October is the best time of the year for a certain portion of the movie-going audience out there as it can mean only one thing – Halloween and watching lots of horror movies!
There are so many horror movie franchises out there, many of which have lived on far beyond the point they should have. But there’s something comforting about the fact that there’s a ton of films to get through, bad as some of them may be, which feature your favourite killer or monster.
Our poll this time asks you the difficult question: what is your favourite horror movie franchise? Vote below!
I'm a freelance film reviewer and blogger with over 10 years of experience writing for various different reputable online and print publications. In addition to my running, editing and writing for Thoughts On Film, I am also the film critic for The National, the newspaper that supports an independent Scotland, covering the weekly film releases, film festivals and film-related features.
I have a passion for all types of cinema, and have a particular love for foreign language film, especially South Korean and Japanese cinema. Favourite films include The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I think it’s fair to say that the run up to this year’s Oscars has been a little messier than usual, from unexpected and bizarre wins at other awards shows (Vice winning Best Editing at the BAFTAs, anyone?) to ridiculous decisions by the Academy to change the show around.
The latter has proved a particular point of contention with both those in the industry to onlookers on social media, with choices such as not letting all the songs be performed to introducing a Best Popular Film category (whatever that means) to not airing four categories live; Editing and Cinematography proved a particular issue, sending the folks of Film Twitter into a Hulk-like rage.
Thankfully all of these decisions except for the one to not have a main host have taken the walk-back of shame; I look forward to Clint Eastwood talking to an empty chair again. Of course there’s still the issue of plenty of thoroughly deserving films, filmmakers and performances not being up for any Oscars at all (*cough* Toni Collette! *cough*) but of course that’s not an issue unique to this year.
The show must go on, as they say, and I thought a week out from this year’s ceremony I’d throw my hat into the ring as far as predictions goes. Below I’ve listed what I think will win in each category, as well as what I personally would like to see pick up that little gold man come next Sunday evening.
Best Picture
Want to win: A Star is Born Will win: Green Book
Lead Actor
Want to win: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born) Will win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)
Lead Actress
Want to win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite) Will win: Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Supporting Actor
Want to win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) Will win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Supporting Actress
Want to win: Emma Stone (The Favourite) Will win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Director
Want to win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) Will win: Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)
Animated Feature
Want to win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Will win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Adapted Screenplay
Want to win: BlacKkKlansman Will win: BlacKkKlansman
Original Screenplay
Want to win: First Reformed Will win: The Favourite
Cinematography
Want to win: Roma Will win: Roma
Documentary Feature
Want to win: Free Solo Will win: Minding the Gap
Foreign Language Film
Want to win: Roma Will win: Roma
Film Editing
Want to win: BlacKkKlansman Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Sound Editing
Want to win: A Quiet Place Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Sound Mixing
Want to win: A Star is Born Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Production Design
Want to win: Roma Will win: The Favourite
Original Score
Want to win: If Beale Street Could Talk Will win: Black Panther
Original Song
Want to win: Shallow (A Star is Born) Will win: Shallow (A Star is Born)
Makeup and Hair
Want to win: Mary Queen of Scots Will win: Vice
Costume Design
Want to win: Black Panther Will win: The Favourite
Visual Effects
Want to win: Avengers: Infinity War Will win: Ready Player One
Animated Short
Want to win: Bao Will win: Bao
Live Action Short
Want to win: Marguerite Will win: Marguerite
Documentary Short Subject
Want to win: Black Sheep Will win: Lifeboat
Do you agree? Disagree? Feel free to leave your predictions/wishes for the winners below or tweet @TOF_UK or @rosstmiller.
***This competition is now closed. Thanks to all who entered! The two winners will be contacted soon!
This coming Monday sees the DVD and Blu-ray release of King of Thieves, the latest film from acclaimed director James Marsh (Man on Wire, The Theory of Everything), which features a cavalcade of legendary British actors including Michael Caine, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon and Paul Whitehouse who team up to pull off a brazen heist. You may know the job from our own headlines as “The Hatton Garden Heist,” described as the biggest and most daring heist in British history.
It’s a good slice of old-fashioned heist movie fun which morphs in its latter half into something with surprising touches of the dangerous and sinister as suspicions and loyalties start to inevitably turn.
To celebrate the film’s release, we have two copies of it on DVD to give away, thanks to the lovely folk at Studio Canal.
To enter the competition simply answer the following question: in which classic British film does Michael Caine famously say the line, “you were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”?
a) Alfie b) The Italian Job c) The Ipcress File
Please email your answer to rosstmiller@thoughtsonfilm.co.uk with the subject heading “King of Thieves competition.” Please also include your delivery address details so we can easily send the prize out if you win.
Now for the technical part:
UK residents only
Entrants must be 18 or over
Winners will be chosen at random
The prize for each entrant is one DVD copy of King of Thieves
Prize is non-transferable
Competition ends on Sunday January 27th at 11:59pm GMT
Prize will be sent from PR/studio
King of Thieves is available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray from January 21st. You can already rent/buy the film digitally.