Grab your wand, cloak and a Nimbus 2000, because we’re taking off on a broomstick ride to Hogwarts.
Or at least this guy is, who transformed his home over the Halloween weekend into his own mini version of the famed (yet sadly totally made-up) magical school.
“This year for Halloween I wanted to fully commit to the Harry Potter theme and build a Hogwarts Great Hall (that) J.K. Rowling would be proud of!” Austin Grant tweeted. “All aboard the Hogwarts Express!”
As you can see in the TikTok below, Grant decorated his exterior door with fake bricks, and the stairs going up to his kitchen and living room were illuminated almost like it was light shot from a wand, which is basically a dream for every “Harry Potter” fan.
Once you get into the kitchen, you’re immediately transported to the Great Hall inside Hogwarts. There are banners depicting the four houses, as well as the iconic candles that float over the students while they feast.
Not only does Grant’s home seem incredible, but it didn’t look like it took too much time (or cost that much money) to have some truly memorable decorations for Halloween.
”Squad”, the upcoming action film which marks the debut of actors Rinzing Denzongpa and Malvika Raaj, is set to release on ZEE5 on November 12.
Produced by Zee Studios and Indian Media Entertainment, the film is directed by Nilesh Sahay.
”Squad” revolves around the battle between the nations’ special forces with a little girl at the centre of it who has lost everyone in her life. Rinzing, the son of actor Danny Denzongpa, said working on his debut movie was a rollercoaster ride.
”We’ve seen everything through this film – extreme weather and logistic issues due to restrictions during the pandemic but yet we were more on top. ”I’m proud to have this as my debut film and it’s been an honour working with Nilesh. I am truly looking forward to the audience experiencing the spectacle that ‘Squad’ is,” the actor said in a statement.
Sahay said while the team faced several challenges to mount the project during COVID times, ”Squad” was completed without ”compromising on quality”.
”I am certain that ‘Squad’ will set a benchmark when it comes to action sequences in Indian films. I am happy that the film is releasing on ZEE5 and will reach a global audience,” he said. Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India, said the team is thrilled to bring the film to the audience. ”This ZEE5 Original Film will break records with its high-scale, high-octane and high-magnitude action sequences. So, get set to feel the rush with this edge-of-the-seat patriotic entertainer which has an internationally acclaimed crew to its credits,” Kalra said. The film, which was shot in Belarus, also stars Pooja Batra, Mohan Kapur and Amit Gaur.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the additional time off and Netflix rolling out some of his most prestigious awards-contenders and biggest audience pleasers, it couldn’t be a more perfect time to catch up on brand new movies and beloved favorites.
From sci-fi stunners to horror comedies to one of the most bizarre mainstream studio movies ever made, plus two (!) appearances by Leonardo DiCaprio, we’ve rounded up a curated list of the best new movies on Netflix in December.
Body of Lies
Warner Bros.
“Body of Lies” imagines the unthinkable: what if Ridley Scott made a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, with a screenplay by “The Departed” writer William Moynahan and … nobody showed up. This is actually what happened in 2008, which is a shame because “Body of Lies” is a low-key gem and one of Sir Ridley’s most underrated movies. DiCaprio plays a CIA operative in Iraq who is tracking a suspected terrorist with help from Crowe’s CIA boss back in the United States. And things get … sticky. With a supporting cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Mark Strong and Golshifteh Farahani and a terrifically twisty screenplay, it’s the kind of movie you’ll watch and say, “Why does nobody talk about this?”
Looper
Sony
Before Rian Johnson journeyed to a galaxy far, far away and made an unlikely franchise out of a cartoonishly southern-fried detective, he made “Looper,” a small-scale, time-travel thriller. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a man in not-too-distant future Kansas City who works as a “looper” – a man who murders people who have been sent back in time. (In the even-more-distant future murder is very difficult but time travel is apparently a breeze.) Things become complicated when a man comes through who is actually Joe from the future (this is known as “closing your loop”) escapes and goes on a rampage. Older Joe is played by a ferocious Bruce Willis, making the only time we can think of where two actors play the same role in different time periods, one as a hero and one as a villain. Anyway, throw in some psychic powers, Emily Blunt on a farm, and weird futuristic drugs, and you’re cooking. “Looper” felt like something of an instant classic; it still does.
The considerable might of Netflix’s awards campaign is largely being put behind “The Power of the Dog,” a sobering, nerve-rattling Western from acclaimed director Jane Campion. Based on the 1967 novel of the same name, the new film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank, a brilliant ranch owner with a cruel streak a mile wide. Jesse Plemons plays his more good-natured brother George, who falls in love with a local restaurant owner named Rose (Plemons’ real life love Kirsten Dunst). Soon Rose and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) are living at the ranch, underneath Phil’s considerable shadow. To say any more would be criminal; this is the kind of slow burn drama (heightened by Jonny Greenwood’s jittery score) that is best to get lost in. Watch it now so when it gets nominated for every Oscar you can say, “Oh yeah I saw that weeks ago.”
Tremors
Is there ever a bad time to watch “Tremors?” We didn’t think so. What’s so remarkable about the giant-worm-monsters-under-the-dirt classic is that, more than three decades after it was originally released, everything still works so well – the practical effects (by Stan Winston acolytes Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.) are just as convincing; the uncanny mixture of horror and comedy (based on a script by Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson and refined by director Ron Underwood) still hits both marks beautifully; and the cast, led by the terrific buddy duo of Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, but including supporting performances from Michael Gross and Reba McEntire, are all still so spot-on. (The fact that we were robbed of a Blumhouse-produced “Tremors” TV series starring Bacon and Ward a few years ago when the pilot wasn’t picked up to series is really tragic.) If you haven’t watched “Tremors” in a while, well, now here’s your excuse. Buckle up. It’s still quite the ride.
The Lost Daughter
Look for “The Lost Daughter” to be a major awards contender in the coming weeks and for good reason. The directorial debut of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Lost Daughter” is an adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, following Leda (Olivia Colman), a divorced professor, on a scenic Greek getaway. What starts out innocently enough soon becomes a fraught tangle – of memories (as we flash back to Leda as a young mother, played now by Jessie Buckley), of interactions (with a group of tourists on the beach, including Dakota Johnson as a young mother), and of emotions (as Leda wrestles with what type of woman she was and who she has become). Gyllenhaal stages even the most mundane interaction with an overwhelming, palpable sense of dread, which becomes almost unbearable (all of this is a very good thing). Time to get lost in “The Lost Daughter.”
Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat
After the infamous implosion of the “Sprockets” movie (based on the “Saturday Night Live” sketch), Mike Myers and director Bo Welch (known this for his eye-popping production design for Tim Burton and Barry Sonnenfeld) reteamed, while ducking litigation, for Universal’s “The Cat in the Hat.” An attempt to cash in on the goodwill/box office of Ron Howard’s similarly misguided “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (released a few years earlier), it remains one of the most fascinating and baffling big-budget adaptations ever. Turning Dr. Seuss’ slender children’s book into a movie was always going to be a gamble, but turning it, like Howard’s “Grinch,” into a star vehicle for a comedian known for his physical comedy … and then encasing said star in cumbersome makeup. For some reason, “The Cat in the Hat” feels more bizarre and genuinely unhinged. The production design is eerie and disquieting, everything shot in glossy frames by Emmanuel Lubezki. And it cannot be overstated just how insane Myers is in the title role. Truly crazy. An infamous box office disappointment, it nonetheless is perched on the abyss, waiting for reassessment.
Don’t Look Up
Adam McKay is a filmmaker who has always injected his brand of social commentary into anything he’s doing, even if it’s something as silly as “Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights” or “Step Brothers.” But starting with “The Big Short,” his political interests became more overt. “Don’t Look Up” is an attempt to reconcile the two halves of his career; it’s a broad comedy full of giant movie stars offering up cartoony performances but it’s also a searing indictment of the current political system and humanity’s ambivalence toward the ever-worsening destruction caused by global warming. “Don’t Look Up” follows a pair of schlubby scientists (played by the decidedly non-schlubby Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) as they try to warn everyone, including a ditzy president (Meryl Streep) and her creepy chief of staff son (Jonah Hill), a pair of vacuous news anchors (Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry), and a spacey tech genius billionaire (Mark Rylance), about the incoming apocalypse. It’s a delicate high-wire act, combining almost “Mars Attacks!”-levels of farcical big-scale disaster movie spectacle with deeply unsettling observations about the state of the world. It’s either the funniest depressing movie of the year or the most depressing funny movie of the year. Either way, it’s a must-watch.
As the autumn wind howled outside, a portion of Abilene Christian University’s Brown Library became a place of magic with readers queued up for Cover2Cover, this year featuring a live read through of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Taking turns of about 15 minutes each, readers shared sequential portions of the first adventure of the boy wizard, who has a powerful magical pedigree.
Throughout the seven-book series, Harry makes fast friendships, solves mysteries and finds his destiny at the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Fifth time’s the charm
Todd Womble, assistant professor in ACU’s department of language and literature, said Thursday’s event was the fifth Cover2Cover marathon reading, taking inspiration from similar activities at other libraries and universities.
It’s not an attempt to break a record, he said, but give participants a chance to read and enjoy others reading to them.
“(It’s) a chance for us to celebrate literature in a unique way in our library,” Womble said. “It’s also a chance to get various people from around campus involved.”
Readers in the library’s Nancy and Ray Hansen Reading Commons consisted of students, faculty, staff and administrators, from first-year students to deans and department chairs, he said.
Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” and Homer’s “The Odyssey” were previous selections, but the “Harry Potter” books have been chosen every other year, Womble said.
The book series is attractive for a number of reasons, he said, from length and readability to the enduring popularity of the series.
“For us to get student engagement, it helps to choose a book students know and love,” Womble said. “‘Harry Potter’ fits that bill more than most.”
Something for everyone
Regal in professorial robes, Paul Roggendorff read a segment in Spanish, words familiar to avid fans — such as Muggle, describing nonmagical persons — percolating up and out to tickle the ears of passersby.
Roggendorff, who teaches Spanish, said he also has read the books in English.
The issue of translation is fascinating, he said, especially when dealing with a magical milieu with so many new, interesting words, practically its own vocabulary.
“There’s always all sorts of interesting discussions, such as wordplay,” he said. “Does it translate into the other language? Or these particular terms? … This story does present some interesting challenges for the translator.”
Most readers stuck to the English text, though even that required some shift, or at least early marketers of the work assumed, for American audiences.
The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997 in the United Kingdom as “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
Its title changed slightly, to “Sorcerer’s Stone,” when it was published in the United States.
A trip back
While most participants read expressively, others, such as English junior major Makenzie Morrison, gave it their all, bringing more than a bit of performative spark to the narrative.
“I have several siblings, and we all grew up reading them,” she said. “That was sort of a bonding thing for all of us. And so it’s just a lot of fun to return to (it).”
Many of Thursday’s readers and observers said they grew up with the series.
Revisiting the story as an avid listener was both nostalgic and fun for Caroline Kennemer, a sophomore child and family services student.
She began reading the books in fourth grade and has read the whole series eight times.
“Sorcerer’s Stone” is a favorite, Kennemer said, because of it’s an origin story, providing readers a sense of discovering the “wizarding world” along with Harry himself.
“But to me, there’s just so much meaning beyond just the surface-level story about children,” she said. “There’s so much Christian allegory, and you really grow to know the characters. You see (also) a lot of reflection of older English literature.”
Selayah Auston, who listened in obvious, rapt attention, said that she was in an accelerated reading program when she was young — and the “Potter” saga stands tall among the first books she read and fell in love with.
“I thought they were enchanting,” recalled the junior nutrition major. “It’s so mesmerizing.”
Downright magical, she said, was hearing the story read aloud, which she found an “all-encompassing” experience.
“If I read in my head, I get distracted by roommates and whatnot,” she said. “It’s like an audio book, that’s what I like about it.”
Bill Carroll, who teaches English in the language and literature department, said the event is something he looks forward to each year, and he knows students do too.
“Even college students like to be read to,” he said.
Brian Bethel covers city and county government and general news for the Abilene Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.
The Sarawak
legislative assembly election has concluded and results are being tallied.
This live report will provide updates on results as they are announced.
Results by constituency, click here. For the primer on Sarawak election, click here.
Abang Jo wins his mandate, to be sworn in as CM tonight
10.35pm: Abang Johari Openg will be sworn in as the chief minister tonight after the GPS coalition was sure of a landslide victory in the Sarawak legislative assembly elections.
Abang Johari arrived at the Astana this evening in black ceremonial clothes, even though the Election Commission still hasn’t completed the tallying process for some constituencies.
Abang Johari, 71, is the sixth chief minister of Sarawak. In 2017, he succeeded Adenan Satem.
PSB wins Batu Lintang, replaces DAP as biggest opposition
10.05pm: PSB has picked up Batu Lintang, giving the party four seats in the Sarawak legislative assembly.
PSB is on track to becoming the biggest opposition party in Sarawak on their electoral debut, displacing DAP, which only won two seats.
For Batu Lintang, incumbent See Chee How retains the seat by winning 35.89 percent of the votes cast, down from 61.6 percent which he won in 2016 when he was with PKR. He was sacked from PKR in April last year.
See narrowly edges out GPS-SUPP’s Sih Hua Tong by just 94 votes. PKR’s Cherishe Ng comes in at a close third, winning 14.79 percent of the votes cast.
Wong Soon Koh: Sarawakians not ready for change.
PSB chairperson Wong Soon Koh has been announced as the state assemblyperson of Bawang Assan, Sibu.
After the announcement, Wong held a press conference and said he is disappointed that Sarawakians are not yet ready for political change.
“People of Sarawak are not ready for change. They still prefer being held hostage to the type of politics practised by BN and now, of course, by GPS.
“We can’t change the people unless they themselves want to change,” said Wong at Dewan Suarah Sibu.
Wong concluded that the reason why PSB lost heavily in this election is that the political practice in rural Sarawak is still “money is king”.
“I think you know what I mean.
“(My vote shares) had never been below 70 percent in a Dayak area, but this time around, to my surprise, I lost quite heavily in a Dayak area.
“But what I lost in the Iban area is made up by strong support from the Chinese community.
“If not, I would have also lost in Bawang Assan, to my surprise and of course not surprised. Because of the type of politics practised by GPS, the Iban and Dayak people succumbed to it,” said Wong.
Sarawak is better looked after by Sarawakians – Abang Jo
9.15pm: Borneo Convention Centre, Kuching – Following GPS’ thumping win in the Sarawak election, coalition chairperson Abang Johari Openg believes the results show a preference for state-based parties.
“Well, the people say Sarawak is better looked after by Sarawakians,” he says to a question about DAP and PKR’s dismal performance.
Abang Johari adds that he was in “no hurry” to be sworn in or appoint his new state cabinet.
“My partners are all good partners. They give confidence in us [sic]
“When the time comes, I will announce my candidates (for the state cabinet),” he says.
He then leads GPS top leaders in waving GPS flags and singing the coalition theme song a second time.
This time, there is also confetti and sparks.
GPS celebrations have begun
9pm: Borneo Convention Centre, Kuching – GPS top guns are gathering in a banquet room to celebrate winning the Sarawak election.
Led by coalition chairperson Abang Johari Openg, they wave GPS flags and sing the party anthem.
“Sarawak first!” they shout in unison while dressed in red and white.
GPS retains supermajority
8.55pm: GPS has retained its two-thirds majority in the Sarawak legislative assembly.
At the time of writing, it has won at least 55 out of the 82 seats in the state assembly and is expected to pick up several more seats.
In the 2016 state election, GPS which was then part of BN, won 72 out of 82 seats in the assembly.
DAP left with two seats
8.50pm: DAP won only two seats in the Sarawak legislative assembly, down from seven won in 2016.
DAP has only managed to retain Padungan and Pending.
Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chieng Jien said his party accepted the decision of the voters.
He promised that DAP will continue to be firm in its resolve and protect the people’s interests.
“We will (conduct) a review. We accept the people’s decision. We will make adjustments accordingly,” he said.
Chong also thank Padungan voters for returning him to the legislative assembly.
Unofficial: GPS wins S’wak polls
8.20pm: GPS has won a simple majority to form the next Sarawak government.
The coalition has garnered 42 out of 82 seats in the state assembly and is on track to pick up more.
This is the first time the PBB, PRS, PDP and SUPP have won the state election under their new GPS banner.
They were previously part of Sarawak BN.
GPS leads DAP in Pelawan
8.15pm: GPS-SUPP’s Michael Tiang is leading Sarawak DAP deputy president David Wong Kee Woan in the seat of Pelawan by only 100 votes.
So far, Tiang has garnered 4,413 votes and Wong with 4,313 votes.
Meanwhile, PSB’s Low Chong Nguan is third with 3,757 votes, followed by PBK’s Tiew Yen Houng (3,146 votes) and Aspirasi’s Janet Loh (302 votes).
DAP loses Pujut
7.55pm: DAP has lost the seat of Pujut, according to Bernama.
In the 2016 election, DAP’s Ting Tiong Choon won the seat with a 1,759-vote majority.
However, Ting was in 2017 disqualified for allegedly possessing Australian citizenship.
In this election, the seat is picked up by GPS’ Adam Yii.
Soon Koh retains seat as opposition candidate
7.50pm: PSB president Wong Soon Koh has retained the Bawang Assan seat.
Wong has held on to that seat since 1991 and will now enter a seventh term.
This election is the first time that Wong did not use the BN logo during the election.
Wong is a former Sarawak cabinet member.
PSB picks up second seat
7.45pm: PSB has picked up a second seat, wresting Engkilili from GPS.
Independent candidate Gemong Batu receives 2,013 votes, while PBK’s Stel Datu wins 151 votes.
This is the first seat to switch hands.
PSB, an opposition party making its debut in this Sarawak polls, has shown a respectable performance.
The other seat it won is Ba’kelalan. It is retained by Baru Bian, who is previously from PKR.
GPS halfway to a simple majority
7.40pm: GPS has won at least 21 seats and is halfway to a simple majority.
A total of 42 out of the 82-member Sarawak assembly is needed for a simple majority and 55 is needed for a two-thirds majority.
To date, the opposition has only picked up one seat – Ba’kelalan by PSB.
Incumbent Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg is expected to address the press in Kuching at 9pm.
All challengers for Bukit Goram lose their deposit
7.35pm: GPS-PBB’s Jefferson Jamit Unyat has retained the Bukit Goram seat in style. All four of his opponents have lost their deposit.
Jefferson’s vote share is 68.45 percent, roughly the same as what he received in 2016.
Dr Sim retains Batu Kawah, given stronger mandate
7.30pm: SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian has retained the Batu Kawah seat.
Sim’s performance is even better compared to the 2016 election. His vote share this year is 69.77 percent, up from 54.12 percent in 2016.
The runner-up is DAP’s Kelvin Yii, who is the Bandar Kuching MP. Yii gets only 22.19 percent of the votes. Two other candidates in the race have lost their deposits.
PSB’s Baru Bian retains Ba’kelalan
7.15pm: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) has made history by winning a seat in the Sarawak legislative assembly on their first electoral outing.
PSB’s Baru Bian has retained the Ba’kelalan seat by winning 54.66 percent of the votes cast – almost as good as his performance in 2016 as a PKR candidate.
His closest competitor is GPS’ Sam Laya. As for Baru’s former party PKR, their candidate Martin Labo garners only 57 votes and hence will lose his deposit.
PAS denied in Beting Maro, again
7pm: PAS’ sole candidate in the Sarawak election fails to unseat GPS in Beting Maro.
PAS was placed second in the Beting Maro race during the 2011 and 2016 elections.
Incumbent Razaili Gapor has retained the Beting Maro seat, according to Bernama, earning a fourth term.
Abang Jo gets mandate from Gedong voters
6.50pm: GPS leader Abang Johari Openg is the new Gedong assemblyperson.
Previously, Abang Johari was the Satok assemblyperson for 40 years but decided to move to Gedong instead.
Meanwhile, GPS’ Abdul Yakub Arbi has retained Balingian – a constituency which has been long represented by Sarawak governor Taib Mahmud.
A big board set up by PSB at its Bawang Assan office in Sibu, shows that based on the unofficial results, it has won in these four seats.
Bawang Assan is a seat held by PSB chief Wong Soon Koh for more than 30 years.
However, Wong won the seat as a BN direct candidate in 2016.
PRS’ Liwan retains Belaga
6.40pm: GPS-PRS’ Liwan Lagang has retained the Belaga seat, albeit with a slightly reduced majority.
According to the Election Commission, he has polled 70.52 percent of the votes cast, down from 90 percent in 2016.
The runner-up in Belaga is PSB’s Henry Usat Bit, who has polled 25 percent of the votes cast.
There are two independent candidates who have lost their deposits.
GPS retains Murum and Sebuyau
6.30pm: The Election Commission has called the Sebuyau election for GPS’ Julaihi Narawi.
According to the unofficial count, Julaihi secures 79.3 percent of the votes cast, up from 69.88 percent in 2016.
In Murum, GPS’ Kennedy Chukpai Ugon has secured around 64 percent of the vote share and has an insurmountable lead, which means he is set to retain his seat.
Kennedy’s most prominent opponent is PSB’s Stanley Ajang Batok, a former Belaga MP. Stanley’s vote share, according to the unofficial count is 24.6 percent.
PSB proving formidable in Bawang Assan
6.25pm: PSB is proving itself to be formidable opposition, mounting a strong challenge against GPS in Bawang Assan.
PSB’s Wong Soon Koh is neck-and-neck with GPS’ Robert Lau Hui Yew who is from SUPP.
Lau is ahead with 2,580 votes but Wong is at his heels with 2,259 votes. Independent candidate Ricky Enteri has 322 votes, PBK’s Michelle Ling has 239 votes while DAP’s Amy Lau is in last place with 232 votes.
There’s still around half of the votes left to count.
Wong previously won Bawang Assan as a BN direct candidate. He was formerly with SUPP but broke away from the party.
PBB’s Douglas retains seat
6.15pm: GPS’ Douglas Uggah Embas has retained his seat and won a third term as the Bukit Saban state assemblyperson, based on the unofficial count.
The unofficial count suggests that he has secured 77.47 percent of the votes cast.
Prior to the dissolution of the state assembly, Douglas was the deputy chief minister and second finance minister. He is also the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president.
DAP denies sending messages ‘giving out money’
6.12pm: DAP’s Padungan candidate Chong Chieng Jen alleges that his phone number was stolen and used to send malicious messages.
The Sarawak DAP on its Facebook page urges the public not to believe the messages.
According to one of the messages, the voters are asked to go to DAP’s campaign centre to redeem RM200 as a token of appreciation for supporting DAP.
Another message claims that the voters can go to a petrol station to claim their petrol money – RM20 for a car and RM10 for a motorcycle.
Ali Biju gets over 1k votes despite quitting
6.10pm: Bersatu’s Ali Biju, who went rogue and contested in the Sarawak polls but later pulled out following his party’s intervention, is still pulling a respectable amount of votes in Krian.
With almost half the votes counted, he has garnered 1,228 votes. However, GPS is still ahead with 2,083 votes followed by PSB with 1,569 votes. PBK’s Danny Kuan has 102 votes.
Ali’s name is still on the ballot paper as a candidate although he officially withdrew after nomination day.
However, Ali has campaigned for GPS’ Friday Belik following his withdrawal.
Ali is the incumbent in Krian which he won under the PKR ticket in 2016.
Bersatu’s Ali Biju
However, he was left without a platform after defecting to Bersatu, which has agreed not to contest in the Sarawak polls as part of a deal with GPS.
GPS sets up camp in a ballroom
6pm: Borneo Convention Centre Kuching – GPS has set up camp in a ballroom at a large convention centre about a 15-minute drive from Kuching city centre.
The vote counting event is set to begin at 6pm but no top party figures are present yet.
The room is decked out with GPS flags, a stage and three large LED screens, which will be used to display the election results.
Banquet tables also fill up half of the ballroom.
The screen states that GPS component party PBB has already secured two of the 47 seats it contested but does not state which two seats these are.
55pct turnout as of 4pm
5.45pm: Wet weather has been reported from Kuching all the way to Sibu. This could hamper turnout.
As of 4pm, the Election Commission reports a turnout of 55 percent. The EC is not expected announce the final turnout until much later tonight.
Polling ends, counting begins to determine
Sarawak’s new govt
5.30pm: Polling has ended with the turnout expected to be lower than the 68.33 percent seen in 2016 due to unfavourable weather conditions.
The Sarawak legislature has 82 seats – the biggest in the country. Constituencies in Sarawak are relatively smaller than in Peninsular Malaysia with a median voter number of 12,589.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is expected to retain hold of the government due to its perceived unity, incumbency and favourable electoral boundaries.
That is not to say there is no dissent. Malaysiakini’s small team in Sarawak has spoken to voters who are upset with longstanding problems relating to infrastructure and the perceived nonchalance of those who have served multiple terms in office.
However, the opposition is unable to unite ahead of the election. The two most prominent opposition entities are Pakatan Harapan and Parti Sarawak Bersatu.
We are getting closer and closer to the ha- ha- holidays! Anyone else feeling the Christmas spirit? As a native New Yorker, this author is definitely feeling the need to stay indoors until this COVID wave has passed; and what better way to pass the time indoors is there than by binge-watching a bunch of movies and shows on streaming? And whether you use Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or all of the above, your favorite streaming platforms are dishing out some top-notch entertainment all weekend long. We advise checking out the freshest titles first, so let us here at Decider help you figure out what to watch this weekend and where to stream it.
New Movies and Shows to Stream This Weekend: The Witcher Season 2, Mother/Android and Christmas is Canceled
While you hunker down and quarantine in preparation for seeing your loved ones this holiday break, the best new movies and shows on streaming are here to keep you company. On Netflix, fantasy epic fans will rejoice as the popular series The Witcher is finally returning for Season 2. Hulu is taking a more sci-fi approach with the release of Mother/Android, their latest original film that will make you rethink purchasing that Google Home or Aleza for your loved ones this season. And Amazon Prime Video is really leaning into the holidays through Christmas is Canceled, the hysterical new comedy film starring Dermot Mulroney, Janel Parrish and Hayley Orrantia. Curious to find out more? Check out the rest of the hit titles new on streaming this weekend below:
After an infuriatingly-long two-year wait, The Witcher Season 2 is new on Netflix this weekend. Henry Cavill returns as Geralt of Rivia, the titular monster-hunting witcher who is trying to find his place in the magical, monster-filled world of which he is part. However, this new season will follow Geralt as he is forced to do what he spent all of the first season trying to avoid doing: making connections with people. But will the new relationships this former lone wolf forges strengthen his missions, or will their different goals and values put the witcher in a vulnerable position? Undoubtedly, this season will be filled with even more drama, action, incredible magic and even more incredible beings, making The Witcher one of the top shows on Netflix this month.
New on Hulu this weekend is Mother/Android, a thrilling new film that will never allow you to trust Alexa or Siri ever again. This sci-fi epic takes place in the near future — a future in which humans have waged war against artificial intelligence. In it, expecting couple Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Sam (Algee Smith) attempt to make an escape to the safe haven that is Boston, by way of No Man’s Land. But as they make the two-week trek, are the people they see humans or androids? Mother/Android will leave your heart pounding, adrenaline spiking and your mind considering turning off all smart devices for the next 24 hours.
Nothing is worse than coming home to family drama during the holidays, and that could not be more true for Emma in Christmas is Canceled, the uproarious film new on Prime Video this weekend. This holiday comedy centers on Emma, a young woman who loves nothing more than spending Christmas with her father and best friend. But when she heads home for the holidays and finds her high school frenemy has started dating her dad, all holiday cheer goes right out the window. It is up to her to break up the happy couple and save Christmas. Starring Dermot Mulroney, Hayley Orrantia (The Goldbergs) Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars) and more, Christmas is Canceled is a laugh-out-loud comedy flick that must be checked out this weekend.
Full List of New Movies and Shows on Streaming This Weekend
The options above only scratch the surface, so you know that this weekend’s full lineup will have amazing options for what to watch this weekend! For the full breakdown of the best movies and shows to stream now, or if you’re still undecided on what to stream this weekend, then check out the complete list below:
Mother/Android (2021) (Hulu Original Film) The Nowhere Inn (2021)
New on Amazon Prime Video – Full List
Released Friday, December 17
Boxing Day (2021) Christmas Is Cancelled (2021) UNINTERRUPTED’s Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers: Season 2 *IMDb TV Original (IMDb TV) With Love: Season 1 *Amazon Original Series
Released Saturday, December 18
When Hope Calls Christmas (2021) (IMDb TV)
Released Sunday, December 19
Joy for Christmas (2021)
New on HBO Max- Full List
Released Friday, December 17
A Forbidden Orange, Max Original Premiere
New on Disney+ – Full List
Released Friday, December 17
Arendelle Castle Yule Log: Cut Paper Edition (Premiere) *Disney+ Original Home Alone 4 Home Alone: The Holiday Heist
Two decades ago, director Chris Columbus’ “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (which premiered in the U.S. Nov. 16, 2001, six days after bowing in the boy wizard’s homeland of England) introduced film audiences to magical BFFs Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), the heroes of J.K. Rowling’s mega-popular book series. The movie franchise wound up casting a spell, too, with eight hit films based on the novels followed by two recent “Fantastic Beast” spinoff prequels starring Eddie Redmayne as 1920s-era hero and awkward magizoologist Newt Scamander. (A third “Beasts” is slated to arrive in April of next year.)
In honor of Harry’s movie anniversary, here are all the “Potter” films, ranked from the biggest dud to the most enchanting fantasy:
Daniel Radcliffe:Actor discusses his ‘weird’ career after ‘Harry Potter’
10. ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ (2002)
This isn’t dead last because house-elf Dobby is the Jar Jar Binks of the “Potter”-verse. (He doesn’t help, though.) The underwhelming second installment unleashes a monstrous Basilisk on the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but other than bringing in family members of the antagonistic Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), it doesn’t do a whole lot for the overall saga.
Revisiting the ‘Harry Potter’ stars: How did childhood fame treat Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint?
9. ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grendelwald’ (2018)
Due to off-screen legal issues, Johnny Depp has since exited the franchise as silver-tongued, entrancing dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, but this weighty prequel goes all in – somewhat to its detriment – with “Potter” connections andnumerous bombshells, from debuting Jude Law as a young version of Harry’s (and also Newt’s) wise mentor Dumbledore to a mystery surrounding intensely repressed magical youngster Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller).
The best “Potter” book doesn’t quite equate to the top movie, as Harry gets thrown into a high-profile wizard competition in the overstuffed fourth film. It has some decent action scenes, though, plus a pre-“Twilight” Robert Pattinson makes an appearance as the doomed Cedric Diggory and we finally get Ralph Fiennes’ dark wizard LordVoldemort, the biggest bad of the “Potter” franchise, slithering out in all his very evil glory.
Meet the cast! Read the tween ‘Harry Potter’ stars’ first interview with USA TODAY
7. ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ (2016)
Featuring a slew of new characters to the canon, the first spinoff brings wizarding to America for the first time in a charming narrative, set in 1926, that doubles as a buddy comedy featuring Newt and his non-magical pal Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). There’s a lighthearted adventure vibe as Newt and Jacob track down a whole bunch of crazy critters that get loose, though the film also explores heavier themes of tolerance and inequality.
While certain special effects in the kid-friendly “Sorcerer’s Stone” didn’t age that gracefully over the past 20 years, you can’t help but be won over by Radcliffe’s youthful charm as the much-ballyhooed orphan who arrives at Hogwarts with a mountain of expectations, learns about his late parents, plus finds allies, enemies and, of course, a bunch of danger around every corner.
5. ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1’ (2010)
Not unlike “Avengers: Infinity War,” the adaptation of the first half of Rowling’s final “Potter” novel is a whole lot of setup to a climactic showdown that welcomes back a lot of old faces. Harry, Hermione and Ron have to find and eliminate the Horcruxes (aka items that hold part of one’s soul) that give Voldemort immortality in a sprawling adventure with quite a good cliffhanger.
4. ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009)
As Hogwarts’ shady Potions Master Severus Snape, the late Alan Rickman is one of the franchise’s enduring highlights, and he particularly had some hefty material to play in the sixth film. Voldemort’s got the wizarding world in a tizzy, Harry falls in love and finds a mysterious textbook, and “Half-Blood Prince” conjures one of the best and most impactful endings in the whole series.
3. ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2’ (2011)
The inevitable concluding showdown between Harry and Voldemort, for all the magical marbles, definitely lives up to the seven-movie buildup, with a few twists thrown in to make it interesting. What makes the intense final film really sing, though, is how it takes its time to show how the final battle – and the saga as a whole – emotionally affects not only the main characters but also the supporting players, good, bad, and in between.
2. ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007)
Director David Yates (who’s helmed every “Potter”-verse film since “Phoenix”) took the kids out of Hogwarts, showed audiences a more expansive look at the wizarding world and also gave us the universal GIF of an exasperated Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Also, Harry has a new role to play in this, training up an army to take on foes – most dastardly of whom here is Imelda Staunton’s superbly loathsome Dolores Umbridge.
1. ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004)
After Columbus’ first two family-friendly films, director Alfonso Cuarón (who would later win the best director Oscar for “Roma”) made Harry’s world dark, weird and really cool. Looking and feeling unlike every other “Potter” movie (in the best way possible), “Azkaban” introduces the horrifying dementors, Hermione does what we all want to do and sock Malfoy in his punchable face, and there’s even a little bit of time travel as Harry journeys to find out more about his past and what connection he has with a recent escapee (a great Gary Oldman) from magic jail.
How well did our movie review age? ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ turns 20
Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home / Columbia Pictures
In the comics, after his first appearance Spider-Man has always been a character of duty, honor, and responsibility no matter the cost to his personal life.
At the conclusion of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” the same can now be said for the Sony/Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the character.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) takes a hero’s journey to become a man of responsibility and honor after his bungling almost destroys the multiverse when his actions cause a powerful spell, cast by Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), to go awry.
The fallout from this unfortunate event is catastrophic.
As revealed in the trailer, the movie pulls villains from other iterations of Spider-Man movies into the Sony/MCU universe, causing all kinds of issues for Spidey, MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Jacob Batalon), and Strange.
That’s the gist of the setup for the film, revealing any more would delve into spoiler material, and this movie is too satisfying for Spidey fans of all generations for me to give anything away.
Whenever you became a Spider-Man fan — whether it was through movies, cartoons, or the comics — this film is a love letter to the character, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962, and its fans.
The scores of other writers and artists that added to the Wall-Crawler’s tapestry over the years deserve a tip of the hat too, because screen writers Chris McKenna and Erik Summers borrowed liberally from the comic-book character’s long back catalogue.
The better you know the comic-book character’s history, the more you will notice, which I found very satisfying and fulfilling. The fan service in no way took me out of the adventure.
Director Jon Watts does and excellent job of orchestrating this movie, keeping it clear, although not exactly concise with its 2-hour and 28-minute running time.
He prompted perhaps the best performance from Tom Holland as the character, who begins the movie as a boy but winds up a responsible man who is tasked with making some tough heart-wrenching decisions.
Obviously there have been reams of rumors about what would or wouldn’t be in the movie. To not have any surprises spoiled, I’d say see this movie as quickly as you can. Fans won’t be able to sit on this information long.
The movie is another winner for producers Kevin Feige of Marvel and Amy Pascal of Sony. It’s absolutely the best of the Marvel-branded material this year whether in theaters or on Disney Plus, and it’s really not close.
Perhaps the best thing about it is that the movie just feels like Spider-Man, and while the previous three Marvel-Sony collaborations on the character were good, this movie ranks alongside Marvel’s best and most character-driven movies.
(PG-13) 2 hr. 30 min. Grade: A
Don’t Look Up
Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in Don’t Look Up / Bluegrass Films
The Earth has a terminal prognosis and Oscar-winning writer/director Adam McKay offers the sobering diagnosis in his searing yet comical, star-filled satire “Don’t Look Up.”
McKay cut his teeth directing a series of Will Ferrel comedies like “Anchorman,” and “Talladega Nights,” but he truly found a voice on his own with 2015’s “The Big Short,” for which he was nominated for Best Director and won Best Adapted Screenplay with co-writer Charles Randolph.
His latest film plays like a modern-day “Dr. Strangelove,” that can be enjoyed on a number of levels.
The movie is a fine sci-fi/adventure with Earth on the edge of oblivion when two scientists Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) discover that a gigantic comet is on a collision course with Earth, and that when it impacts in six months, it will create an extinction-level event.
Boom! Kablooey! That’s all folks.
The film is also a bit of a family drama as Dr. Mindy is tempted into an adulterous relationship by gorgeous talk-show anchor Brie Evantree (Cate Blanchett) when he becomes a Dr. Fauci-type celebrity, used by the government to attempt to allay fears of the planet’s impending doom.
However, the movie is actually a searing commentary on the banality of modern politics, news reporting, celebrities, and the tech industry.
McKay spares no one from his skewering whether its a female cross between Bill Clinton and Donald Trump as President Janie Orlean (Meryl Streep) or a composite of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in Mark Rylance’s turn as tech entrepreneur Peter Isherwell, who attempts to monetize the situation and ultimately derails the one desperate chance to save the Earth.
When the comet gets close enough to the Earth to be seen by the naked eye President Orlean coins the phrase “Don’t Look Up” on the campaign trail, giving the film its title.
The ensemble cast is fantastic with Jonah Hill, Tyler Perry, Ariana Grande, and Ron Perlman shining in exaggerated performances that are hilarious and maybe a bit too close to home. There isn’t a bad performance in the film, but some might be offended.
Timothee Chalamet plays Yule a street kid with more on the inside than you would think. With the world ending, Lawrence’s Kate develops a relationship with Yule that she would have run away from if the end weren’t so very near.
As the movie draws to a close, Yule leads the generally non-religious Mindy family in a prayer that’s both thoughtful and touching.
The film is hysterical and thought-provoking, one of the best of the year.
DiCaprio’s Dr. Mindy reminded me a bit of Gary Cooper’s classic role in director Frank Capra’s “Meet John Doe.” The way the movie roasts the news/entertainment industry is also reminiscent of director Elia Kazan’s classic “A Face in the Crowd.”
Lawrence, while she plays a Phd. candidate, occupies the every-person role in the movie, expressing the frustrations that anyone could relate to when our world, our culture, and our nation just seems off-kilter.
Rob Morgan plays Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe, a scientist on the skirts of the governmental inside who aligns himself with Dr. Mindy and Dibiasky to his professional detriment.
The movie is pointed, strong, and unrelentingly funny. Considering the conditions we’ve faced with the coronavirus and its variants, the film might be too on-the-nose for some to enjoy, but right now I’d rank it among the top five new films I’ve seen this year.
The movie is in theaters now but will also be on Netflix Dec. 24. A pretty good Christmas present if you ask me.
• Spider-Man: No Way Home (watch trailer) / (PG-13) 2 hr. 30 min / AMC Fiesta Square, Malco Razorback, Malco Springdale, Malco Pinnacle, Malco Towne, Skylight
• National Champions (watch trailer) / (R) 1 hr. 56 min. / (PG-13) 1 hr. 37 min. / AMC Fiesta Square, Malco Razorback
Classic Corner – Meet John Doe
Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, and Dorothy Andre in Meet John Doe / Frank Capra Productions
I’m conflicted whether I consider director Frank Capra’s 1941 classic “Meet John Doe” a true “Christmas movie.”
Its climax does take place on Christmas eve/morning, and some of the ethos the film espouses is in keeping with the brotherhood of mankind, which we celebrate on and around Christmas.
However, the movie has a darkness to it that can’t be denied. It’s this looming shadow that lifts the film beyond the ordinary.
It’s a great film, and if you’ve never seen it, it plays at 11 a.m. CT Saturday on Turner Classic Movies as part of its Christmas-film marathon that runs Saturday and Sunday afternoons and then around the clock starting Monday through 7 p.m. Christmas Day. The movie plays again at 12:30 a.m. on Christmas morning, if you are up that late playing or waiting on Santa.
Sometimes the message is better than the man behind it. And sometimes belief in a message can transform the persons who believe in it, even if initially they aren’t altogether honest. That’s the message I get from this Capra dramedy.
Stars Gary Cooper as tramp John Willoughby/John Doe and Barbara Stanwyck as conniving newspaper columnist Ann Mitchell power the film, while Walter Brennan, Edward Arnold, James Gleason, and Gene Lockhart provide excellent support.
Laid off from her job during the heart of the Great Depression with one final article to write, Stanwyck’s character opts to spin a heart-wrenching yarn about a fictional unemployed man “John Doe,” who threatens to commit suicide on Christmas Eve to protest society’s ills.
Stanwyck’s letter creates a sensation, prompting her editor Henry Connell (Gleason) to grill her on just exactly who this John Doe actually is. Under pressure for more on John Doe, Connell rehires Mitchell to craft more tales.
When the public demands a personal appearance by John Doe, the paper hires Cooper’s Willoughby to play the role, which at first comes naturally to the down-on-his-luck former baseball pitcher.
Breenan, Willoughby’s traveling companion “The Colonel,” warns Cooper to not step into the trap, but the money and the opportunity to be around Stanwyck are just too great for Cooper to resist.
The John Doe campaign with its motto “Be a Better Neighbor” spirals into mass popularity after Cooper delivers a speech written by Stanwyck, but Cooper becomes conflicted when he learns the newspapers publisher (Arnold) seeks to ride Doe’s populist wave into a national political office.
While funny and charming, the film, much like Capra’s 1947 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” has dark undertones, examining how desperate times tempts good people into making poor even immoral decisions.
While the movie turned 80 years old this year, the questions it poses are as prescient today as the were when Capra posed them just as the U.S. was pulling out of the Great Depression and on the cusp of entering World War II.
TCM Christmas Movie Marathon
Saturday, Dec. 18
11 PM – Meet John Doe (1941)
1:15 PM – Susan Slept Here (1954)
3:15 PM – In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
5:15 PM – Holiday Affair (1949)
Sunday, Dec. 19
Noon – King of Kings (1961)
3 PM – Ben-Hur (1959)
7 PM – Going My Way (1944)
9:15 PM – The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
11 AM – Christmas Past (1925)
1:15 AM – Mon Oncle Antoine (1971)
3:15 AM – Fanny and Alexander (1982)
Monday, Dec. 20
6:30 AM – Kind Lady (1935)
8:00 AM – The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941)
10:00 AM – Cover-Up (1949)
11:30 AM – Crooks Anonymous (1952)
1:15 PM – Backfire (1950)
3:00 PM – Mr. Soft Touch (1948)
5:00 PM – Lady on a Train (1945)
7:00 PM – We’re No Angels (1955)
9:00 PM – Fitzwilly (1967)
11:00 PM – Lady in the Lake (1947)
1:00 AM – Larceny, Inc (1942)
3:00 AM – The Silent Partner (1978)
Tuesday, Dec. 21
5 AM – Hell’s Heroes (1930)
6:30 AM – Three Godfathers (1936)
8 AM – Bush Christmas (1947)
9:30 AM – A Christmas Carol (1938)
11 AM – Alias Boston Blackie (1942)
12:30 PM – Room For One More (1952)
2:30 PM – Period of Adjustment (1962)
4 PM – The Lion in Winter (1968)
7 PM – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
9 PM – In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
11 PM – Shop Around the Corner (1940)
1 AM – Little Women (1949)
3:15 AM – Blossoms in the Dust (1941)
Wednesday, Dec. 22
5 AM – My Reputation (1946)
7 AM – Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (1945)
9 AM – On Moonlight Bay (1951)
10:45 AM – Penny Serenade (1941)
1 PM – All Mine to Give (1957)
3 PM – Never Say Goodbye (1946)
5 PM – Good Sam (1948)
7 PM – Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
9 PM – Holiday Affair (1949)
10:45 PM – Desk Set (1957)
12:45 AM – The Apartment (1960)
3 AM – Bachelor Mother (1939)
4:30 AM – Bundle of Joy (1956)
Thursday, Dec. 23
6:30 AM – Big Business (1929)
7 AM – The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady (1950)
9 AM – The World of Henry Orient (1964)
11 AM – Carol For Another Christmas (1964)
12:45 PM – Desk Set (1957)
3 PM – Susan Slept Here (1954)
5 PM – Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
7 PM – It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
9:15 PM – The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
11:15 PM – The Cheaters (1945)
1 AM – All That Heaven Allows (1955)
2:45 – AM Auntie Mame (1958)
Friday, Dec. 24
5:15 AM – The Great Rupert (1950)
6:45 AM – 3 Godfathers (1949)
8:45 AM – Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
11:15 PM – Holiday Affair (1949)
1 PM – The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
3 PM – Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
5 PM – Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
7 PM – The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
9 PM – A Christmas Carol (1938)
10:30 PM – Remember the Night (1940)
12:30 AM – Meet John Doe (1941)
2:45 AM – Christmas Eve (1947)
4:30 AM – Compliments of the Season (1930)
Saturday, Dec. 25
5 AM – Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
6:30 AM – Star in the Night (1945)
7 AM – Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
8:30 AM – Little Women (1933)
10:30 AM – Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
12:30 PM – O Henry’s Full House (1952)
2:45 PM – It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1967)
5 PM – In the Good Old Summertime (1949)
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With cinemas emerging from their annus horribilis that was 2020, there were glimmers of hope for the projected image throughout 2021.
From Blockbuster releases like No Time To Die and Dune and award-winning wonders such as The Father and Minari, to straight-to-streaming gems like Nomadland and Sound of Metal, there really was something for every taste over the last twelve months.
Yahoo Entertainment UK polled its film-loving contributors for their favourite films that were released in the UK during 2021 (in cinemas or straight to streaming), and these ten movies were the ones that rose to the top.
10: The Lost Daughter
Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal (making her feature directing debut) The Lost Daughter was snapped up byNetflix after receiving huge critical acclaim on the festival circuit. Oscar-winner Olivia Colman — who appears in two films on this list — gives another fine performance in this moving study of what it means to be a mother.
The Lost Daughter is in UK cinemas from 17 December, and streaming on Netflix from 31 December.
9: Nomadland
Chloé Zhao made Oscar history when she became the first woman of colour to with the Academy Award for Best Directing at the start of 2021 with Nomadland. It stars Frances McDormand as a woman who takes to the road to find a new way of life among the displaced seasonal workers of the US gig economy. Honest, moving, and elegiac, Nomadland marked out Zhao as a filmmaking force to be reckoned with.
Stefan Pape: Few films have made me smile so emphatically as Another Round did, and yet managed to be grounded by a strangely profound undercurrent. Any film that can make you want a pint and never want to drink again, at the exact same time, deserves some credit.
Another Round is available to stream on NOW with a Sky Cinema Membership.
7: Promising Young Woman
Like The Lost Daughter, Promising Young Woman was the directorial debut of an actor-turned-filmmaker, this time from The Crown star Emerald Fennell. Fennell won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for her stylish and gripping tale of revenge and female empowerment, which stars Carey Mulligan as medical school dropout who is out for revenge.
Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, this semi-autobiographical film was a hit during awards season, and it’s not hard to see why. This delicately paced story about a Korean family who move to the countryside to find a new life among nature is moving, funny, and life-affirming.
Steve O’Brien: Daniel Craig’s final film as 007 was worth the agonising 18 month wait. It was both the most traditional Bond movie we’ve seen in 20 years and the most radical and pioneering we’ve had since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
No Time To Die is still in cinemas and available to rent on digital now, and will arrive on dvd, Blu-ray, 4K UHD and digital on 20 December.
4: The Father
Olivia Colman’s second appearance on this list of the best films of 2021 comes in Florian Zeller’s devastatingly moving portrait of a man (Sir Anthony Hopkins) losing his grip on reality through the onset of dementia. Colman appears as his daughter Anne in this disorienting and award-winning drama.
The Father is available to rent or buy on digital now.
3: Dune
Denis Villeneuve finally cracked Dune. Armed with an impressive arsenal of visual and special effects, a mind-blowing Hans Zimmer score, and the best ensemble cast of 2021, the French-Canadian filmmaker delivered an eye-popping visual feast that demanded multiple IMAX viewings. A sequel was promptly greenlit in order for Villeneuve to get working on Part Deux.
Dune is available to rent or buy on digital now. Own it on Digital Download from 17 January, or on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, dvd and VOD from 31 January.
2: Sound of Metal
Riz Ahmed earned his first ever Oscar nomination as Reuben, a drummer who loses his hearing, in this moving drama that finally arrived in UK cinemas in May, 2021. Ahmed gives a career-best performance in this evocative exploration of hearing loss, that never talks down about its subject, casting many deaf performers in crucial roles.
Linda Marric – Jane Campion has once again outdone herself. Her stripped-down storytelling style and striking visual composition shine through this truly outstanding adaptation. Although not presenting the classic unreliable narrator trope per se, it is a film that is able to pull the rug from underneath its audience in the most extraordinary fashion. Simply stunning.
HBO Max will start 2022 with all the fan service: a Harry Potter reunion is bringing back most of the original cast, including stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. The special will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first of the series of movie adaptations of the popular books.
A press release announcing the special revealed that it will “tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.” That last part sounds truly unique, but we’re betting most fans will just want to see their favorite actors interact with each other. We’re expecting all of the emotions to hit when the cast likely reminisce over beloved cast members Richard Harris and Alan Rickman, who have since passed away.
This kind of special is the sort of thing that will likely push fans to resubscribe to HBO Max and keep it in our best streaming services list (though the lack of day-1 release movies will hurt HBO’s ranking in 2022).
And before you can ask, controversial Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling doesn’t seem to be a part of the project. The press release detailing it all listed a ton of cast members for the reunion, and her name was absent from it all, save for a mention at the end about the fact that the films were based on her books.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts streams on HBO Max on January 1, 2022. While the press release claims that it will come out as “the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day,” that’s easier said than done, what with time zones and all. While you wait for the special, you can watch all of the Harry Potter movies in order on both HBO Max and Peacock.
We’d bet the special will arrive at 3 a.m. ET, if history repeats itself. That’s when most non-HBO content arrives on HBO Max, such as the Friends reunion. That same day, the Harry Potter trivia show Hogwarts Tournament of Houses will debut on HBO Max.
HBO Max is available on all of the best streaming devices. Don’t have HBO Max? Well, this special will also stream in spring 2022 on TBS and Cartoon Network.
The invitations are out, and old friends are finally catching each other’s eyes on the trains, but the first teaser trailer doesn’t really give us much that’s new. It’s mostly for airing on HBO and HBO Max for people who haven’t heard, or need a reminder as to why they should hold onto their subscriptions. Check it out:
Most of the expected major names in the Potterverse are coming back for the Harry Potter reunion, starting with the core trio of Radcliffe, Grint and Watson. Notable by his absence is actor Michael Gambon, the second actor to portray Albus Dumbledore after Harris’ death. Gambon has been dealing with memory loss.
Maggie Smith is also not listed.
The full (or at least announced) cast for the Return to Hogwarts special is as follows:
The clip that HBO Max released to promote the special doesn’t show any footage of the reunited cast. Instead, it draws on nostalgia as a sort of supercut of emotional moments from the films.
