tomorrow War

Well that's it! Stay safe, wash your hands, avoid humans like the plague (because they are the plague). 

See you in 2021 where things can't get any worse, right?

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