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Saturday, April 05, 2025

The IRA of IRAs -- The Best Film To Win The IRA Award For Best Picture

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the IRAs, a special award was established: the IRA of IRAs. Members studied the 53 films that have been honored with Best Picture during the last 50 years. (Yes, we can count. Some years, there was a tie.) Inevitably, some members had never seen certain IRA winners. Others felt obliged to rewatch certain movies to see how they held up. Ballots were handed out, listing all 53 films alphabetically and asking members to award them points: 53 points for their favorite, 52 points for their second favorite and so on down to 1 pt for their least favorite IRA winner.

So, the IRAs are proud to offer its list of the IRA of IRAs, followed by the receipts: how many points each film received, how tie-breaks were broken, a movie by movie breakdown of the points they received from each voter and finally, the ballots submitted by each voting member. Enjoy!

And the IRA of IRAs, the best film to be honored with Best Picture during the first 50 years of the IRAs is...

Three Colours: Red (1994; dir. Krzysztof Kieşlowski)

The complete list follows.

THE IRA OF IRAS: ALL BEST PICTURE WINNERS RANKED

1. Three Colours: Red

2. Berlin Alexanderplatz

3. Housekeeping

4. Once Upon A Time In America

5. Moonlight

6. Tangerine

7. L’Enfant

8. Cutter’s Way

9. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

10. Nightcrawler

11. GoodFellas

12. Mysterious Skin

13. Laurence Anyways

14. BPM

15. Fight Club

16. Decasia

17. L’Argent

18. The Big Red One

19. The Edge Of Heaven

20. Barry Lyndon

21. Days Of Heaven

22. Victor/Victoria

23. Gods And Monsters

24. Monster

25. Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

26. Hunger

27. A Prophet/Un Prophete

28. Eyes On The Prize

29. The Marquise Of O

30. End Of The Century

31. A Hero

32. Exotica

33. Dead Ringers

34. Annie Hall

35. Prizzi’s Honor

36. Kajillionaire

37. Story Of Women

38. Kinsey

39. Great Freedom

40. The Tree Of Life

41. Far From Heaven

42. Fedora

43. Crash (1996; dir. David Cronenberg)

44. Grosse Pointe Blank

45. Capernaum

46. La Ceremonie

47. L’ Humanite

48. Raise The Red Lantern

49. The Werckmeister Harmonies

50. The Son’s Room

51. The Man In The Moon

52. Six Degrees Of Separation

53. Lipstick

IRA BEST PICTURE WINNERS BY YEAR

Barry Lyndon (1975)
Lipstick and The Marquise Of O (tie) (1976)
Annie Hall (1977)
Days Of Heaven (1978)
Fedora (1979)

The Big Red One (1980)
Cutter’s Way (1981)
Victor/Victoria (1982)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1983)
L’Argent and Once Upon A Time In America (tie) (1984)
Prizzi’s Honor (1985)
Eyes On The Prize (1986)
Housekeeping (1987)
Dead Ringers (1988)
Story Of Women (1989)

GoodFellas (1990)
The Man In The Moon (1991)
Raise The Red Lantern (1992)
Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)
Red (1994)
Exotica (1995)
La Ceremonie (1996)
Crash (the David Cronenberg film) and Grosse Pointe Blank (tie) (1997)
Gods And Monsters (1998)
Fight Club (1999)

L’ Humanite (2000)
The Werckmeister Harmonies (2001)
Far From Heaven and The Son’s Room (tie) (2002)
Decasia (2003)
Kinsey (2004)
Mysterious Skin (2005)
L’Enfant (2006)
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)
The Edge Of Heaven (2008)
Hunger (2009)

A Prophet/Un Prophete (2010)
The Tree Of Life (2011)
Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2012)
Laurence Anyways (2013)
Nightcrawler (2014)
Tangerine (2015)
Moonlight (2016)
BPM (2017)
Capernaum (2018)
End Of The Century (2019)

Kajillionaire (2020)

A Hero (2021)

Great Freedom (2022)

Monster (2023)

THE IRA OF IRAS BALLOT TALLY BY MOVIE

ANNIE HALL

AD 36

MG 22

HK 08

AL 51

GM 41

AR 27

GR 10

JS 09

MGS 05

TOTAL – 209

L’ARGENT

AD 46

MG 11

HK 25

AL 10

GM 47

AR 29

GR 51

JS 29

MGS 40

TOTAL – 288

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD

AD 31

MG 52

HK 30

AL 48

GM 30

AR 51

GR 23

JS 38

MGS 20

TOTAL – 323

BARRY LYNDON

AD 18

MG 29

HK 12

AL 15

GM 37

AR 50

GR 11

JS 53

MGS 50

TOTAL 275

BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ

AD 47

MG 46

HK 22

AL 30

GM 53

AR 53

GR 53

JS 22

MGS 45

TOTAL – 371

THE BIG RED ONE

AD 48

MG 23

HK 26

AL 07

GM 43

AR 38

GR 49

JS 06

MGS 46

TOTAL – 286

BPM

AD 24

MG 44

HK 35

AL 38

GM 24

AR 48

GR 27

JS 43

MGS 12

TOTAL – 295

CAPERNAUM

AD 20

MG 28

HK 18

AL 05

GM 13

AR 12

GR 09

JS 21

MGS 52

TOTAL – 178

LA CEREMONIE

AD 15

MG 12

HK 16

AL 01

GM 12

AR 31

GR 39

JS 15

MGS 27

TOTAL – 168

CRASH (1996)

AD 33

MG 33

HK 10

AL 13

GM 03

AR 35

GR 19

JS 10

MGS 32

TOTAL – 188

CUTTER’S WAY

AD 37

MG 06

HK 47

AL 42

GM 32

AR 36

GR 34

JS 47

MGS 47

TOTAL – 328

DAYS OF HEAVEN

AD 14

MG 27

HK 24

AL 46

GM 34

AR 37

GR 06

JS 51

MGS 25

TOTAL – 264

DEAD RINGERS

AD 32

MG 19

HK 19

AL 17

GM 06

AR 39

GR 30

JS 11

MGS 44

TOTAL – 217

DECASIA

AD 45

MG 53

HK 13

AL 18

GM 23

AR 28

GR 48

JS 32

MGS 33

TOTAL – 293

THE EDGE OF HEAVEN

AD 49

MG 39

HK 52

AL 37

GM 09

AR 11

GR 35

JS 36

MGS 13

TOTAL – 281

END OF THE CENTURY

AD 19

MG 13

HK 28

AL 50

GM 10

AR 26

GR 22

JS 39

MGS 19

TOTAL – 226

L’ENFANT

AD 17

MG 51

HK 51

AL 45

GM 11

AR 46

GR 50

JS 26

MGS 31

TOTAL – 328

EXOTICA

AD 16

MG 30

HK 11

AL 09

GM 35

AR 25

GR 29

JS 18

MGS 49

TOTAL – 222

EYES ON THE PRIZE

AD 03

MG 42

HK 09

AL 28

GM 39

AR 01

GR 52

JS 33

MGS 30

TOTAL – 237

FAR FROM HEAVEN

AD 23

MG 20

HK 23

AL 33

GM 27

AR 16

GR 21

JS 23

MGS 07

TOTAL – 193

FEDORA

AD 34

MG 04

HK 07

AL 16

GM 07

AR 02

GR 37

JS 45

MGS 41

TOTAL – 193

FIGHT CLUB

AD 50

MG 24

HK 39

AL 36

GM 49

AR 41

GR 15

JS 30

MGS 09

TOTAL – 293

GODS AND MONSTERS

AD 22

MG 07

HK 46

AL 34

GM 25

AR 17

GR 24

JS 48

MGS 39

TOTAL – 262

GOODFELLAS

AD 43

MG 38

HK 45

AL 43

GM 42

AR 19

GR 33

JS 12

MGS 38

TOTAL – 313

GREAT FREEDOM

AD 42

MG 18

HK 31

AL 26

GM 05

AR 03

GR 26

JS 34

MGS 11

TOTAL – 196

GROSSE POINT BLANK

AD 13

MG 32

HK 29

AL 14

GM 02

AR 05

GR 25

JS 31

MGS 29

TOTAL – 180

A HERO

AD 11

MG 31

HK 33

AL 20

GM 38

AR 20

GR 14

JS 41

MGS 14

TOTAL – 222

HOUSEKEEPING

AD 51

MG 37

HK 20

AL 44

GM 46

AR 42

GR 41

JS 50

MGS 35

TOTAL – 366

L’ HUMANITE

AD 25

MG 16

HK 05

AL 06

GM 45

AR 21

GR 08

JS 13

MGS 28

TOTAL – 167

HUNGER

AD 21

MG 15

HK 34

AL 27

GM 44

AR 40

GR 32

JS 04

MGS 26

TOTAL – 243

KAJILLIONAIRE

AD 04

MG 14

HK 38

AL 31

GM 50

AR 32

GR 05

JS 08

MGS 24

TOTAL – 206

KINSEY

AD 28

MG 09

HK 32

AL 21

GM 33

AR 13

GR 20

JS 35

MGS 08

TOTAL – 199

LAURENCE ANYWAYS

AD 10

MG 50

HK 42

AL 35

GM 31

AR 47

GR 31

JS 46

MGS 06

TOTAL – 298

LIPSTICK

AD 01

MG 03

HK 04

AL 08

GM 08

AR 04

GR 07

JS 03

MGS 22

TOTAL – 60

THE MAN IN THE MOON

AD 02

MG 02

HK 17

AL 24

GM 29

AR 10

GR 02

JS 24

MGS 21

TOTAL – 131

THE MARQUISE OF O

AD 27

MG 05

HK 06

AL 12

GM 28

AR 22

GR 43

JS 40

MGS 51

TOTAL – 234

MONSTER

AD 26

MG 26

HK 50

AL 39

GM 26

AR 15

GR 42

JS 17

MGS 17

TOTAL – 258

MOONLIGHT

AD 40

MG 08

HK 48

AL 47

GM 36

AR 49

GR 47

JS 19

MGS 48

TOTAL – 342

MYSTERIOUS SKIN

AD 35

MG 41

HK 41

AL 49

GM 40

AR 23

GR 18

JS 44

MGS 10

TOTAL – 301

NIGHTCRAWLER

AD 41

MG 43

HK 36

AL 22

GM 52

AR 44

GR 17

JS 25

MGS 37

TOTAL – 317

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA

AD 52

MG 40

HK 53

AL 40

GM 48

AR 18

GR 46

JS 42

MGS 04

TOTAL – 343

ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA

AD 09

MG 25

HK 49

AL 32

GM 22

AR 45

GR 38

JS 02

MGS 23

TOTAL – 245

PRIZZI’S HONOR

AD 44

MG 21

HK 27

AL 03

GM 21

AR 14

GR 13

JS 28

MGS 36

TOTAL – 207

A PROPHET/UN PROPHETE

AD 38

MG 45

HK 44

AL 04

GM 20

AR 52

GR 12

JS 07

MGS 16

TOTAL – 238

RAISE THE RED LANTERN

AD 08

MG 36

HK 03

AL 23

GM 19

AR 09

GR 01

JS 37

MGS 18

TOTAL – 154

RED

AD 53

MG 48

HK 37

AL 52

GM 18

AR 24

GR 44

JS 52

MGS 53

TOTAL – 381

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

AD 29

MG 01

HK 02

AL 19

GM 01

AR 06

GR 04

JS 14

MGS 02

TOTAL – 78

THE SON’S ROOM

AD 07

MG 17

HK 15

AL 11

GM 16

AR 33

GR 16

JS 16

MGS 15

TOTAL – 146

STORY OF WOMEN

AD 12

MG 10

HK 14

AL 25

GM 17

AR 30

GR 40

JS 20

MGS 34

TOTAL – 202

TANGERINE

AD 30

MG 49

HK 43

AL 29

GM 51

AR 43

GR 36

JS 05

MGS 42

TOTAL – 328

THE TREE OF LIFE

AD 05

MG 35

HK 21

AL 53

GM 15

AR 34

GR 03

JS 27

MGS 03

TOTAL – 196

VICTOR/VICTORIA

AD 06

MG 34

HK 40

AL 41

GM 14

AR 07

GR 28

JS 49

MGS 43

TOTAL – 262

THE WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES

AD 39

MG 47

HK 01

AL 02

GM 04

AR 08

GR 45

JS 01

MGS 01

TOTAL – 148

THE IRA OF IRA FULL BALLOTS FIRST ROUND

The IRA of IRAs Ballots From Voters

ANDY DICKOS

Red (1994) 53

Once Upon a Time In America (tie) (1984) 52

Housekeeping (1987) 51

Fight Club (1999) 50

The Edge of Heaven (2008) 49

The Big Red One (1980) 48

Berlin Alexanderplatz (1983) 47

L’Argent (tie) (1984) 46

Decasia (2003) 45

Prizzi’s Honor (1985) 44

GoodFellas (1990) 43

Great Freedom (2022) 42

Nightcrawler (2014) 41

Moonlight (2016) 40

The Werckmeister Harmonies (2001) 39

A Prophet/Un Prophète (2010) 38

Cutter’s Way (1981) 37

Annie Hall (1977) 36

Mysterious Skin (2005) 35

Fedora (1979) 34

Crash (the David Cronenberg film, natch) (tie) (1997) 33

Dead Ringers (1988) 32

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) 31

Tangerine (2015) 30

Six Degrees of Separation (1993) 29

Kinsey (2004) 28

The Marquise of O (tie) (1976) 27

Monster (2023) 26

L’ Humanité (2000) 25

BPM (2017) 24

Far from Heaven (tie) (2002) 23

Gods and Monsters (1998) 22

Hunger (2009) 21

Capernaum (2018) 20

End of the Century (2019) 19

Barry Lyndon (1975) 18

L’Enfant (2006) 17

Exotica (1995) 16

La Cérémonie (1996) 15

Days of Heaven (1978) 14

Grosse Pointe Blank (tie) (1997) 13

Story of Women (1989) 12

A Hero (2021) 11

Laurence Anyways (2013) 10

Once Upon a Time In Anatolia (2012) 9

Raise the Red Lantern (1992) 8

The Son’s Room (tie) (2002) 7

Victor/Victoria (1982) 6

The Tree of Life (2011) 5

Kajillionaire (2020) 4

Eyes on the Prize (1986) 3

The Man in the Moon (1991) 2

Lipstick (tie) (1976) 1

MICHAEL GILTZ IRA of IRAs Michael Giltz Ballot

53. Decasia (2003)

52. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)

51. L’Enfant (2006)

50. Laurence Anyways (2013)

49. Tangerine (2015)

48. Red (1994)

47. The Werckmeister Harmonies (2001)

46. Berlin Alexanderplatz (1983)

45. A Prophet/Un Prophete (2010)

44. BPM (2017)

43. Nightcrawler (2014)

42. Eyes On The Prize (1986)

41. Mysterious Skin (2005)

40. Once Upon A Time In America (tie) (1984)

39. The Edge Of Heaven (2008)

38. GoodFellas (1990)

37. Housekeeping (1987)

36. Raise The Red Lantern (1992)

35. The Tree Of Life (2011)

34. Victor/Victoria (1982)

33. Crash (the David Cronenberg film, natch) (tie) (1997)

32. Grosse Pointe Blank (tie) (1997)

31. A Hero (2021)

30. Exotica (1995)

29. Barry Lyndon (1975)

28. Capernaum (2018)

27. Days Of Heaven (1978)

26. Monster (2023)

25. Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2012)

24. Fight Club (1999)

23. The Big Red One (1980)

22. Annie Hall (1977)

21. Prizzi’s Honor (1985)

20. Far From Heaven (tie) (2002)

19. Dead Ringers (1988)

18. Great Freedom (2022)

17. The Son’s Room (tie) (2002)

16. L’ Humanite (2000)

15. Hunger (2009)

14. Kajillionaire (2020)

13. End Of The Century (2019)

12. La Ceremonie (1996)

11. L’Argent (tie) (1984)

10. Story Of Women (1989) (Criterion)

09. Kinsey (2004)

08. Moonlight (2016)

07. Gods And Monsters (1998)

06. Cutter’s Way (1981) (Fubo, Apple rental)

05. The Marquise Of O (tie) (1976)

04. Fedora (1979)

03. Lipstick (tie) (1976)

02. The Man In The Moon (1991)

01 Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)

HOWARD KARREN BALLOT

IRAS 50 YEARS BEST PIC RANKINGS

53. Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone, 1984)

52. The Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin, 2008)

51. L’Enfant (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 2006)

50. Monster (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2023)

49. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2012)

48. Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016)

47. Cutter’s Way (Ivan Passer, 1981)

46. Gods and Monsters (Bill Condon, 1998)

45. GoodFellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)

44. Un Prophète (Jacques Audiard, 2010)

43. Tangerine (Sean Baker, 2015)

42. Laurence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, 2013)

41. Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki, 2005)

40. Victor/Victoria (Blake Edwards, 1982)

39. Fight Club (David Fincher, 1999)

38. Kajillionaire (Miranda July, 2020)

37. Red (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994)

36. Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy, 2014)

35. BPM (Robin Campillo, 2017)

34. Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2009)

33. A Hero (Asghar Farhadi, 2021)

32. Kinsey (Bill Condon, 2004)

31. Great Freedom (Sebastian Meise, 2022)

30. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

29. Grosse Point Blank (George Armitage, 1997)

28. End of the Century (Lucio Castro, 2019)

27. Prizzi’s Honor (John Huston, 1985)

26. The Big Red One (Samuel Fuller, 1980)

25. L’Argent (Robert Bresson, 1984)

24. Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1978)

23. Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002)

22. Berlin Alexanderplatz (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1983)

21. The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011)

20. Housekeeping (Bill Forsyth, 1987)

19. Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988)

18. Capernaum (Nadine Labaki, 2018)

17. The Man on the Moon (Robert Mulligan, 1991)

16. La Cérémonie (Claude Chabrol, 1996)

15. The Son’s Room (Nanni Moretti, 2002)

14. Story of Women (Claude Chabrol, 1989)

13. Decasia (Bill Morrison, 2003)

12. Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975)

11. Exotica (Atom Egoyan, 1995)

10. Crash (David Cronenberg, 1997)

9. Eyes on the Prize (Henry Hampton et al., 1986)

8. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)

7. Fedora (Billy Wilder, 1979)

6. The Marquise of O (Éric Rohmer, 1976)

5. L’Humanité (Bruno Dumont, 2000)

4. Lipstick (Lamont Johnson, 1976)

3. Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou, 1992)

2. Six Degrees of Separation (Fred Schepisi, 1993)

1. The Werckmeister Harmonies (Béla Tarr, 2001)

ALEX LEWIN BALLOT

Alex’s Ira of Iras Ballot

53. The Tree of Life

52. Three Colors: Red

51. Annie Hall

50. End of the Century

49. Mysterious Skin

48. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

47. Moonlight

46. Days of Heaven

45. L’Enfant

44. Housekeeping

43. Goodfellas

42. Cutter’s Way

41. Victor/Victoria

40. Once upon a Time in America

39. Monster

38. BPM

37. The Edge of Heaven

36. Fight Club

35. Laurence Anyways

34. Gods and Monsters

33. Far from Heaven

32. Once upon a Time in Anatolia

31. Kajillionaire

30. Berlin Alexanderplatz

29. Tangerine

28. Eyes on the Prize

27. Hunger

26. Great Freedom

25. Story of Women

24. The Man in the Moon

23. Raise the Red Lantern

22. Nightcrawler

21. Kinsey

20. A Hero

19. Six Degrees of Separation

18. Decasia

17. Dead Ringers

16. Fedora

15. Barry Lyndon

14. Grosse Point Blank

13. Crash

12. The Marquise of O

11. The Son’s Room

10. L’Argent

9. Exotica

8. Lipstick

7. The Big Red One

6. L’Humanite

5. Capernaum

4. Un Prophete

3. Prizzi’s Honor

2. The Werckmeister Harmonies

1. La Ceremonie

GREG MARCKS

	AR	RB	AD	MG	HK	GM	GR	MS	MGS	AT
BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ						53						53
NIGHTCRAWLER						52						52
TANGERINE						51						51
KAJILLIONAIRE						50						50
FIGHT CLUB						49						49
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA						48						48
L'ARGENT						47						47
HOUSEKEEPING						46						46
L'HUMANITE						45						45
HUNGER						44						44
BIG RED ONE, THE						43						43
GOODFELLAS						42						42
ANNIE HALL						41						41
MYSTERIOUS SKIN						40						40
EYES ON THE PRIZE						39						39
HERO, A						38						38
BARRY LYNDON						37						37
MOONLIGHT						36						36
EXOTICA						35						35
DAYS OF HEAVEN						34						34
KINSEY						33						33
CUTTER'S WAY						32						32
LAURENCE ANYWAYS						31						31
ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, THE						30						30
MAN IN THE MOON, THE						29						29
MARQUISE OF O, THE						28						28
FAR FROM HEAVEN						27						27
MONSTER						26						26
GODS AND MONSTERS						25						25
BPM						24						24
DECASIA						23						23
ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA						22						22
PRIZZI'S HONOR						21						21
PROPHET, A						20						20
RAISE THE RED LANTERN						19						19
RED						18						18
STORY OF WOMEN						17						17
SON'S ROOM, THE						16						16
TREE OF LIFE, THE						15						15
VICTOR/VICTORIA						14						14
CAPERNAUM						13						13
LA CEREMONIE						12						12
L'ENFANT						11						11
END OF THE CENTURY						10						10
EDGE OF HEAVEN, THE						9						9
LIPSTICK						8						8
FEDORA						7						7
DEAD RINGERS						6						6
GREAT FREEDOM						5						5
WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES						4						4
CRASH						3						3
GROSSE POINTE BLANK						2						2
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION						1						1
	AR	RB	AD	MG	HK	GM	GR	MS	MGS	AT
TOTAL	0	0	0	0	0	1431	0	0	0	0	1431	1431

AARON RICH

53	Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980)
52	A Prophet/Un Prophete (2010)
51	The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)
50	Barry Lyndon (1975)
49	Moonlight (2016)
48	BPM (2017)
47	Laurence Anyways (2013)
46	L’Enfant (2006)
45	Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2012)
44	Nightcrawler (2014)
43	Tangerine (2015)
42	Housekeeping (1987)
41	Fight Club (1999)
40	Hunger (2009)
39	Dead Ringers (1988)
38	The Big Red One (1980)
37	Days Of Heaven (1978)
36	Cutter’s Way (1981)
35	Crash (the David Cronenberg film, natch) (1997)
34	The Tree Of Life (2011)
33	The Son’s Room (2002)
32	Kajillionaire (2020)
31	La Ceremonie (1996)
30	Story Of Women (1989)
29	L’Argent (tie) (1984)
28	Decasia (2003)
27	Annie Hall (1977)
26	End Of The Century (2019)
25	Exotica (1995)
24	Red (1994)
23	Mysterious Skin (2005)
22	The Marquise Of O (1976)
21	L’ Humanite (2000)
20	A Hero (2021)
19	GoodFellas (1990)
18	Once Upon A Time In America(1984)
17	Gods And Monsters (1998)
16	Far From Heaven (2002)
15	Monster (2023)
14	Prizzi’s Honor (1985)
13	Kinsey (2004)
12	Capernaum (2018)
11	The Edge Of Heaven (2008)
10	The Man In The Moon (1991)
9	Raise The Red Lantern (1992)
8	The Werckmeister Harmonies (2001)
7	Victor/Victoria (1982)
6	Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)
5	Grosse Pointe Blank (tie) (1997)
4	Lipstick (tie) (1976)
3	Great Freedom (2022)
2	Fedora (1979)
1	Eyes On The Prize (1986)

GEORGE ROBINSON BALLOT

53. Berlin Alexanderplatz (1983)

52. Eyes On The Prize (1986)

51. L’Argent (tie) (1984)

50. L’Enfant (2006)

49 The Big Red One (1980)

48 Decasia (2003)

47 Moonlight (2016)

46 Once Upon A Time In America (tie) (1984)

45 The Werckmeister Harmonies (2001)

44 Red (1994)

43. The Marquise Of O (tie) (1976)

42 Monster (2023)

41 Housekeeping (1987)

40. Story Of Women (1989)

39. La Ceremonie (1996)

38. Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2012)

37. Fedora (1979)

36. Tangerine (2015)

35. The Edge Of Heaven (2008)

34. Cutter’s Way (1981)

33. GoodFellas (1990)

32. Hunger (2009)

31. Laurence Anyways (2013)

30. Dead Ringers

29. Exotica (1995)

28. Victor/Victoria (1982)

27. BPM (2017)

26. Great Freedom (2022)

25. Grosse Pointe Blank (tie) (1997)

24. Gods And Monsters (1998)

23. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The . . . (2007)

22. End Of The Century (2019)

21. Far From Heaven (tie) (2002)

20. Kinsey (2004)

19. Crash (the David Cronenberg film, natch) (tie) (1997)

18. Mysterious Skin (2005)

17. Nightcrawler (2014)

16. The Son’s Room (tie) (2002)

15. Fight Club (1999)

14. A Hero (2021)

13. Prizzi’s Honor (1985)

12. A Prophet/Un Prophete (2010)

11. Barry Lyndon (1975)

10. Annie Hall (1977)

09. Capernaum (2018)

08. L’Humanite (2000)

07. Lipstick (tie) (1976)

06. Days Of Heaven (1978)

05. Kajillionaire (2020)

04. Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)

03. The Tree Of Life (2011)

02. The Man In The Moon (1991)

01. Raise the Red Lantern*

JOE SMITH BALLOT

53. Barry Lyndon

52. Red

51. Days of Heaven

50. Housekeeping

49. Victor/Victoria

48. Gods and Monsters

47. Cutter’s Way

46. Laurence Anyways

45. Fedora

44. Mysterious Skin

43. BPM

42. Once Upon a Time in America

41. A Hero

40. The Marquise of O

39. End of the Century

38. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

37. Raise the Red Lantern

36. The Edge of Heaven

35. Kinsey

34. Great Freedom

33. Eyes on the Prize

32. Decasia

31. Grosse Point Blank

30. Fight Club

29. L'Argent

28. Prizzi's Honor

27. The Tree of Life

26. L'Enfant

25. Nightcrawler

24. The Man in the Moon

23. Far From Heaven

22. Berlin Alexanderplatz

21. Capernaum

20. Story of Women

19. Moonlight

18. Exotica

17. Monster

16. The Son's Room

15. La Ceremonie

14. Six Degrees of Separation

13. L'Humanite

12. Good Fellas

11. Dead RIngers

10. Crash

9. Annie Hall

8. Kajillionaire

7. A Prophet

6. The Big Red One

5. Tangerine

4. Hunger

3. Lipstick

2. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

1. The Werckmeister Harmonies

M. GEORGE STEVENSON BALLOT

IRAS 50 YEARS BEST PIC RANKINGS/ MGS

53. Red (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994)

52. Capernaum (Nadine Labaki, 2018)

51. The Marquise of O (Éric Rohmer, 1976)

50, Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975)

49. Exotica (Atom Egoyan, 1995)

48. Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016)

47. Cutter’s Way (Ivan Passer, 1981)

46. The Big Red One (Samuel Fuller, 1980)

45. Berlin Alexanderplatz (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1983)

44. Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988)

43. Victor/Victoria (Blake Edwards, 1982)

42. Tangerine (Sean Baker, 2015)

41. Fedora (Billy Wilder, 1979)

40. L’Argent (Robert Bresson, 1984)

39. Gods and Monsters (Bill Condon, 1998)

38. GoodFellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)

37. Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy, 2014)

36. Prizzi’s Honor (John Huston, 1985)

35. Housekeeping (Bill Forsyth, 1987)

34. Story of Women (Claude Chabrol, 1989)

33. Decasia (Bill Morrison, 2003)

32. Crash (David Cronenberg, 1997)

31. L’Enfant (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 2006)

30. Eyes on the Prize (Henry Hampton et al., 1986)

29. Grosse Point Blank (George Armitage, 1997)

28. L’Humanité (Bruno Dumont, 2000)

27. La Cérémonie (Claude Chabrol, 1996)

26. Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2009)

25. Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1978)

24. Kajillionaire (Miranda July, 2020)

23. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2012)

22. Lipstick (Lamont Johnson, 1976)

21. The Man on the Moon (Robert Mulligan, 1991)

20. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

19. End of the Century (Lucio Castro, 2019)

18. Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou, 1992)

17. Monster (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2023)

16. Un Prophète (Jacques Audiard, 2010)

15. The Son’s Room (Nanni Moretti, 2002)

14. A Hero (Asghar Farhadi, 2021)

13. The Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin, 2008)

12. BPM (Robin Campillo, 2017)

11. Great Freedom (Sebastian Meise, 2022)

10. Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki, 2005)

9. Fight Club (avid Fincher, 1999)

8. Kinsey (Bill Condon, 2004)

7. Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002)

6. Laurence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, 2013)

5. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)

4. Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone, 1984)

3. The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011)

2. Six Degrees of Separation (Fred Schepisi, 1993)

1. The Werckmeister Harmonies (Béla Tarr, 2001)

--30--

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Worldwide Box Office For The Week Ending March 23

Check out my latest breakdown of the worldwide box office! And subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss a story!

Sunday, March 16, 2025

MUSIC: SEAN MASON QUARTET AT THE SIDE DOOR JAZZ CLUB

MUSIC: SEAN MASON QUARTET SWINGS AT THE SIDE DOOR JAZZ CLUB

Sean Mason Quartet on March 14, 2025 *** 1/2 out of ****

Side Door Jazz Club at the Old Lyme Inn, Lyme CT

THE ARTIST AND THE CONCERT

Everything you want to hear from a new talent was on display by the Sean Mason Quartet Friday night at the Side Door jazz club. The music they've already recorded? It's stretched out and stronger in performance. New tunes for an upcoming album? You want to hear them again, soon. A standard to demonstrate their chops? "On The Sunny Side of The Street" with lyrics by Dorothy Fields and music by Jimmy McHugh (or perhaps Fats Waller) checked that box as well. As my introduction to Sean Mason in concert and the Side Door as a venue, this concert was ideal.

Sean Mason wasn't on my radar before this show. I didn't hear a lot of new jazz in 2024, I realize. I've been working my way through jazz classics given the highest rating by the Penguin Guide To Jazz, not to mention a deep dive into ambient and my usual diet of pop, rock, r&b, folk, blues and the like. Which sheepishly explains why my list of the best music of 2024 includes just one pure jazz album: McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson's Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs.

Missing on my annual roundup? Sean Mason's first Grammy-nominated album. Titled My Ideal, it's a piano and vocal collaboration with singer Catherine Russell. When a friend said he wanted to hear some live music, Sean Mason's gig was an option so I started to explore his work. My Ideal? It's excellent, a wonderful work (my favorite of Russell's so far) with she and Mason in deep sympathy. Not many pianists can provide strong accompaniment to a singer and lead convincingly on their own. Mason can. I've added My Ideal to my list of the best albums of 2024 found on my best of all time list, a record of my favorite music for every year from 1924 to the present.

But My Ideal is just one of two albums he released in 2024. The other is Chrome Valley, a collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center's first poet in residence, Mahogany L. Browne. A writer with a serious body of work behind her, Browne has been a driving force for many years at the spoken word capital of the world, the Nuyorican Cafe. Their album draws from her 2023 collection of the same name, combining spoken word passages underscored by Mason with full-bodied arrangements for poems turned into song.

And back in 2023, Sean Mason Quartet released its first album, The Southern Suite, an ambitious work that offers serious intent without sacrificing melodies that swing. Heady, but always ready to keep bodies swaying and toes tapping.

This just scratches the surface of his work so far, since Mason has been doing his homework by soaking up experiences, enjoying the mentorship of both Branford and Wynton Marsalis and pretty much tackling any opportunity he can. Mason toured as part of a jazz tribute to the songs of Disney. (As producer/impresario Hal Willner proved with the tribute album Stay Awake, those songs are a rich body of work.) He played on the soundtrack for the HBO film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, an assignment that included Branford's request that Mason purge himself of any influences beyond the 1920s for his playing of the score. Mason toured with Catherine Russell as part of her band before they recorded as a duo. He's even played in the pit (I think!) on Broadway shows like Hadestown and Phantom of the Opera.

Mason's desire to soak up experience pays off in concert. He's onstage with musicians he befriended at Juilliard and their pleasure in each other's company is winning. All eyes are on Mason for their cues, their turn at bat. And their joy in performing is clear, from the loopy grin on the face of bassist Felix Moseholm to the intense concentration of drummer Domo Branch and the mock frustration of trumpeter Tony Glausi, who has fun pretending an occasional look of consternation when Mason delivers an especially knotty bit of playing or isn't quite ready to let Tony back into the number.

The opener "One United" set the tone, taking the centerpiece of their debut album Southern Suite and stretching it out to twice its 10+min length. Throughout, the musicians toy and tease with each other, sharing musical ideas, venturing into new territory and essentially having a blast. When Moseholm wanders into a cul de sac and finds himself trapped at one point in the show, the others laugh good-naturedly and then nod encouragement as the bassist works his way back out again. Here's the band on "Closure," also from The Southern Suite but not a number they did on Friday.

Other tunes like "Secrets" and another from their upcoming album whose title escaped me were just as compelling. Mason joked they didn't play anything less than 30 minutes, yet the intense focus and creative inspiration needed to maintain one song for 30 minutes in concert is easily within their grasp.

Their sound ranged from the probing rigor of 1950s Miles Davis to the raucous rush of a sweaty club in New Orleans. Mason had the authoritative, dignified reserve of Wynton when addressing the audience and the showmanship of Branford when at the piano. He bounced and swung and immersed himself in the melodies, just as happy to dig into a soulful groove as to improvise on a discordant riff that caught his fancy. My guest was especially wowed by Mason's facility, how he'd tinkle the ivories way up at one end of the piano with his right hand while striding through a complex counterpoint with the left. Flashy? Showy? Sure, but always in service of the tune.

It all came together on the finale, that 1930 stalwart "On The Sunny Side Of The Street." Perhaps this was the tune they workshopped that afternoon and then performed for the first time that Friday, a jazz tradition Mason proudly continues of always learning new pieces from the songbook. If so, other audiences are cheated not to hear it too. They broke the tune down, swung it hard and then built it back up again without ever losing the infectious melody and rhythm that's made it a favorite of jazz greats ever since. It's very, very early days, but Mason is working towards perhaps joining them. How often do you see a new act and think, "Wow, they are the real deal"? Not often.

Sean Mason is on tour and his next three gigs encapsulate the journey he's on and the versatility of his playing. On March 29, he's performing with Catherine Russell at the Savannah Music Festival, offering a live performance of their excellent album. On April 11, the Sean Mason Quartet has a date at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. (Tickets are just $20 for adults and $10 for students and youth, which is a serious bargain.) And on April 19, Mason solos on piano at the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro.

THE VENUE

This was my first time at the Side Door jazz club. It looks like a venue that proved a welcome afterthought to the Old Lyme Inn. But in fact, it's co-owner told me (unawares I was reviewing the show) that in fact her husband really, really wanted a jazz club. (Indeed he was an exuberant master of ceremonies when introducing the band, which gigged there even before their debut album came out.) So when they bought the property, she said, "I guess we're in the inn business now, too." The concert space is essentially a long narrow rectangle, with seating stretching out in front of the stage on both sides, with a few extra seats a little deeper at the center. You'd be hard pressed to find a bad seat, even if the place was full.

We sat at the bar which is stage right and enjoyed an excellent view over Mason's shoulder, with a direct line of sight to the rest of the band and their laser focus on the pianist. Side Door certainly isn't a big venue so if you're really set on observing a particular musician, arriving half an hour early is advisable. Also, one bartender is working hard to serve everyone; so that's another reason not to show up a few minutes before the set and feel annoyed when your drink takes a while to arrive.

We also ate at the Old Lyme Inn, which was an upscale but not wildly expensive evening out. They recommended anyone going to a show at 8 pm should book their dinner for 6 pm. That makes sense if you plan to linger, enjoy a drink before dinner and coffee and/or dessert afterwards. If, like us, you're simply there to dine and dash, 6:30 proved perfectly fine for getting to the club at 7:40, easily. However, they strongly urge you to book two hours before the show or they don't guarantee you'll be done in time, so what do I know?

Up next at Side Door? Grammy winning New Orleans trumpeter (and multi-instrumentalist) Nicholas Payton plays on March 22 and March 23.

Tickets were provided by the venue with the understanding a timely review would be written. Dinner, however, was on my guest. Thanks, TJ!

THEATER CONCERTS I'VE ATTENDED IN 2025

1. A Guide For The Homesick ** out of ****

2. Still (w Melissa Gilbert at Sheen) **

3. A Streetcar Named Desire (Paul Mescal at BAM) **

4. Sean Mason Quartet at Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT *** 1/2

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

THEATER: "A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE" LACKS DRIVE

THEATER: "A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE" LACKS DRIVE

A Streetcar Named Desire ** out of ****

The Harvey at Brooklyn Academy of Music

Nothing is wrong with this revival of Streetcar, except that it doesn't work.

Director Rebecca Frecknall (on Broadway with the hit revival of Cabaret) has a clear vision of Stanley as a brutish, unredeemable abuser. The cast is talented, if unconventionally cast. The setting strips away any romanticism of the French Quarter in New Orleans by staging the show on a bare, square platform. The score ignores jazzy allure for a doom-laden, percussive underlining of emotions. The modern dress insists on a modern take. We've also got interpretative dancing; the entire cast always present, observing the action when not taking part in it; and lots of rain. All perfectly reasonable choices. And all for nought.

Frecknall enjoyed acclaim in London for her take on the iffier Tennessee Williams drama Summer and Smoke. Streetcar in contrast is an unqualified classic, though like any classic it needs to be held up to the light, seen from a different angle and rethought to stay alive. (Or simply staged on a constantly rotating platform, which is how I saw it last.)

In it, the fading Blanche arrives in New Orleans, penniless and at loose ends. She inserts herself into the life of a happily (?) married sister, upsetting the domesticity of Stella and Stanley. Blanche and Stanley warily circle each other, with Blanche arousing his confused desire when not mocking and belittling him as little better than an animal.

Stanley is confused by her, angry with her and dangerous when digging into the facts around Blanche fleeing her last job as schoolteacher. Blanche seizes on a dull friend of Stanley's as a potential spouse, a last chance to keep from drowning. But it's too late. The truth about her past crushes that ploy and Blanche sinks into madness, sent away by a reluctant Stella at the end.

Well, that's one way to summarize the story.

What we see here is quite different. As embodied by Patsy Ferran, Blanche arrives mid-nervous breakdown, fluttering and silly and spinsterish. She and Paul Mescal as Stanley have no sexual chemistry, though as conceived here, it's hard to imagine anyone drawn to this Blanche. This is not the Blanche who proved so wanton and desirable to the soldiers in her last town that she was declared off limits by military brass. Plus, she's all but mad in the first scene, exhausting and exhausted.

Stanley, played as asked by Paul Mescal (an excellent film actor I'm seeing on stage for the first time), is an irredeemable brute. She's no match for him and certainly no temptress. Stanley beats his wife, rapes his sister-in-law and destroys the mild hope of companionship for his friend. In this production, he and Blanche are not sparring. Stanley is a sleek cat, toying with a wounded bird for fun before he shakes it by the neck and kills his prey.

So the drama has nowhere to go. Blanche is already mad. Stanley is clearly the dominant force from start to finish. Indeed, Blanche lost the moment she entered the ring. Her fall at the end barely registers.

Stella, played ably by Anjana Vasan (best known here for the TV shows We Are Lady Parts and Killing Eve) is notably older than Stanley. They might well have made something of this, echoing Blanche's predilection for boys, but it's a lost opportunity. Yet when a play is this good, even a revival that doesn't work can offer new ways of thinking about it.

Vasan and Ferran have the best chemistry in the show. This bond between two sisters feels like the natural arc of the show. Stella doesn't put up with her sister: she loves her and is (mostly) happy to cater to her whims, as Vasan makes clear. They meet at the beginning and part at the end, with Stella broken and weeping, encircled (or entrapped, really) by Stanley. He's an abuser and Stanley's earlier cry of "Stella" is less the demanding howl of the master of the house and more the bleating appeal of the wife beater who knows it's time to pretend he's sorry before doing it all over again.

Stella sides with an abuser and knows it, deep down; she’s dimly aware that of course the man who beats her would physically assault her sister. But she ignores her sister, she refuses to believe it, can't believe it because that would upend her life. It's easier to pretend Blanche is lying. Stella's cry of despair, however, speaks the truth. This angle is the strongest element of the show; I wish it had more impact for me.

I'm not sure the text would support it, but this hints that Streetcar might be seen as a battle for Stella. What if she came on stage at the start with a black eye or a bloody lip, the abuse she endures obvious to the audience, shocking Blanche and showing us the real stakes here? Blanche is right about Stanley, after all, even if he’s right about her past. And while we've no illusions about the misery of mental institutions in the 1940s, maybe at the end Blanche is escaping a nightmare. Maybe it's Stella who is really doomed. Frecknall gets closer to this, but not satisfyingly so.

Another useful insight is the role of Mitch. Usually he's a sad sack, the runt of Stanley's gang a la Karl Malden, who originated the part. Blanche latches onto Mitch and dazzles the poor schlub with her grand ways. She's toying with him, the way she toys with Stanley, until he breaks her. No one imagines Mitch as anything but a sad, boring, desperate measure, even for her.

Not here. Actor Dwane Walcott doesn't betray the essential nature of Mitch: he's still a momma's boy and the least alpha male around. But he has an appealing nature and certainly a sex appeal. Blanche isn't pulling the wool over his eyes: they are co-conspirators in her fantasy of knights and ladies and courtship. By god, Blanche would be lucky to have him. And with his mother dying and facing life alone, Mitch would be lucky to have her. They make sense here, which reveals Stanley's takedown of their twinned hopes as all the crueler. He's not saving Mitch, he's destroying him. So score one for casting and Frecknall's vision.

But there are further problems. Most of the secondary roles don't register at all (the landlady, the poker buddies, the doctor). The lithe, excellent dancer Jabez Sykes who doubles as the newspaper boy is too tall and adult for the part. This robs his one scene with Blanche of its inappropriate nature. And the dancing and performative moments are extraneous, except for one moment when Blanche has her back to the audience and Stanley confronts her, mirrored frighteningly by the wolf pack of the cast arrayed behind him, ready to pounce.

A bare set is fine. But for most of the show, the staging is vague and lacks impact, with people scattered about to no effect. Whether sort of playing poker or sort of squaring off or sort of enjoying a moment of intimacy, I rarely saw the tension and excitement of actors arrayed with precision and clarity. And if rain can feel perfunctory, it does here.

I'd rather love or hate a production than feel indifferent to it, as I did this time. Yet, I see the play a little differently now, and that's certainly saying something. I'm sorry to have missed Frecknall and Ferran's Summer and Smoke. Dwane Walcott is worth keeping an eye on.

And Paul Mescal is solid in one of theater's iconic roles, even if this production makes the part static and less interesting than it should be, just as it does with the role of Blanche. He's a brute from start to finish, but Mescal gives him a brutish appeal. Some lines are whispered rather than shouted, some smiles reveal a grin and others teeth that can bite. That's the usual way when someone tackles a part like this. We enjoy the variations they make on it or the pleasure of delivering a classic approach with aplomb. But without the excitement of two worthies facing off, without the struggle for sex or power or dominance, without desire, this Streetcar lacks drive.

Theater for 2025

1. A Guide For The Homesick (at DR2) ** out of ****

2. Still (w Melissa Gilbert at Sheen) **

3. A Streetcar Named Desire (w Paul Mescal at BAM) **

Monday, March 10, 2025

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE FOR WEEK ENDING MARCH 9, 2025

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE FOR WEEK ENDING MARCH 9, 2025

A film's gross for the last seven days, followed by its total worldwide gross.

I begin with data from Comscore and then pull from every other source available.

1. Ne Zha 2–$116m / $2.096b worldwide total

2. Mickey 17–$44m / $53m ww

3. Captain America: Brave New World–$29m /$371m ww

4. Detective Chinatown 1900–$21m / $498m ww

5. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy–$14m / $111m ww

6. The Monkey–$14m / $52m ww

7. Paddington in Peru–$12m / $176m ww

8. Chhaava–$10m / $80m ww

9. Mufasa: The Lion King–$7m / $709m ww

10. Dog Man–$7m / $120m ww

11. Last Breath–$7m / $15m ww

12. Anora–$6m / $54m ww

13. I'm Still Here–$5m / $35m ww

14. Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants–$4m / $96m ww

15. The Brutalist–$4m / $45m ww

16. Night of the Zoopocalypse–$4m ww debut

17. Conclave–$3m / $104m ww

18. National Theatre: Prima Facie–$3m / $4m ww

19. Always Have, Always Will–$3m ww debut

20. Moana 2–$2m / $1,056b ww

21. Sonic The Hedgehog 3–$2m /$488m ww

22. There's Still Tomorrow–$2m / $52m ww

23. Hotline Beijing–$2m / $9m ww

24. Girls On Wire–$2m ww debut

25. Rule Breakers–$2m ww debut

26. A Complete Unknown–$1m / $121m ww

27. One of Them Days–$1m / $49m ww

28. Companion–$1m / $35m ww

29. Heart Eyes–$1m / $32m ww

30. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX-Beginning–$1m / $21m ww

31. Dragon–$1m / $14m ww

32. Becoming Led Zeppelin–$1m / $11m ww

33. The Unbreakable Boy–$1m / $6m ww

34. Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning–$1m / $3m

35. In The Lost Lands–$1m ww debut

Bold: movies that have or likely will triple their reported budgets. That's my standard for a movie being a box office hit from theatrical alone. Many films will be profitable for a studio even if they don't triple their reported budget, but it's a good marker to indicate a big hit.

ANALYSIS

Another slow week at the box office. Things won't pick up in North America until the live action Snow White opens March 21 and (hopefully) Thunderbolts* on May 2, with hopefully some surprises from The Accountant 2 with Ben Affleck and Sinners with Michael B. Jordan and Death of a Unicorn with a unicorn, along the way. You always need surprise hits while waiting for the Mission: Impossibles and Avatars of the year.

Many stories reviewed the budget of Mickey 17 from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-Ho and star Robert Pattinson more than the actual movie. Hey, that's my job! But most takes on it are fairly accurate. Bong's biggest box office hit by far is Parasite, which grossed $260m worldwide, with his best film The Host very profitable at $100m worldwide on an $11mb cost. His bigger budget movies are more problematic. Snowpiercer cost $40mb and grossed $87m worldwide. (No one lost money on this film, I think. It likely over-performed post-theatrical and even led to a TV series that ran for four seasons. Okja is even nuttier than his new movie but cost $50mb and Netflix couldn't be bothered with a theatrical release. Still, given its polarizing nature and mixed reviews, one doubts it would have triumphed commercially.

But you win an Oscar and pitch a sci-fi movie with Robert Pattinson, you get the biggest budget of your career. Mickey 17 cost $118mb, or as I like to call it since I'm not an accountant like Ben Affleck, $120mb. (The math is easier.) So it needs to vastly outperform Parasite to be a winner from box office alone. We'll have to wait until its second week to see if it's holding people's attention (unlikely), but I wouldn't dismiss this as a project that should never have been made. (Now if they'd spent $120mb on Okja, I'd agree with you.) On paper, Mickey 17 is not so crazy. Let's see where it ends up on the worldwide box office. And with its cynical take on corporations seeing employees as disposable tools, it's got cult favorite written all over it. Double bill with Office Space anyone?

Looking for good news? China's animated smash Ne Zha 2 continues to rewrite the rules on what is possible at the box office. (And James Cameron must be jealous.) It was the first film to gross $1 billion from one market alone. And now it's the first film to gross $2 billion from one market alone. The ball is in your court, Avatar: Fire and Ash! That's...astonishing.

After the Oscars (remember them?), several films enjoyed a big bounce at the box office. Best Picture winner (!) Anora grossed another $6m (its entire budget, by the way) and is now at $54m worldwide. Best International Film winner–Brazil's worthy I'm Still Here–grossed $5m and is at $35m worldwide. The Brutalist pulled in another $4m for a total of $45m worldwide. Conclave grossed $3m to sit at $104m worldwide. All of them are big box office hits from theatrical alone. Finally, A Complete Unknown pulled in $1m for a total of $121m worldwide. Given its budget, this film is not a success from theatrical alone (it cost a hefty $60mb), but like Gladiator 2, it just feels like a success to most. Certainly, it will be a financial winner when all is said and done. (Theatrical is just the beginning of a movie's earnings.) But I guess we can't count on a spin-off with Monica Barbaro in the Joan Baez story anytime soon.

Anora and the Italian hit drama There's Still Tomorrow (at #22) are both hits, but they're not on my list of winners for 2025 because they made most of their money in 2024.

However, I have added two films to our list of winners below. The anime film Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX-Beginning is pulled from the first episodes of the latest season of the same-named TV series. Given Wikipedia's claim that it's grossed $21m worldwide, it's undoubtedly a very profitable venture, not just great promo for the show. (Even Game of Thrones didn't make that much at the box office when they sneaked final episodes of season four in theaters.) The other hit is a screening of a taped stage show: National Theatre: Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer of Killing Eve. This opened in China (!) and grossed what I can only describe as an astonishing and unexpected $3m, giving this a worldwide total of $4m so far. Sometimes the recordings of operas prove rather pricey (relatively speaking) but even without a reported budget for this project, I'm calling this a hit. Found money!

Coming this week? The retired director Steven Soderbergh has his second release of 2025 with the Black Bag, a stylish, well-reviewed thriller starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. Proud parents Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan will be the first in line to see their son Jack Quaid in the action comedy Novocaine. Finally, The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is an original animated film starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. It was bizarrely orphaned by Warner Bros./HBO Max and is being released theatrically by others. Here's hoping it's a big hit so they look as foolish as Universal does for putting Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy straight to streaming in North America rather than putting it in theaters. If this flick hits, maybe we'll get to see that Batgirl movie after all!

2025 HIT FILMS

Here's a list of all the hit films making money in 2025. My rule of thumb is that films should gross roughly at least three times as much as their reported budget. Some people now say a movie need only make 2 1/2 times as much as their budget but I'm sticking with the traditional formula. Of course, we don't really know a movie's budget or the cost of advertising or the backroom deals. Remember, just because a movie isn't a hit from theatrical alone doesn't mean they're losing money. Far from it. We can't dive deep into Hollywood accounting. But we can spot the really big hits that will change careers, launch franchises and generally pay the bills. A few international films probably made the cut but since I don't have even a reported budget, I hate to reward them with hit status. Also, I'll include movies from 2024 if they make the majority of their money in 2025. Finally, I identify the country for non-Hollywood movies. And I indicate the language Indian films were made in to celebrate the country's diverse industry, which is vibrant and includes much more than the Hindi-language Bollywood Westerners knew best. Here goes.

Big Budget ($100mb+)

Detective Chinatown 1900 (China) ($125mb est)

Mid-sized budget ($21mb-$99mb)

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy ($50mb)

Dog Man ($40mb)

Ne Zha 2 (China) ($80mb)

Nosferatu ($50mb)

Small Budget ($20mb or less)

Babygirl ($20mb)

Becoming Led Zeppelin (>$2mb)

The Brutalist ($10mb)

Chhaava (Indian/Hindi) ($15mb)

Companion ($10mb)

Conclave ($20mb)

Dragon (Indian/Tamil) ($4mb)

I'm Still Here ($2mb)

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX-Beginning (pulled from epi of tv anime series)

National Theatre: Prima Facie ($?mb)

One of Them Days ($14mb)

Presence ($2mb)

NOTES

mb = a film's budget in millions of US dollars; ww = worldwide

1. Ne Zha 2–Reported $80mb. Chinese animated fantasy sequel to the 2019 smash which cost about $20m and grossed $743m. A spin-off film Jiang Ziya was hobbled by COVID but grossed $243m. Now we have the direct sequel Ne Zha 2, which cost $80m and finds our spunky heroine (based on a famed mythological character around for centuries) taking on sea monsters. The series is based on Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin from the 16th century.

2. Mickey 17–$120mb for director Bong Joon-ho's slapstick sci-fi comedy. Once again, a tip of the hat to actor Robert Pattinson for forging a very interesting career.

3. Captain America: Brave New World–$180mb.

4. Detective Chinatown 1900–$125mb at least? This is the fourth in a wildly popular buddy comedy mystery series. Think oh, Rush Hour? 48 Hours? Each film cost more than the one before and grossed more. Since we're on film #4 and it's a period movie set in San Francisco, it's safe to assume this cost more than #3, which cost $117m and grossed $686m worldwide. I mean, $150mb is probably more realistic, at least, but even at that level it's still a hit. Oh and clues in this one indicate the next film in the series will be set in London. So, Detective Chinatown 1920, here we come.

5. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy–$50mb and straight to streaming in the world's biggest market because? Yes, it's only at $100m. But the film made $24m this week, so even if it drops by 50% next week and the week after and ends up at $120m, I'm calling it a hit. The more money it makes, the stupider they look for going straight to streaming in North America.

6. The Monkey -- $10m reported budget means this adaptation of a Stephen King short story is a box office winner right out of the gate. Cheap horror films are money in the bank...but 2025 has so many I have to assume audiences will become sick and tired of them any minute now. Not forever, not all of them, but surely the surfeit of slasher flicks will prove too much of a good thing. Just not yet.

7. Paddington in Peru–$90mb? Sadly, three times is not the charm artistically or commercially for this once-perfect franchise.

8. Chhaava–$15mb Indian/Hindi language action historical epic.

9. Mufasa: The Lion King–$200mb.

10. Dog Man–A reported $40mb. It's always good to gross your budget on opening week. Plus, the books are funny, the reviews are good, the audience response is great and it has the rest of the world to open in. So get ready for Dog Man 2.

11. Last Breath–$24mb for this Nicolas Cage deep-sea diving drama.

12. Anora–A reported $6mb for Sean Baker's comic drama. I believe it made a majority of its money in 2024, so that's why it's not among the box office hits of 2025.

13. I'm Still Here–this Brazilian Oscar contender has no reported budget, though one Portuguese article says $1.5m, which certainly sounds reasonable, so I'll call it at $2mb. It's a success even if it cost three times that.

14. Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants–$70mb per one Chinese source. A wuxia martial arts period adventure film written and directed by the legendary Tsui Hark. It's based on part of the novel of the same name by Jin Yong. According to one report it's the highest grossing wuxia film at the Chinese box office. That would mean it made more than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and every local box office hit. Mostly Hark would be competing with himself. His budgets bounce up and down, from the massive $200mb for both The Battle at Lake Changjin 1 and 2 (which he co-directed), and $60mb for some Detective Dee movies and down to $20mb or $30mb for various other flicks. One vague Chinese source says it cost $70mb. If they make a sequel, I'll then consider this one a hit! When they make more, surely a movie must be a winner.

15. The Brutalist–$10mb; Adrien Brody in this architect-as-hero period drama. I'm not a fan of the film but I am delighted to see any passion project this unlikely make money. Truly.

16. Night of the Zoopocalypse–Scrappy animated comedy about animals taking on zombies at the Zoo.

17. Conclave–a reported $20mb for this Vatican thriller means this is a hit. This is exactly the sort of film that can play and play in theaters.

18. National Theatre: Prima Facie–The acclaimed play starring Jodie Comer of Killing Eve makes $3m in China. Heck, the fact that it's shown in China kind of surprises me.

19. Always Have, Always Will–Chinese comic drama in which a young man finds inspiration from a sick girl who is always tagging along. The poster echoes "Little Miss Sunshine."

20. Moana 2–$150mb. Is the budget lower since it was intended for tv, at first? Or higher because they had to rethink everything? Disney says it cost $150mb, just like the original. You can bet Dwayne Johnson gets more than his share of coconuts, but that won't matter with a hit like this.

21. Sonic The Hedgehog 3–$120mb

22. There's Still Tomorrow–Italian drama about woman after WW II deciding maybe she doesn't want to be in an abusive relationship. A blockbuster in Italy, this was a box office winner for 2024.

23. Hotline Beijing–No reported budget or info on Chinese film.

24. Girls On Wire–Chinese drama directed by Vivian Qu in which a single mom kills a drug lord and then must go on the run to avoid retribution.

25. Rule Breakers–$8mb reported budget for the latest faith-based film from Angel Studios. This one is about an educator who dares to teach young women in Afghanistan.

26. A Complete Unknown–$60mb+ for this Bob Dylan biopic? That's a lot of money for a film about Dylan going electric at Newport. I mean, I wanted to see it but then I'm a Dylan fanatic. But $180m worldwide seems highly unlikely to me, if not impossible. (Do other countries give a toss about this? Is Chalamet a big enough draw for this story? I doubt it.) I'm glad it was made, but it was made for too much. Like Gladiator II, this will be seen as a commercial success, but it's not. UPDATE: Well, it keeps going and going and maybe Chalamet is a worldwide draw now, thanks to Wonka and the Dune films and he can bring in people to a serious drama like this. More power to him. It's now at $120m and grossed an excellent $15m this week. If it gets close to $150m, I'll happily eat crow and call it a hit. It's already a good example of a movie that may not be technically profitable from box office alone but is clearly a financial success story that will be a valuable title in anyone's library, pulling in plenty via rentals and sales and cable and streaming and the like. Now where's the sequel where Dylan goes born again Christian? Or the spin-off telling the story of Joan Baez? Seriously, that one should be done like, now.

27. One of Them Days–$14mb. It's always good to gross your budget during a film's opening week. So yea for producer Issa Rae and this comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA. (What an opening week for SZA! Her movie opened well and she made my list of The 250 Best Albums of the 21st Century...So Far.)

28. Companion–A reported $10mb for this sci-fi horror comedy. Great reviews means this one should have a long run at the box office.

29. Heart Eyes–$18mb for rom/com slash horror film.

30. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX-Beginning–This film is pulled from the first episode(s) of the new season of a long-running anime series. So it should be gravy and just good pr for the new season launch. But $21m worldwide is an excellent return for episodes pulled from a TV anime series.

31. Dragon–$4mb for this Indian/Tamil coming of age comedy drama. A young guy gets too clever with a crooked path to riches, endangering his job, his relationships and his family's reputation. Can he reform? Does he want to?

32. Becoming Led Zeppelin–Long-gestating doc broke into the Top 10 on opening weekend, playing on IMAX screens only. In its second weekend, the film has an excellent hold. This traditional doc (talking heads, concert footage) has already grossed $6m, which is serious money for this type of film. There is no reported budget, but given all that I know, it seems likely the total was $2mb or less, so this is a winner.

33. The Unbreakable Boy–heartwarming family film about little boy who has a rare bone disease and autism, but also has a zest for life that wins over everyone.

34. Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning–A Korean animated horror film about a priest partnering with magic-wielding monks to battle a demon and protect a child. We just don't get animated films like that in the U.S. Maybe Ralph Bakshi should have moved overseas to get his projects made?

35. In The Lost Lands–$55mb reported budget for this fantasy film starring Milla Jovovich and David Bautista based on a short story by George R.R. Martin. Maybe Martin won't be so harsh on the tv series House of Dragons after seeing this.

THE CHART AND HOW IT IS COMPILED

This column is a week by week tracking of box office around the world. It is compiled by pulling from every possible source: ComScore, Box Office Mojo, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, charts for countries like China and India and South Korea, individual stories in trade or general interest newspapers, Wikipedia and anyone else discussing box office.

ComScore Weekly Global Box Office Chart

The weekly charts contain the total gross for every movie in theaters around the world during the last seven days. If a movie opens on a Thursday, we include all the box office from Thursday through Sunday. If it opens on a Tuesday night, we cover all six days. If it opens on a Sunday (as some movies do in India or wherever, depending on holidays), then we include the box office for that one day. If a movie was released before the current week, we include the box office for all seven days. Why ignore the box office from Monday through Thursday, as most charts do when tallying the latest weekend and focusing on new releases?

How do we arrive at this number? We take the total worldwide box office we have for a movie, subtract from it the previous week's total worldwide box office...and that's how much it made during the past seven days. Naturally, territories and movies sometimes fall through the cracks but we are as up to date as we can be, given our dependence on other outlets for the basic info.

First, I list box office on every film we can from around the world. Any movie grossing at least US $1 million will be on here if we get info on it. Then I give some thoughts on the box office overall and individual films. That's followed by notes where I give info on each movie, with a focus on films not from Hollywood. So Despicable Me 4 you know. But a small Korean comedy or French drama? That I'll identify for you as best I can.

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Sunday, March 02, 2025

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE FOR WEEK ENDING MARCH 2, 2025

WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE FOR WEEK ENDING MARCH 2, 2025

Here is a film's gross for the last seven days, followed by its total worldwide gross. I begin with data from Comscore and then pull from every other source available. If you want to be added to this newsletter, email me at mgiltz@pipeline.com.

1. Ne Zha 2–$108m / $1.980b worldwide total

2. Captain America: Brave New World–$33m /$342m ww

3. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy–$24m / $97m ww

4. The Monkey–$17m / $38m ww

5. Chhaava–$16m / $70m ww

6. Detective Chinatown 1900–$15m / $477m ww

7. A Complete Unknown–$15m / $120m ww

8. Paddington in Peru–$14m / $164m ww

9. Mickey 17–$9m ww debut

10. Dog Man–$8m / $113m ww

11. Dragon–$8m / $13m ww

12. Last Breath–$8m ww debut

13. The Brutalist–$4m / $41m ww

14. Moana 2–$3m / $1,054b ww

15. Sonic The Hedgehog 3–$3m /$486m ww

16. Creation of the Gods 2: Demon Force–$3m / $166m ww

17. Heart Eyes–$3m / $31m ww

18. I'm Still Here–$3m / $30m ww

19. The Unbreakable Boy–$3m / $5m ww

20. Mufasa: The Lion King–$2m / $702m ww

21. Conclave–$2m / $101m ww

22. One of Them Days–$2m / $48m ww

23. Boonie Bears: Future Reborn–$1m / $107m ww

24. Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants–$1m / $92m ww

25. Babygirl–$1m / $64m ww

26. Flight Risk–$1m / $43m ww

27. Companion–$1m / $34m ww

28. Love Hurts–$1m / $17m ww

29. Becoming Led Zeppelin–$1m / $10m ww

30. Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning–$1m / $2m

31. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX-Beginning–$1m / $TK?

ANALYSIS

It's Oscar weekend and ironically it's also the slowest weekend of the year for movie-going. Even slower than Super Bowl weekend? Is everyone at home working on their ballots for the Oscar pools? On the bright side, the Oscar shorts are grossing about $3m in North America from their theatrical screenings, so that's nice to see. My wishful thinking for Captain America: New World Order is over. Overseas looked like it might save Cap's bacon, but it's not to be. The Marvel flick took another disastrous tumble at the box office, so grossing another $140m to be a hit is not happening.

On the other hand, a slow week at the box office in North America (and really, around the world) means the Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 stays in the Top 10 for three weeks in a row, a rare feat for an international film.

Moana 2 made news because it's headed to streaming after 105 days in movie theaters. That's just three and a half months, but these days that seems stunningly patient. The head of the world's biggest theater chain AMC used its quarterly earnings report to insist 17 days and 30 days are crazy! And he hopes more studios will shift back to at least 45 days.

Hey, it's a slow week so there's not much to say!

2025 HIT FILMS

Big Budget ($100mb+)

Detective Chinatown 1900 (China) ($125mb est)

Mid-sized budget ($21mb-$99mb)

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy ($50mb)

Dog Man ($40mb)

Ne Zha 2 (China) ($80mb)

Nosferatu ($50mb)

Small Budget ($20mb or less)

Babygirl ($20mb)

Becoming Led Zeppelin (>$2mb)

The Brutalist ($10mb)

Chhaava (Indian/Hindi) ($15mb)

Companion ($10mb)

Conclave ($20mb)

Dragon (Indian/Tamil) ($4mb)

I'm Still Here ($2mb)

One of Them Days ($14mb)

Presence ($2mb)

NOTES

mb = a film's budget in millions of US dollars; ww = worldwide

2. Captain America: Brave New World–$180mb.

3. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy–$50mb and straight to streaming in the world's biggest market because? Yes, it's only at $100m. But the film made $24m this week, so even if it drops by 50% next week and the week after and ends up at $120m, I'm calling it a hit. The more money it makes, the stupider they look for going straight to streaming in North America.

4. The Monkey -- $10m reported budget means this adaptation of a Stephen King short story is a box office winner right out of the gate. Cheap horror films are money in the bank...but 2025 has so many I have to assume audiences will become sick and tired of them any minute now. Not forever, not all of them, but surely the surfeit of slasher flicks will prove too much of a good thing. Just not yet.

5. Chhaava–$15mb Indian/Hindi language action historical epic.

6. Detective Chinatown 1900–$125mb at least? This is the fourth in a wildly popular buddy comedy mystery series. Think oh, Rush Hour? 48 Hours? Each film cost more than the one before and grossed more. Since we're on film #4 and it's a period movie set in San Francisco, it's safe to assume this cost more than #3, which cost $117m and grossed $686m worldwide. I mean, $150mb is probably more realistic, at least, but even at that level it's still a hit. Oh and clues in this one indicate the next film in the series will be set in London. So, Detective Chinatown 1920, here we come.

7. A Complete Unknown–$60mb+ for this Bob Dylan biopic? That's a lot of money for a film about Dylan going electric at Newport. I mean, I wanted to see it but then I'm a Dylan fanatic. But $180m worldwide seems highly unlikely to me, if not impossible. (Do other countries give a toss about this? Is Chalamet a big enough draw for this story? I doubt it.) I'm glad it was made, but it was made for too much. Like Gladiator II, this will be seen as a commercial success, but it's not. UPDATE: Well, it keeps going and going and maybe Chalamet is a worldwide draw now, thanks to Wonka and the Dune films and he can bring in people to a serious drama like this. More power to him. It's now at $120m and grossed an excellent $15m this week. If it gets close to $150m, I'll happily eat crow and call it a hit. It's already a good example of a movie that may not be technically profitable from box office alone but is clearly a financial success story that will be a valuable title in anyone's library, pulling in plenty via rentals and sales and cable and streaming and the like. Now where's the sequel where Dylan goes born again Christian? Or the spin-off telling the story of Joan Baez? Seriously, that one should be done like, now.

8. Paddington in Peru–$90mb? Sadly, three times is not the charm artistically or commercially for this once-perfect franchise.

9. Mickey 17–$120mb for director Bong Joon-ho's slapstick sci-fi comedy. Once again, a tip of the hat to actor Robert Pattinson for forging a very interesting career.

11. Dragon–$4mb for this Indian/Tamil coming of age comedy drama. A young guy gets too clever with a crooked path to riches, endangering his job, his relationships and his family's reputation. Can he reform? Does he want to?

12. Last Breath–$24mb for this Nicolas Cage deep-sea diving drama.

13. The Brutalist–$10mb; Adrien Brody in this architect-as-hero period drama. I'm not a fan of the film but I am delighted to see any passion project this unlikely make money. Truly.

14. Moana 2–$150mb. Is the budget lower since it was intended for tv, at first? Or higher because they had to rethink everything? Disney says it cost $150mb, just like the original. You can bet Dwayne Johnson gets more than his share of coconuts, but that won't matter with a hit like this.

15. Sonic The Hedgehog 3–$120mb

16. Creation of the Gods 2: Demon Force–$110mb? Creation of the Gods is a live action fantasy trilogy that was shot all at once over an 18 month period, a la Lord of the Rings. Since the first part cost $110m, presumably parts two and three cost at least as much, though their initial releases were delayed because of time-consuming special effects. And guess what? Like Ne Zha 1 and 2, this too is based on Investiture of the Gods, making Ming dynasty author Xu Zhonglin the hottest scribe in town. Yes, there are a handful of English translations of the tales, but none of them received a single professional review and only one even has a handful of reader reviews, so I would be wary. I'd really like to read the book, but until I learn Mandarin, it ain't happening. And I'm still waiting for a good translation of the epic from which Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was drawn.

17. Heart Eyes–$18mb for rom/com slash horror film.

18. I'm Still Here–this Brazilian Oscar contender has no reported budget, though one Portuguese article says $1.5m, which certainly sounds reasonable, so I'll call it at $2mb. It's a success even if it cost three times that.

19. The Unbreakable Boy–heartwarming family film about little boy who has a rare bone disease and autism, but also has a zest for life that wins over everyone.

20. Mufasa: The Lion King–$200mb.

21. Conclave–a reported $20mb for this Vatican thriller means this is a hit. This is exactly the sort of film that can play and play in theaters.

22. One of Them Days–$14mb. It's always good to gross your budget during a film's opening week. So yea for producer Issa Rae and this comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA. (What an opening week for SZA! Her movie opened well and she made my list of The 250 Best Albums of the 21st Century...So Far.)

23. Boonie Bears: Future Reborn–$50mb? This once low budget animated franchise keeps getting bigger and bigger at the box office. Film #9 grossed $220m and #10 grossed $270m. And then it all crashed back to earth with movie #11, which is topping out at about $110m, almost 60% lower than the last one. They won't lose money on this, but I'm taking it off my list of theatrical hits for the year. They need to lower the budget for #12 or give it a rest or something. I mean, none of them seem well reviewed, so quality isn't exactly the issue here. All good things come to an end.

24. Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants–No budget available. A wuxia martial arts period adventure film written and directed by the legendary Tsui Hark. It's based on part of the novel of the same name by Jin Yong. According to one report it's the highest grossing wuxia film at the Chinese box office. That would mean it made more than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and every local box office hit. Mostly Hark would be competing with himself. His budgets bounce up and down, from the massive $200mb for both The Battle at Lake Changjin 1 and 2 (which he co-directed), and $60mb for some Detective Dee movies and down to $20mb or $30mb for various other flicks. So it's quite possible this is a hit, but without any reported budget, I am loathe to name it one. If they make a sequel, I'll then consider this one a hit! When they make more, surely a movie must be a winner.

25. Babygirl–$20mb for this Nicole Kidman sexy drama about a powerful businesswoman finding her kink with a younger, dominating man...her intern, no less! No milk was harmed in the making of this movie. Now one friend and various media stories go back and forth on Kidman and the seemingly endless streaming movies and miniseries and movies she's been making, most of them perhaps commercial but certainly not artistic hits. Is she nobly getting projects made when people need to work? Keeping herself a significant box office draw worldwide (such as with this sexy winner) at an age when many women used to find work difficult? Or tarnishing her significant cachet by turning out junk? I'll withhold judgment critically since I haven't actually watched many of her recent projects. But I would definitely say that commercially at least, Kidman is approaching her 60s in as bankable a spot as any woman–and more than most men–in Hollywood.

26. Flight Risk–$25mb for director Mel Gibson action film starring Mark Walhberg.

27. Companion–A reported $10mb for this sci-fi horror comedy. Great reviews means this one should have a long run at the box office.

28. Love Hurts–$18mb for action comedy starring Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose. This is no way to follow-up winning an Oscar!

29. Becoming Led Zeppelin–Long-gestating doc broke into the Top 10 on opening weekend, playing on IMAX screens only. In its second weekend, the film has an excellent hold. This traditional doc (talking heads, concert footage) has already grossed $6m, which is serious money for this type of film. There is no reported budget, but given all that I know, it seems likely the total was $2mb or less, so this is a winner.

30. Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning–A Korean animated horror film about a priest partnering with magic-wielding monks to battle a demon and protect a child. We just don't get animated films like that in the U.S. Maybe Ralph Bakshi should have moved overseas to get his projects made?

31. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX-Beginning–$1m / $TK? This film is pulled from the first episode(s) of the new season of a long-running anime series. So it's probably all gravy and just good pr for the new season launch.

THE CHART AND HOW IT IS COMPILED

ComScore Weekly Global Box Office Chart

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Saturday, March 01, 2025

MY OSCAR BALLOT: Who I Pick to Win at the 97th Annual Academy Awards on March 2, 2025

Here are my picks for who will win on Oscar night. These aren't necessarily who I'd vote for, just the ones I think will win. I've gone all SATs this year: reverting back to my initial gut instinct rather than over-thinking it or allowing myself to be swayed by the ten thousand articles about who is up and who is down and who has momentum. Here it goes.

UPDATE: I got 15 out of 23, perhaps a record low for me. I couldn't be happier since it means Anora won, the first time my favorite movie of the year also won Best Picture since The Sting back in 1974.

BEST PICTURE – Conclave NO (Anora)

BEST DIRECTOR – Sean Baker, Anora YES

BEST ACTOR – Timotheé Chalamet, A Complete Unknown NO (Adrien Brody for The Brutalist)

BEST ACTRESS – Demi Moore, The Substance NO (Mikey Madison for Anora)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain YES

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez YES

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Anora YES

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Conclave YES

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM – I'm Still Here YES

BEST ANIMATED FILM – Flow YES

BEST DOCUMENTARY – Porcelain War NO (No Other Land)

BEST EDITING – Conclave NO (Anora)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – The Brutalist YES

BEST SCORE – The Brutalist YES

BEST SONG – "El Mal" from Emilia Pérez YES

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – Wicked YES

BEST COSTUMES – Wicked YES

BEST MAKEUP/HAIR – The Substance YES

BEST SOUND – A Complete Unknown NO (Dune: Part Two)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – Dune, Part 2 YES

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT – Anuja NO (I'm Not A Robot)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT – Magic Candies NO (In The Shadow of the Cypress)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT – The Only Girl in the Orchestra YES

Some thoughts.

BEST PICTURE -- I actually think Anora will win. But it's been more than 50 years since the Best Picture Oscar went to my favorite film of the year (The Sting, which came out in 1973). So I have trouble imagining Anora will win, despite dominating the guild awards. Oscar usually let's me down so I assume it will again this year. Of course, this means that if Anora wins Oscar will be letting me down in another way.

NOTE: If you're interested, the only other times my favorite film of the year won Best Picture were: The Sound of Music (1965), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), All About Eve (1950), Casablanca (1943) and Sunrise, which won the Oscar for Best Unique and Artistic Picture at the very first Academy Awards. (Wings won Outstanding Picture; the Unique and Artistic Picture category was dropped before the second ceremony.)

NOTE: Not only has the Academy Awards almost never named my favorite film of the year as Best Picture (it hasn't happened in 50+ years), it almost never picks my favorite movie out of the five or ten nominees!! Yes, when they only have 5 or so movies to choose from, they still almost never agree with me. Maybe the last time my favorite film among the nominees won Best Picture was Amadeus in 1984. So again, I have a LOT of trouble picturing a win for Anora.

BEST ACTOR -- Again, personal bias. The safer bet is Adrien Brody since Best Actor almost never goes to the new kid. But Timothée Chalamet has two Best Picture nominees and is the star of both and ran a great campaign and damned if he didn't pull off doing his own singing while playing Bob Dylan! Plus, that SNL hosting gig, which sounded like a train wreck of an idea to me, but worked great because he didn't try and "do" Bob Dylan when singing on the broadcast. So Chalamet is it. Muad'Dib!

BEST ACTRESS -- CHANGED MY MIND! Demi Moore is the safe bet. But I have trouble imagining older voters sitting through that horror film. And I've been swayed by anecdotal stories in the trades about a groundswell for I'm Still Here and how "a lot" of people are watching it before casting their ballot. Momentum! It could just as easily be Mikey Madison. And yet...people don't have to actually watch a movie to vote. And Demi Moore is a survivor and enjoying a late career triumph and plenty of voters will respond to that, whether they've watched the movie or not. Plus, while the SAG win came after voting ended, her speeches have been great all awards season. So Moore it is.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY -- If Anora wins here, then maybe it will win Best Picture too. But this could also be where they reward Brady Corbet for The Brutalist. Though really, the screenplay is the worst thing about it.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY -- Since I'm picking Conclave to win Best Picture, I think it has to win screenplay too (and maybe Production Design). If A Complete Unknown wins here, maybe it will be the Best Picture spoiler. A Supporting Actor or Supporting Actress and other tech awards too? Then it steamrolls to the top.

BEST ANIMATED FILM -- I really like The Wild Robot and it got three nominations. But Flow also got a nomination for Best International Film and it's just so good, I think they'll give it this.

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM -- Emilia Pérez still seems the smart bet before all the craziness. But I'm Still Here is also up for Best Picture and Flow is also up for Best Animated Film. It's a rare case where three of the five films are up for other awards like that. So it's anybody's guess.

BEST DOCUMENTARY -- Probably a two-way race between No Other Land and Porcelain War. Both are good but Porcelain War is more uplifting which is why I chose it.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN/BEST COSTUMES -- I really wanted to go with Nosferatu here. But Wicked wins by a nose for having the MOST Production Design and Costume Design.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS -- I was amazed at how well Better Man succeeded as a musical bio-pic with its crazy, absurd idea: having singer Robbie Williams portrayed as a monkey. (Because fame makes him feel like a monkey in a zoo being stared at everywhere he goes.) It works a charm and while we're all blasé about motion capture now, it's a terrific performance (thanks to the actors) and the work is so seamless you really don't think about it after a while. Yeah, he's a monkey, but you're just watching the movie; the fact that he's a monkey subtly (!) informs every scene and makes the whole movie work. But other than the people who work in special effects, I'm literally the only person I know who saw the movie. So the accomplished work on Dune: Part Two it is. Muad'Dib!

BEST SONG -- My heart says Diane Warren will finally win. But Emilia Pérez had so many nominations and has to win more than Best Supporting Actress and "El Mal" seems to be the consensus choice of everyone else, so I'm ignoring my gut this time out.

SHORTS -- This is where hopefully I can make up ground for my wrong guesses higher up. In Live Action, four are strong entries. But Anuja is about two young girls working in a sweatshop in India and ends on an indecisive note. Bad! However, we find out that the lead actor was herself a street kid in India, just like the character, and then during the end credits we learn about the charity helping street kids and watch her attend a screening of the short with other street kids and they're all laughing and engrossed and cheering it on and suddenly you're feeling happy and inspired and I thought, "Winner!" In Doc Shorts, three are serious and two are more positive and uplifting. Bill Morrison's Incident is the best, but it doesn't knock you over with outrage at the end as it might have. And The Only Girl in the Orchestra is about a classical musician retiring after a long career and we see her teaching students, mentoring people and generally being a mensch while others celebrate her path-breaking career. Catnip for Oscar voters, I think, even though my friend thought it dragged towards the end. Finally, two Animated Shorts stood out: Magic Candies and Yuck! It's more fun to say "yuck" and tick that off on a ballot. But I'm going with Magic Candies which is a titch better and doesn't have this weird glowing lip thing that Yuck! used when showing people wanted to kiss. It's amusing, but looks sort of dumb too. So Magic Candies it is.

NOTE: Oscar trivia time. Timothée Chalamet is the first actor to star in two Best Picture nominees since Julie Christie did it in 1965 (almost 30 years before Chlamet was born), when she starred in both Darling and Doctor Zhivago. Yul Brynner did the same in 1956 when he starred in both The King and I and The Ten Commandments. They are the only two actors in history to accomplish this feat in a year when only five films were nominated for Best Picture. Finally, Chalamet is the first person to star in two Best Picture nominees in the same year and not win an acting award in 83 years. Bette Davis did it in 1941 when she starred in The Letter and All This, And Heaven Too but lost to Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle. Mind you, Bette Davis had already won an Oscar two years earlier for Jezebel, so that might have taken the sting out of it.

NOTE: Deep dive into an actor starring in two Best Picture nominees in the same year.

Chalamet really stands out for being the undisputed lead in two films nominated for Best Picture, in the same year, the first person to do this in almost 60 years. The last time I see this happening is back in 1965, when Julie Christie starred in both Darling and Doctor Zhivago.

Yul Brynner did it as well back in 1956 when he starred in The King and I and The Ten Commandments. (The latter is led by Charlton Heston but Brynner is second-billed and certainly the most significant other role–not counting G-d–so it's a legitimate claim.)

Greer Garson did it in 1942 when she starred in Mrs. Miniver and Random Harvest.

Walter Pidgeon did it in 1941 when he starred in How Green Was My Valley and Blossoms in the Dust.

Bette Davis did it in 1941 when she starred in All This, And Heaven Too and The Letter.

Spencer Tracy did it in 1938 when he starred in Boys Town and Test Pilot.

Paul Muni did it in 1937 when he starred in The Life of Emile Zola and The Good Earth.

William Powell and Myrna Loy starred in both The Great Ziegfeld and Libeled Lady in 1936.

In 1935, Olivia de Havilland starred in both Captain Blood and A Midsummer Night's Dream. But Charles Laughton starred in THREE Best Picture nominees: Mutiny on the Bounty, Les Miserablés and Ruggles of Red Gap!

In 1934 Loretta Young starred in The House of Rothschild and The White Parade. But Claudette Colbert starred in THREE Best Picture nominees: It Happened One Night, Cleopatra and Imitation of Life.

In 1931/1932, Wallace Beery starred in The Champ and Grand Hotel.

For all of them, it's an impressive feat, even though most of those took place when ten movies were nominated, rather than five. Will that give Chalamet an edge? I don't think it's been discussed much but clearly people must be aware of it, so it certainly can't hurt.

By the way, Julie Christie was nominated for her performance in Darling...and won.

Yul Brynner was nominated for his performance in The King and I...and won.

Greer Garson was nominated for Mrs. Miniver...and won.

Bette Davis was nominated for The Letter...and lost to Ginger Rogers for Kitty Foyle.

Spencer Tracy was nominated for Boys Town...and won. (Walter Pidgeon wasn't nominated.)

Paul Muni was nominated for The Life of Emile Zola...and lost to Spencer Tracy for Captain's Courageous.

William Powell was nominated for a third film, My Man Godfrey...and lost to Paul Muni for The Story of Louis Pasteur. (Myrna Loy was not nominated.)

Charles Laughton was nominated for Mutiny on the Bounty...and lost to Victor McLaglen for The Informer.

Claudette Colbert was nominated for It Happened One Night...and won.

Wallace Beery was nominated for The Champ...and won (in a tie with Frederick March).

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