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#john david ebert
randomrichards · 1 year
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BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS:
All female rock band
Witness some depravity
Pills, orgies and guns
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felicereviews · 1 year
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Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) 109 minutes, Rated X
This movie was grand in the best way. Pretty boys and girls, crazy people, a big reveal at the end with some of the ultra violence. If I had to guess why I never thought to watch this before it would be because I always found Valley of the Dolls kind of sad and sometimes I hate sequels. But Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is not a sequel, it's not sad, and it's so zany that I watched it two times in a row.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls shows up in both of my cult movie books that I have been working through - '100 Cult Films' and 'TCM Underground'. Also, John Waters does an interview on the Criterion release blu-ray that is full of accolades for the director and producer, Russ Meyer. He even gives a nod to the writer saying 'this is the best thing that Roger Ebert ever did'. I looked back at Ebert's film credits and yes - for sure - there's nothing better in Ebert's filmography than Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
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The story is about a chick rock band and their manager and what happens to them when they decide to come to Hollywood. They meet my absolute favourite character in any of these cult films so far, Z-Man, Ronnie Barzell, played by John Lazar. For real, Johnny Lazar could have just left his name alone - but I loved Z-Man and his Shakespearean dialog, lavish parties, succubus friends, and bold choices of evening wear.
The girls gain some success as musicians. The music is actually great in this picture. I'd love to have the soundtrack. The success brings changes and lovers and drama. There are two separate scenes where two different pairs of lovers run through a grassy meadow. I wondered, how come they are not falling? Oh - John Waters showed how he copied one of those running in the grass scenes with Divine and Tab Hunter in Polyester. It's a tribute more than a copy. He loved Russ Meyer movies.
All in all - I loved this picture and I think it's time you watched or re-watched it. Oh - don't ask me why it's rated X. John Waters' guess was the reveal at the end - which I won't give away. Roger Ebert said it was because in the early days of the rating system an X rating did not discredit a movie. It was a rating given to movies for adults and not relegated to hardcore pornography like it morphed into. There are plenty of homosexual and heterosexual sexy scenarios, there is plenty of drug use, and there is some good violence but an X rating? Nah.
Please watch it and tell me what you think. I don't want to be the only one humming 'Find It' at work tomorrow.
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danataiko · 4 months
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Dolly Read - production still from Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
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Russ Meyer
Guion
Roger Ebert.
Historia: Russ Meyer, Roger Ebert
Reparto
Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, John Lazar, Michael Blodgett, Pam Grier, Edy Williams, David Gurian, Phyllis Davis, Erica Gavin, Lavelle RobyMúsica
Stu Phillips
Fotografía
Fred J. Koenekamp
Compañías
20th Century Fox, Russ MeyerGéneroComedia. Drama | Sátira. Música. Amistad. Homosexualidad. Historias cruzadas. Melodrama. Serie B. Película de culto
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bitter69uk · 6 months
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The October edition of the Lobotomy Room film club can only mean one thing – a horror movie! On Thursday 19 October 2023 let’s embrace the Halloween spirit with a screening of The Hunger (tagline: “Nothing human loves forever”) in the plush surroundings of Fontaine’s bar in East London!
The Hunger (which turned forty earlier this year) is director Tony Scott’s art-y erotic horror movie about a vampiric love triangle (in which the word “vampire” is never once mentioned). At the time it was dismissed by critic Roger Ebert as “agonizingly bad” and widely derided as “style over substance”. Sure, The Hunger sometimes resembles a perfume ad or music video, but if you’re going to do style over substance, do it like THIS! And anyway, four decades later The Hunger ranks as a perennial cult favourite for LGBTQ audiences and goths (and not just because Bauhaus perform “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” in the opening nightclub sequence). David Bowie and French cinema’s ice queen Catherine Deneuve star as impossibly stylish ageless vampire couple John and Miriam Blaylock. Before you can say “Are you making a pass at me, Mrs Blaylock?” Miriam has seduced Sarah (Susan Sarandon). (Clad in a sleek 1940s wardrobe, Deneuve ranks alongside Delphine Seyrig in Daughters of Darkness (1971) as cinema’s definitive lesbian vampire queen - even if she clearly employs a body double in the sex scene with Sarandon!).
So, join us for the film Camille Paglia calls “psychological high Gothic”! Expect loads of billowing white curtains and flapping doves! Slashed throats and geysers of spurting blood! Glasses of sherry! Flashbacks to ancient Egypt! And a notoriously explicit lesbian sex scene featuring Catherine Deneuve’s nude body double! Now sing along with me: “Bela Lugosi’s dead! Undead! Undead! Undead!” Full horrific details on event page.
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sleepythug · 1 year
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hey brian, I was wondering if you had any recommendations on film criticism/theory/reviews. are there any critics/thinkers you deeply admire that write well and have challenged your ways of seeing/thinking that you believe would help in better appreciating the medium?
i probably could have gone much longer on this five years ago but my brain did some sort of system reboot and lost all the memories ive had consuming film reviews, criticism, etc this ask makes me want to dust off that book i have of pauline kael capsules on my shelf lol anyways here's list of some fav critics/people to seek out if ur eager to dig deeper into cinephilia:
my most favs
ignatiy vishnevetsky (my fav)
jonathan rosenbaum
filipe furtado
dave kehr
david bordwell
j. hoberman
dennis lim
kim morgan
neil bahadur
nick pinkerton
xxx
james agee
miriam bale
richard brody
k. austin collins
fernando f. croce
manhola dargis
bilge ebri
manny farber
sean gilman
molly haskel
kent jones
pauline kael
peter labuza
matt lynch
adrian martin
calum marsh
adam nayman
nick newman
tony rayns
vadim rizov
jonathan romney
dan salitt
andrew sarris
scout tafoya
armond white
robin wood
ppl on letterboxd who's musings i enjoy
jake cole
max coombes
ryland walker knight
john lehtonen
willow maclay
luke mccarthy
matt mccracken
diogo serafim
arthur tuoto
ethan vestby
kurt walker
*also, i do like ebert but as i get older i realize i enjoy other lesser known critics a bit more+his taste in the latter years (21st century) is kinda wack tbh. 2007, one of the consensus last great years of american cinema, his best of the year was juno (i know, i know, it's an opinion but still lol) . cannot say he wasn't a formative figure, him being the most well known, most accessible film critic, and did the thing the best critics do in elevating, shedding light on artists they believe feel deserved of recognition/putting more eyes on their work.
**i think there's more people i could name-drop but i havent read enough, or been exposed to them as frequently, to go all-in on an endorsement of them/their work
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byneddiedingo · 1 year
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Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year (J.C. Chandor, 2014) Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Elyes Gabel, Albert Brooks, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Albert Brooks, Jerry Adler. Screenplay: J.C. Chandor. Cinematography: Bradford Young. Production design: John P. Goldsmith. Film editing: Ron Patane. Music: Alex Ebert. In a movie that might have been called "Do the Most Right Thing," Oscar Isaac plays yet another ethically challenged protagonist. Abel Morales is not as cranky as Llewyn Davis or as politically savvy as Nick Wasicsko, the beleaguered Yonkers mayor of the 2015 HBO series Show Me a Hero, but he's another little guy who deserves better than the forces opposed to him will allow. He's no moral paragon: He couldn't have built a successful heating oil company in New York City without bending a few of the rules -- and without the help of his less-scrupulous wife, Anna (Jessica Chastain). It's 1981, and Morales is on the brink of a big deal, purchasing property on the East River that will enable him to eliminate some of the middlemen in the business. But then everything starts going awry: His trucks are being hijacked and the district attorney (David Oyelowo) has decided to make him a target in his exposé of corrupt practices in the heating oil business. It's a gritty urban tale, the kind that the movies haven't seen much of lately, demanding an audience that doesn't ask for a lot of glamour and knows how to wait patiently for things to unfold. As director and screenwriter, J.C. Chandor resists the temptation to reveal too much too swiftly, building a quiet tension as we begin to bring the story into focus. He also handles action well, as the title suggests, although much of the violence is latent. Best of all, he showcases some fine performances, not only from Isaac and Chastain and Oyelowo, but also from Albert Brooks as Morales's attorney, Elyes Gabel as one of the victimized truck drivers, and Alessandro Nivola as one of Morales's mobbed-up competitors. There are moments when the script's depiction of Morales's determination to go as straight as possible seems a little too much like forcing him into the good-guy role, and the climax is too melodramatic, but on the whole it's a solid movie.
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They should make a movie where Cheech & Chong and Harold & Kumar and Bill & Ted and Beavis & Butthead and Ren & Stimpy and Abott & Costello and Tim & Eric and Sonic & Knuckles and Mario & Luigi and Finn & Jake and Siegfried & Roy and Simon & Garfunkel and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern and Timon & Pumbaa and Laurel & Hardy and Lilo & Stitch and Leroy & Stitch and Siskel & Ebert and Pride & Prejudice and Harold & Maude and Hootie & The Blowfish and Cow & Chicken and Harold & The Purple Crayon and Ms. Officer & Mr. Truffles and Cain & Abel and Naked & Afraid and Grim & Evil and The Fast & The Furious and Billy & Mandy and Mary Kate & Ashley and Belle & Sebastian and Oliver & Company and Hunter & Hunter and Will & Grace and Dharma & Greg and Hall & Oates and Sam & Kat and Plague & Pestilence and Sam & Max and Kane & Lynch and Wallace & Grommit and A Boy & His Blob and Fanny Mae & Freddie Mac and Blue Cross & Blue Shield and Bonnie & Clyde and Thelma & Louise and Cats & Dogs and Cats & Dogs 2: the Revenge of Kitty Galore and Pinky & The Brain and Chip & Dale and Robot & Monster and Ben & Jerry and Tom & Jerry and Heckle & Jeckyl and Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde and Batman & Robin and Ant-Man & The Wasp and Falcon & The Winter Soldier and Queen & David Bowie and Lewis & Clark and Martin & Lewis and Gilbert & Sullivan and Scooby-Doo & Scrappy Too and Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue and Toejam & Earl and Tom & Huck and Key & Peele and Kenan & Kel and Drake & Josh and Melissa & Joey and John Boy & Billy In The Morning and Hoops & Yo-Yo and Hawk & Dove and Cloak & Dagger and Dungeons & Dragons and Earwig & The Witch and Garfield & Friends and Calvin & Hobbes and Barney Google & Snuffy Smith and Asterix & Obelix
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fetchmearum420 · 1 year
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1776 Dreamcast made by me:
John Adams: Brian D’Arcy James
John Dickinson: Christian Borle
Benjamin Franklin: Nathan Lane
Thomas Jefferson: Gabriel Ebert
Edward Rutledge: John Riddle
John Hancock: Christopher Sieber
Stephen Hopkins: Roger Bart
Charles Thompson: Gavin Lee
James Wilson: Alex Brightman
Richard Henry Lee: Aaron Tveit
Col. Thomas McKean: Alfred Molina
Caesar Rodney: Christopher Fitzgerald
George Read: Brad Oscar
Samuel Chase: Danny Skinner
Dr. Lyman Hall: Eric Anderson
Roger Sherman: Drew Gehling
Lewis Morris: David Josefsberg
Joseph Hewes: Tom Alan Robbins
Dr. Josiah Bartlett: Richard Kind
Rev. John Witherspoon: Adam Dannheisser
Robert Livingston: Andy Karl
Andrew McNair: Wesley Taylor
Abigail Adams: Jessica Keenan Wynn
Martha Jefferson: Taylor Louderman
Courier: Ethan Slater
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Away We Go (2009, Sam Mendes)
29/02/2024
Away We Go is a 2009 film directed by Sam Mendes, written by the well-known author duo Dave Eggers-Vendela Vida, in their first film experience.
It is the story of two thirty-year-olds, played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, who, faced with the imminent, unplanned arrival of their first child, undertake a journey across the United States, and beyond, in search of the ideal place where put down roots and raise the family.
The film's soundtrack is cured by British singer-songwriter Alexi Murdoch and consists largely of his songs.
Presented at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the film was distributed in US cinemas by Focus Features starting from 5 June 2009, in the first weekend in limited form in 4 theatres.
Positive reviews include those from Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times), David Denby (The New Yorker) and Peter Travers (Rolling Stone). Among the negatives are those of Richard Corliss (Time), A. O. Scott (The New York Times), Dennis Harvey (Variety) and Ann Hornaday (The Washington Post).
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grandhotelabyss · 7 months
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A little late in the game, but had you received a Sight and Sound ballot, what would be your top 10 (I was reminded of the list because Paglia’s ballot was floating around Twitter recently, relentlessly mocked, but I mean, they're all fine films, and cinema is a populist, bourgeois medium...)
My list will be more controversial than hers. People reacted against her campy historical picks, but as a gay-male-identified lesbian she's entitled to them. Even her Italian-American self-assertion via The Godfather is unexceptionable, and most of the rest were revered Euro art films. Network TV used to play The Ten Commandments annually around Easter—do they still do this?—and as a kid I watched it every single year, religiously as it were, relishing its ludicrous maximalism. Does that count for nothing? But still, I came of age in a different era than Paglia, learned to ask different things of the form, and anyway am not the all-around cinephile the Silent and Boomer critics tended to be, bowled over as they were by the thing's novelty. (I made some notes on my taste here.) I find refreshing John David Ebert's assertion that cinema before about 1970 doesn't interest him much; he says the same about comics, and there's more truth in that, too, than people want to deal with. The point is not to disparage the early masters in either form but to observe that the whole standard of the art rose, as well as its technical capacity. I could argue by application the same for the novel: it doesn't get good until about the middle 19th century, admirable as Cervantes may be. I believe it was George Bernard Shaw who said that the later entrants in any genre tend to be the best, not the earlier. (Shakespeare, whom Shaw disliked, might be an exception, unless we consider him the epilogue to classical rather than the prologue to modern drama.) Here, then, is my admittedly idiosyncratic list, in chronological order. The favorites are crowded into a 30-year period, possibly the high point of the art form; as announced recently on Substack, I'm in my middlebrow era, so I tried to avoid both wholly personal "comfort-watch" choices of a trashy nature (sorry, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) and extremely high-minded selections I am "supposed" to admire (I do admire Tarkovsky, but do I love him?); I hesitated to put anything very recent because the test of time is a real test.
Meshes of the Afternoon, 1943, Maya Deren
Breathless, 1960, Jean-Luc Godard
The Exorcist, 1973, William Friedkin
Blade Runner, 1982, Ridley Scott
Videodrome, 1983, David Cronenberg
Wings of Desire, 1987, Wim Wenders
Nixon, 1995, Oliver Stone
Magnolia, 1999, Paul Thomas Anderson
Mulholland Drive, 2001, David Lynch
Lost in Translation, 2002, Sofia Coppola
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world-cinema-research · 10 months
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Week 8 and 9 Two Short Tumblr essay comparisons  “Forrest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button directed by David Fincher.”
 Short Essay #1: Similarities of Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
For week 8 I picked to watch Forrest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis. The film at parts was sad but had a heartwarming story. Which is very similar to the other film I watched for week 9, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button directed by David Fincher. In both of the films I watched they had their sadness, comedy, and heart touching stories both shared in unique ways. I would highly recommend watching both.
From experience of watching both films they were similar in having historical events happen for example not being the same wars but both films take place during a war. For Forrest Gump the Vietnam War 1955-1975 and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button took place during the end of World War l when he was born and he got stuck in World War ll when he was older. 
Critically, both films got their equal ratings from popular /journalistic: articles. From Roger Ebert giving his opinions on Forrest Gump and rating it a 4 out of 5 stars which I would agree with his rating and sayings. As for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, it only got 2 and a half out of 5 stars, which I thought should have been higher.
Forrest Gump review
The curious case of Benjamin button review
Both films of course had different trailers for being different films but, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers did post both of them on their channel.
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Historically, Forrest Gump came out in 1994 and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button came out in 2008 which means that the historical events of their times were different, however, there are some similar events that happened these years. For example, in 1994 when Forrest Gump came out,  The United States - NASA STS-62 Shuttle Mission happened , “NASA’s STS-62 mission took place during March. The Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center with a crew of five. The Crew included John H. Casper, Andrew M. Allen, Pierre J. Thuot, Charles D. Gemar, and Marsha S. Ivins. The crew conducted several experiments during The mission including growing crystals in microgravity. The mission lasted nearly 14 days and its landing was documented for a Discovery Channel special about the Space Shuttle Program.” (The People History) In 2008 when The Curious Case of Benjamin Button came out, The SpaceX dispatched the initial secretly formed space apparatus into space, “SpaceX sent off its most memorable secretly evolved shuttle, the falcon 1, into space. This was a significant achievement for the organization and denoted whenever a secretly supported rocket first had at any point been effectively sent off into space. The Falcon 1 was a two-stage, fluid-powered rocket and was fit for conveying a payload of as much as 400 pounds into a low Earth circle. This send-off was a significant accomplishment for SpaceX.” (Pamela)
Finally for textual evidence I wanted to share between the two films was this article about how similar they are and how similar their stories were told.
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rekafruzsina · 11 months
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Marian Goodman Gallery. Interview, Christian Boltanski at Galerie Marian Goodman, 2021. Marian Goodman Gallery, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uDL4ZkcCpQ.
Christie’s. Christian Boltanski: Théâtre d’ombres. Christie’s, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDrFplT3Nug.
Ebert, John David. Understanding Contemporary Art 5.5 Christian Boltanski Part 2 by John David Ebert. The John David Ebert Channel, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g08FgTBi26g&t=16s.
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whileiamdying · 1 year
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Here’s the complete list of 2023 Grammy nominees
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Record of the Year
“Don’t Shut Me Down” — ABBA [Lyrics; Music Video] “Easy On Me” — Adele “BREAK MY SOUL” — Beyoncé “Good Morning Gorgeous” — Mary J. Blige “You And Me On The Rock” — Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius “Woman” — Doja Cat “Bad Habit” — Steve Lacy “The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar “About Damn Time” — Lizzo “As It Was” — Harry Styles
Album of the Year
“Voyage” — ABBA “30" — Adele “Un Verano Sin Ti” — Bad Bunny “RENAISSANCE” — Beyoncé “Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)” — Mary J. Blige “In These Silent Days” — Brandi Carlile “Music Of The Spheres” — Coldplay “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” — Kendrick Lamar “Special” — Lizzo “Harry’s House” — Harry Styles
Song of the Year
“abcdefu” — Sara Davis, GAYLE & Dave Pittenger, songwriters (GAYLE) “About Damn Time” — Melissa “Lizzo” Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Blake Slatkin & Theron Makiel Thomas, songwriters (Lizzo) “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film) — Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift) “As It Was” — Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon & Harry Styles, songwriters (Harry Styles) ” Bad Habit” — Matthew Castellanos, Brittany Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Carroll Kirby & Steve Lacy, songwriters (Steve Lacy) “BREAK MY SOUL” — Beyoncé, S. Carter, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant & Christopher A. Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé) “Easy On Me” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele) “GOD DID” — Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts & Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend &Fridayy) “The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar) “Just Like That” — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt)
New Artist
Anitta Omar Apollo DOMi & JD Beck Muni Long Samara Joy Latto Måneskin Tobe Nwigwe Molly Tuttle Wet Leg
Pop Solo Performance
“Easy On Me” — Adele “Moscow Mule” — Bad Bunny “Woman” — Doja Cat “Bad Habit” — Steve Lacy “About Damn Time” — Lizzo “As It Was” — Harry Styles
Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Don’t Shut Me Down” — ABBA “Bam Bam” — Camila Cabello Featuring Ed Sheeran “My Universe” — Coldplay & BTS “I Like You (A Happier Song)” — Post Malone & Doja Cat “Unholy” — Sam Smith & Kim Petras
Traditional Pop Vocal Album
“Higher” — Michael Bublé “When Christmas Comes Around...” — Kelly Clarkson “I Dream Of Christmas (Extended)” — Norah Jones “Evergreen” — Pentatonix “Thank You” — Diana Ros
Pop Vocal Album
“Voyage” — ABBA “30" — Adele “Music Of The Spheres” — Coldplay “Special” — Lizzo “Harry’s House” — Harry Styles
Dance/Electronic Recording
“BREAK MY SOUL” — Beyoncé “Rosewood” — Bonobo “Don’t Forget My Love” — Diplo & Miguel “I’m Good (Blue)” — David Guetta & Bebe Rexha “Intimidated” — KAYTRANADA Featuring H.E.R. “On My Knees” — RÜFÜS DU SOL
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
“Renaissance” — Beyoncé “Fragments” — Bonobo “Diplo” — Diplo “The Last Goodbye” — ODESZA “Surrender” — RÜFÜS DU SOL
Contemporary Instrumental Album
“Between Dreaming And Joy” — Jeff Coffin “Not Tight” — DOMi & JD Beck “Blooz” — Grant Geissman “Jacob’s Ladder” — Brad Mehldau “Empire Central” — Snarky Puppy
Rock Performance
“So Happy It Hurts” — Bryan Adams “Old Man” — Beck “Wild Child” — The Black Keys “Broken Horses” — Brandi Carlile “Crawl!” — Idles “Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Jeff Beck “Holiday” — Turnstile
Oct. 1, 2021
Metal Performance
“Call Me Little Sunshine” — Ghost “We’ll Be Back” — Megadeth “Kill Or Be Killed” — Muse “Degradation Rules” — Ozzy Osbourne Featuring Tony Iommi “Blackout” — Turnstile
Rock Album
“Dropout Boogie” — The Black Keys “The Boy Named If” — Elvis Costello & The Imposters “Crawler” — Idles “Mainstream Sellout” — Machine Gun Kelly “Patient Number 9" — Ozzy Osbourne “Lucifer On The Sofa” — Spoon
Rock Song
“Black Summer” — Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis & Chad Smith, songwriters (Red Hot Chili Peppers) “Blackout” — Brady Ebert, Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory & Brendan Yates, songwriters (Turnstile) “Broken Horses” — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile) “Harmonia’s Dream” — Robbie Bennett & Adam Granduciel, songwriters (The War On Drugs) “Patient Number 9" — John Osbourne, Chad Smith, Ali Tamposi, Robert Trujillo & Andrew Wotman, songwriters (Ozzy Osbourne featuring Jeff Beck)
Alternative Music Performance
“There’d Better Be A Mirrorball” — Arctic Monkeys “Certainty” — Big Thief “King” — Florence + The Machine “Chaise Longue” — Wet Leg “Spitting Off The Edge Of The World” — Yeah Yeah Yeahs Featuring Perfume Genius
Alternative Music Album
“WE” — Arcade Fire “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You” — Big Thief “Fossora” — Björk “Wet Leg” — Wet Leg “Cool It Down” — Yeah Yeah Yeahs
R&B Performance
“VIRGO’S GROOVE” — Beyoncé “Here With Me” — Mary J. Blige Featuring Anderson .Paak “Hrs & Hrs” — Muni Long “Over” — Lucky Daye “Hurt Me So Good” — Jazmine Sullivan
Traditional R&B Performance
“Do 4 Love” — Snoh Aalegra “Keeps On Fallin’” — Babyface Featuring Ella Mai “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA” — Beyoncé “‘Round Midnight” — Adam Blackstone Featuring Jazmine Sullivan “Good Morning Gorgeous” — Mary J. Blige
Progressive R&B Album
“New Light” — Eric Bellinger “Something to Say” — Cory Henry “Mood Valiant” — Hiatus Kaiyote “Table for Two” — Lucky Daye “Dinner Party: Dessert” — Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington “Studying Abroad: Extended Stay” — Masego
R&B Song
“CUFF IT” — Denisia “Blu June” Andrews, Beyoncé, Mary Christine Brockert, Brittany “Chi” Coney, Terius “The-Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant, Morten Ristorp, Nile Rodgers & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Beyoncé) “Good Morning Gorgeous” — Mary J. Blige, David Brown, Dernst Emile II, Gabriella Wilson & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (Mary J. Blige) “Hrs & Hrs” — Hamadi Aaabi, Dylan Graham, Priscilla Renea, Thaddis “Kuk” Harrell, Brandon John-Baptiste, Isaac Wriston & Justin Nathaniel Zim, songwriters (Muni Long) “Hurt Me So Good” — Akeel Henry, Michael Holmes, Luca Mauti, Jazmine Sullivan & Elliott Trent, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan) “Please Don’t Walk Away” — PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)
Progressive R&B Album
“Operation Funk” — Cory Henry “Gemini Rights” — Steve Lacy “Drones” — Terrace Martin “Starfruit” — Moonchild “Red Balloon” — Tank And The Bangas
R&B Album
“Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe)” — Mary J. Blige “Breezy (Deluxe)” — Chris Brown “Black Radio III” — Robert Glasper “Candydrip” — Lucky Daye “Watch The Sun” — PJ Morton
Rap Performance
“GOD DID” — DJ Khaled Featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy “Vegas” — Doja Cat “pushin P” — Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” — Hitkidd & GloRilla “The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar
Melodic Rap Performance
“BEAUTIFUL” — DJ Khaled Featuring Future & SZA “WAIT FOR U” — Future Featuring Drake & Tems “First Class” — Jack Harlow “Die Hard” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Blxst & Amanda Reifer “Big Energy (Live)” — Latto
Rap Album
“GOD DID” — DJ Khaled “I Never Liked You” — Future “Come Home The Kids Miss You” — Jack Harlow “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” — Kendrick Lamar “It’s Almost Dry” — Pusha T
Rap Song
“Churchill Downs” — Ace G, BEDRM, Matthew Samuels, Tahrence Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Aubrey Graham, Jack Harlow & Jose Velazquez, songwriters (Jack Harlow featuring Drake) “GOD DID” — Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts & Nicholas Warwar, songwriters (DJ Khaled featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend & Fridayy) “The Heart Part 5" — Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar & Matt Schaeffer, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar) “pushin P” — Lucas Depante, Nayvadius Wilburn, Sergio Kitchens, Wesley Tyler Glass & Jeffery Lamar Williams, songwriters (Gunna & Future Featuring Young Thug) “WAIT FOR U” — Tejiri Akpoghene, Floyd E. Bentley III, Jacob Canady, Isaac De Boni, Aubrey Graham, Israel Ayomide Fowobaje, Nayvadius Wilburn, Michael Mule, Oluwatoroti Oke & Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Future Featuring Drake & Tems)
Country Solo Performance
“Heartfirst” — Kelsea Ballerini “Something In The Orange” — Zach Bryan “In His Arms” — Miranda Lambert “Circles Around This Town” — Maren Morris “Live Forever” — Willie Nelson
Country Duo/Group Performance
“Wishful Drinking” — Ingrid Andress & Sam Hunt “Midnight Rider’s Prayer” — Brothers Osborne “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” — Luke Combs & Miranda Lambert “Does He Love You - Revisited” — Reba McEntire & Dolly Parton “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” — Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde “Going Where The Lonely Go” — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Country Album
“Growin’ Up” — Luke Combs “Palomino” — Miranda Lambert “Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville” — Ashley McBryde “Humble Quest” — Maren Morris “A Beautiful Time” — Willie Nelson
Country Song
“Circles Around This Town” — Ryan Hurd, Julia Michaels, Maren Morris & Jimmy Robbins, songwriters (Maren Morris) “Doin’ This” — Luke Combs, Drew Parker & Robert Williford, songwriters (Luke Combs) ” I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” — Lori McKenna & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift) “If I Was A Cowboy” — Jesse Frasure & Miranda Lambert, songwriters (Miranda Lambert) “I’ll Love You Till The Day I Die” — Rodney Crowell & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Willie Nelson) “‘Til You Can’t” — Matt Rogers & Ben Stennis, songwriters (Cody Johnson)https://www.youtube.com/embed/EJEz_z7cE_0
Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album
“Positano Songs” — Will Ackerman “Joy” — Paul Avgerinos “Mantra Americana” — Madi Das & Dave Stringer With Bhakti Without Borders “The Passenger” — Cheryl B. Engelhardt “Mystic Mirror” — White Sun
Improvised Jazz Solo
“Rounds (Live)” — Ambrose Akinmusire, soloist; Track from: New Standards Vol. 1 (Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton & Matthew Stevens) “Keep Holding On” — Gerald Albright, soloist “Falling” — Melissa Aldana, soloist; Track from: 12 Stars “Call Of The Drum” — Marcus Baylor, soloist “Cherokee/Koko” — John Beasley, soloist; Track from: Bird Lives (John Beasley, Magnus Lindgren & SWR Big Band) “Endangered Species” — Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese, soloist; Track from: Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival (Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese & esperanza spalding
Jazz Vocal Album
“The Evening : Live At APPARATUS” — The Baylor Project “Linger Awhile” — Samara Joy “Fade To Black” — Carmen Lundy “Fifty” — The Manhattan Transfer With The WDR Funkhausorchester “Ghost Song” — Cécile McLorin Salvant
Jazz Instrumental Album
“New Standards Vol. 1" — Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton & Matthew Stevens “Live In Italy” — Peter Erskine Trio “LongGone” — Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Brian Blade “Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival” — Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese & esperanza spalding “Parallel Motion” — Yellowjackets
Large Jazz Ensemble Album
“Bird Lives” — John Beasley, Magnus Lindgren & SWR Big Band “Remembering Bob Freedman” — Ron Carter & The Jazzaar Festival Big Band Directed by Christian Jacob “Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra” — Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson, Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra “Center Stage” — Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber & WDR Big Band Conducted By Michael Abene “Architecture Of Storms” — Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows
Latin Jazz Album
“Fandango At The Wall In New York” — Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring The Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective “Crisálida” — Danilo Pérez Featuring The Global Messengers “If You Will” — Flora Purim “Rhythm & Soul” — Arturo Sandoval “Música De Las Américas” — Miguel Zenón
Gospel Performance/Song
“Positive” — Erica Campbell; Erica Campbell, Warryn Campbell & Juan Winans, songwriters “When I Pray” — DOE; Dominique Jones & Dewitt Jones, songwriters “Kingdom” — Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, Jonathan Jay, Chandler Moore & Jacob Poole, songwriters “The Better Benediction” — PJ Morton Featuring Zacardi Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers & Darrel Walls; PJ Morton, songwriter “Get Up” — Tye Tribbett; Brandon Jones, Christopher Michael Stevens, Thaddaeus Tribbett & Tye Tribbett, songwriters
Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“God Really Loves Us (Radio Version)” — Crowder Featuring Dante Bowe and Maverick City Music; Dante Bowe, David Crowder, Ben Glover & Jeff Sojka, songwriters “So Good” — DOE; Chuck Butler, Dominique Jones & Ethan Hulse, songwriters “For God Is With Us” — for KING & COUNTRY & Hillary Scott; Josh Kerr, Jordan Reynolds, Joel Smallbone & Luke Smallbone, songwriters “Fear Is Not My Future” — Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, Nicole Hannel, Jonathan Jay, Brandon Lake & Hannah Shackelford, songwriters “Holy Forever” — Chris Tomlin; Jason Ingram, Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Chris Tomlin & Phil Wickham, songwriters “Hymn Of Heaven (Radio Version)” — Phil Wickham; Chris Davenport, Bill Johnson, Brian Johnson & Phil Wickham, songwriters
Gospel Album
“Die To Live” — Maranda Curtis “Breakthrough: The Exodus (Live)” — Ricky Dillard “Clarity” — DOE “Kingdom Book One Deluxe” — Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin “All Things New” — Tye Tribbett
Contemporary Christian Music Album
“Lion” — Elevation Worship “Breathe” — Maverick City Music “Life After Death” — TobyMac “Always” — Chris Tomlin “My Jesus” — Anne Wilson
Roots Gospel Album
“Let’s Just Praise The Lord” — Gaither Vocal Band “Confessio - Irish American Roots” — Keith & Kristyn Getty “The Willie Nelson Family” — Willie Nelson “2:22" — Karen Peck & New River “The Urban Hymnal” — Tennessee State University Marching Band
Latin Pop Album
“AGUILERA” — Christina Aguilera “Pasieros” — Rubén Blades & Boca Livre “De Adentro Pa Afuera” — Camilo “VIAJANTE” — Fonseca “Dharma +" — Sebastián Yatra
Música Urbana Album
“TRAP CAKE, VOL. 2" — Rauw Alejandro “Un Verano Sin Ti” — Bad Bunny “LEGENDADDY” — Daddy Yankee “La 167" — Farruko “The Love & Sex Tape” — Maluma
Latin Rock or Alternative Album
“El Alimento” — Cimafunk “Tinta y Tiempo” — Jorge Drexler “1940 Carmen” — Mon Laferte “Alegoría” — Gaby Moreno Los Años Salvajes” — Fito Paez “MOTOMAMI” — Rosalía
Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano)
“Abeja Reina” — Chiquis “Un Canto por México - El Musical” — Natalia Lafourcade “La Reunión (Deluxe)” — Los Tigres Del Norte “EP #1 Forajido” — Christian Nodal “Qué Ganas de Verte (Deluxe)” — Marco Antonio Solís
Tropical Latin Album
“Pa’lla Voy” — Marc Anthony ” Quiero Verte Feliz” — a Santa Cecilia “Lado A Lado B” — Víctor Manuelle “Legendario” — Tito Nieves ” Imágenes Latinas” — Spanish Harlem Orchestra “Cumbiana II” — Carlos Vives
American Roots Performance
“Someday It’ll All Make Sense (Bluegrass Version)” — Bill Anderson Featuring Dolly Parton “Life According To Raechel” — Madison Cunningham “Oh Betty” — Fantastic Negrito “Stompin’ Ground” — Aaron Neville With The Dirty Dozen Brass Band “Prodigal Daughter” — Aoife O’Donovan & Allison Russell
American Roots Song
“Bright Star” — Anaïs Mitchell, songwriter (Anaïs Mitchell) “Forever” — Sheryl Crow & Jeff Trott, songwriters (Sheryl Crow) “High And Lonesome” — T Bone Burnett & Robert Plant, songwriters (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss) “Just Like That” — Bonnie Raitt, songwriter (Bonnie Raitt) “Prodigal Daughter” — Tim O’Brien & Aoife O’Donovan, songwriters (Aoife O’Donovan & Allison Russell) “You And Me On The Rock” — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius)
Americana Album
“In These Silent Days” — Brandi Carlile “Things Happen That Way” — Dr. John “Good To Be...” — Keb’ Mo’ “Raise The Roof” — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss “Just Like That...” — Bonnie Raitt
Americana Performance
“Silver Moon [A Tribute To Michael Nesmith]” — Eric Alexandrakis “There You Go Again” — Asleep At The Wheel Featuring Lyle Lovett “The Message” — Blind Boys Of Alabama Featuring Black Violin “You And Me On The Rock” — Brandi Carlile Featuring Lucius “Made Up Mind” — Bonnie Raitt
Bluegrass Album
“Toward The Fray” — The Infamous Stringdusters “Almost Proud” — The Del McCoury Band “Calling You From My Mountain” — Peter Rowan “Crooked Tree” — Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway “Get Yourself Outside” — Yonder Mountain String Band
Traditional Blues Album
“Heavy Load Blues” — Gov’t Mule “The Blues Don’t Lie” — Buddy Guy “Get On Board” — Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder “The Sun Is Shining Down” — John Mayall “Mississippi Son” — Charlie Musselwhite
Contemporary Blues Album
“Done Come Too Far” — Shemekia Copeland “Crown” — Eric Gales “Bloodline Maintenance” — Ben Harper “Set Sail” — North Mississippi Allstars “Brother Johnny” — Edgar Winter
Folk Album
“Spellbound” — Judy Collins “Revealer” — Madison Cunningham “The Light At The End Of The Line” — Janis Ian “Age Of Apathy” — Aoife O’Donovan “Hell On Church Street” — Punch Brothers
Regional Roots Music Album
“Full Circle” — Sean Ardoin And Kreole Rock And Soul Featuring LSU Golden Band From Tigerland “Natalie Noelani” — Natalie Ai Kamauu “Halau Hula Keali’i O Nalani - Live At The Getty Center” — Halau Hula Keali’i O Nalani “Lucky Man” — Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas “Live At The 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival” — Ranky Tanky
Reggae Album
“The Kalling” — Kabaka Pyramid “Gifted” — Koffee “Scorcha” — Sean Paul “Third Time’s The Charm” — Protoje “Com Fly Wid Mi” — Shaggy
Global Music Performance
“Udhero Na” — Arooj Aftab & Anoushka Shankar “Gimme Love” — Matt B & Eddy Kenzo “Last Last” — Burna Boy “Neva Bow Down” — Rocky Dawuni Featuring Blvk H3ro “Bayethe” — Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini & Nomcebo Zikode
Global Music Album
“Shuruaat” — Berklee Indian Ensemble “Love, Damini” — Burna Boy “Queen Of Sheba” — Angélique Kidjo & Ibrahim Maalouf “Between Us... (Live)” — Anoushka Shankar, Metropole Orkest & Jules Buckley Featuring Manu Delago “Sakura” — Masa Takumi
Children’s Music Album
“Into The Little Blue House” — Wendy And DB “Los Fabulosos” — Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band “The Movement” — Alphabet Rockers “Ready Set Go!” — Divinity Roxx “Space Cadet” — Justin Roberts
Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording
“Act Like You Got Some Sense” — Jamie Foxx “All About Me!: My Remarkable Life In Show Business by Mel Brooks” — Mel Brooks “Aristotle And Dante Dive Into The Waters Of The World” — Lin-Manuel Miranda “Finding Me” — Viola Davis “Music Is History” — Questlove
Spoken Word Poetry Album
“Black Men Are Precious” — Ethelbert Miller “Call Us What We Carry: Poems” — Amanda Gorman “Hiding In Plain View” — Malcolm-Jamal Warner “The Poet Who Sat By The Door” — J. Ivy “You Will Be Someone’s Ancestor. Act Accordingly.” — Amir Sulaiman
Comedy Album
“The Closer” — Dave Chappelle “Comedy Monster” — Jim Gaffigan “A Little Brains, A Little Talent” — Randy Rainbow “Sorry” — Louis CK “We All Scream” — Patton Oswalt
Musical Theater Album
“Caroline, Or Change” — John Cariani, Sharon D Clarke, Caissie Levy & Samantha Williams, principal vocalists; Van Dean, Nigel Lilley, Lawrence Manchester, Elliot Scheiner & Jeanine Tesori, producers; Jeanine Tesori, composer; Tony Kushner, lyricist (New Broadway Cast) “Into The Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording)” — Sara Bareilles, Brian d’Arcy James, Patina Miller & Phillipa Soo, principal vocalists; Rob Berman & Sean Patrick Flahaven, producers (Stephen Sondheim, composer & lyricist) (2022 Broadway Cast) “MJ The Musical” — Myles Frost & Tavon Olds-Sample, principal vocalists; David Holcenberg, Derik Lee & Jason Michael Webb, producers (Original Broadway Cast) “Mr. Saturday Night” — Shoshana Bean, Billy Crystal, Randy Graff & David Paymer, principal vocalists; Jason Robert Brown, Sean Patrick Flahaven & Jeffrey Lesser, producers; Jason Robert Brown, composer; Amanda Green, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast) “Six: Live On Opening Night” — Joe Beighton, Tom Curran, Sam Featherstone, Paul Gatehouse, Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, producers; Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast) ” A Strange Loop” — Jaquel Spivey, principal vocalist; Michael Croiter, Michael R. Jackson, Charlie Rosen & Rona Siddiqui, producers; Michael R. Jackson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
“ELVIS” — (Various Artists) “Encanto” — (Various Artists) “Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (Vol 2)” — (Various Artists) “Top Gun: Maverick” — Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe “West Side Story"" — (Various Artists)
Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (includes film and television)
“The Batman” — Michael Giacchino, composer “Encanto” — Germaine Franco, composer “No Time To Die” — Hans Zimmer, composer “The Power Of The Dog” — Jonny Greenwood, composer “Succession: Season 3" — Nicholas Britell, composer
Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
“Aliens: Fireteam Elite” — Austin Wintory, composer “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarok” — Stephanie Economou, composer “Call Of Duty®: Vanguard” — Bear McCreary, composer “Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy” — Richard Jacques, composer “Old World” — Christopher Tin, composer
Song Written for Visual Media
“Be Alive” [From “King Richard”] — Beyoncé & Darius Scott Dixson, songwriters (Beyoncé) “Carolina” [From “Where The Crawdads Sing”] — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift) “Hold My Hand” [From “Top Gun: Maverick”] — Bloodpop® & Stefani Germanotta, songwriters (Lady Gaga) “Keep Rising (The Woman King)” [From “The Woman King”] — Angelique Kidjo, Jeremy Lutito & Jessy Wilson, songwriters (Jessy Wilson Featuring Angelique Kidjo) “Nobody Like U” [From “Turning Red”] — Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (4*Town, Jordan Fisher, Finneas O’Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, Grayson Villanueva) “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” [From “Encanto”] — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Carolina Gaitán - La Gaita, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & “Encanto” Cast)
Instrumental Composition
“African Tales” — Paquito D’Rivera, composer (Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar) “El País Invisible” — Miguel Zenón, composer (Miguel Zenón, José Antonio Zayas Cabán, Ryan Smith & Casey Rafn) “Fronteras (Borders) Suite: Al-Musafir Blues” — Danilo Pérez, composer (Danilo Pérez Featuring The Global Messengers) ” Refuge” — Geoffrey Keezer, composer (Geoffrey Keezer) “Snapshots” — Pascal Le Boeuf, composer (Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar)
Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
“As Days Go By” (an arrangement of “The Family Matters” theme song)” — Armand Hutton, arranger (Armand Hutton Featuring Terrell Hunt & Just 6) “How Deep Is Your Love” — Matt Cusson, arranger (Kings Return) “Main Titles (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness)” — Danny Elfman, arranger (Danny Elfman) “Minnesota, WI” — Remy Le Boeuf, arranger (Remy Le Boeuf) “Scrapple From The Apple” — John Beasley, arranger (Magnus Lindgren, John Beasley & The SWR Big Band Featuring Martin Aeur)
Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
“Let It Happen” — Louis Cole, arranger (Louis Cole) “Never Gonna Be Alone” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Lizzy McAlpine & John Mayer) “Optimistic Voices / No Love Dying” — Cécile McLorin Salvant, arranger (Cécile McLorin Salvant) “Songbird (Orchestral Version)” — Vince Mendoza, arranger (Christine McVie) “2 + 2 = 5 (Arr. Nathan Schram)” — Nathan Schram & Becca Stevens, arrangers (Becca Stevens & Attacca Quartet)
Recording Package
“Beginningless Beginning” — Chun-Tien Hsia & Qing-Yang Xiao, art directors (Tamsui-Kavalan Chinese Orchestra) “Divers” — William Stichter, art director (Soporus) “Everything Was Beautiful” — Mark Farrow, art director (Spiritualized) “Telos” — Ming Liu, art director (Fann) “Voyeurist” — Tnsn Dvsn, art director (Underoath)
Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
“Artists Inspired By Music: Interscope Reimagined” — Josh Abraham, Steve Berman, Jimmy Iovine, John Janick & Jason Sangerman, art directors (VariousArtists) “Big Mess” — Berit Gwendolyn Gilma, art director (Danny Elfman) “Black Pumas (Collector’s Edition Box Set)” — Jenna Krackenberger, Anna McCaleb & Preacher, art directors (Black Pumas) “Book” — Paul Sahre, art director (They Might Be Giants) “In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81 ’82 ’83" — Lisa Glines, Doran Tyson & Dave Van Patten, art directors (The Grateful Dead)
Album Notes
“The American Clavé Recordings” — Fernando González, album notes writer (Astor Piazzolla) “Andy Irvine & Paul Brady” — Gareth Murphy, album notes writer (Andy Irvine & Paul Brady) “Harry Partch, 1942" — John Schneider, album notes writer (Harry Partch) “Life’s Work: A Retrospective” — Ted Olson, album notes writer (Doc Watson) “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)” — Bob Mehr, album notes writer (Wilco)
Historical Album
“Against The Odds: 1974-1982" — Tommy Manzi, Steve Rosenthal & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Tom Camuso, restoration engineer (Blondie) “The Goldberg Variations - The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions” — Robert Russ, compilation producer; Martin Kistner, mastering engineer (Glenn Gould) “Life’s Work: A Retrospective” — Scott Billington, Ted Olson & Mason Williams, compilation producers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Doc Watson) “To Whom It May Concern...” — Jonathan Sklute, compilation producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mastering engineer (Freestyle Fellowship) “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)” — Cheryl Pawelski & Jeff Tweedy, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Wilco)
Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Amy Allen Nija Charles Tobias Jesso Jr. The-Dream Laura Veltz
Engineered Album, Non-Classical
“Adolescence” — George Nicholas & Ryan Schwabe, engineers; Ryan Schwabe, mastering engineer (Baynk) “Black Radio III” — Daniel Farris, Tiffany Gouché, Keith Lewis, Musiq Soulchild, Reginald Nicholas, Q-Tip, Amir Sulaiman, Michael Law Thomas & Jon Zacks, engineers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer (Robert Glasper) “Chloë and the Next 20th Century” — Dave Cerminara & Jonathan Wilson, engineers; Adam Ayan, mastering engineer (Father John Misty) “Harry’s House” — Jeremy Hatcher, Oli Jacobs, Nick Lobel, Mark “Spike” Stent & Sammy Witte, engineers; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Harry Styles) “Wet Leg” — Jon McMullen, Joshua Mobaraki, Alan Moulder & Alexis Smith, engineers; Matt Colton, mastering engineer (Wet Leg)
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff Dan Auerbach Boi-1da Dahi Dernst “D’mile” Emile II
Remixed Recording
“About Damn Time (Purple Disco Machine Remix)"" — Purple Disco Machine, remixer (Lizzo) “BREAK MY SOUL (Terry Hunter Remix)"" — Terry Hunter, remixer (Beyoncé) “Easy Lover (Four Tet Remix)” — Four Tet, remixer (Ellie Goulding) “Slow Song (Paul Woolford Remix)” — Paul Woolford, remixer (The Knocks & Dragonette) “Too Late Now (Soulwax Remix)” — Soulwax, remixers (Wet Leg)
Immersive Audio Album
“AGUILERA” — Jaycen Joshua, immersive mix engineer; Jaycen Joshua, immersive mastering engineer (Christina Aguilera) “Divine Tides” — Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineer; Stewart Copeland, Ricky Kej & Herbert Waltl, immersive producers (Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej) “Memories...Do Not Open” — Mike Piacentini, immersive mix engineer; Mike Piacentini, immersive mastering engineer; Adam Alpert, Alex Pall, Jordan Stilwell & Andrew Taggart, immersive producers (The Chainsmokers) “Picturing The Invisible - Focus 1" — Jim Anderson, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg & Ulrike Schwarz, immersive mastering engineers; Jane Ira Bloom & Ulrike Schwarz, immersive producers (Jane Ira Bloom) “Tuvayhun — Beatitudes For A Wounded World” — Morten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive producer (Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene)
Engineered Album, Classical
“Bates: Philharmonia Fantastique - The Making Of The Orchestra” — Shawn Murphy, Charlie Post & Gary Rydstrom, engineers; Michael Romanowski, mastering engineer (Edwin Outwater & Chicago Symphony Orchestra) “Beethoven: Symphony No. 6; Stucky: Silent Spring” — Mark Donahue, engineer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Manfred Honeck & Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) “Perspectives” — Jonathan Lackey, Bill Maylone & Dan Nichols, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Third Coast Percussion) “Tuvayhun - Beatitudes For A Wounded World” — Morten Lindberg, engineer; Morten Lindberg, mastering engineer (Anita Brevik, Nidarosdomens Jentekor & Trondheimsolistene) “Williams: Violin Concerto No. 2 & Selected Film Themes” — Bernhard Güttler, Shawn Murphy & Nick Squire, engineers; Christoph Stickel, mastering engineer (Anne-Sophie Mutter, John Williams & Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Producer of the Year, Classical
Jonathan Allen Christoph Franke James Ginsburg Elaine Martone Judith Sherman
Orchestral Performance
“Adams, John Luther: Sila - The Breath Of The World” — Doug Perkins, conductor (Musicians Of The University Of Michigan Department Of Chamber Music & University Of Michigan Percussion Ensemble) “Dvořák: Symphonies Nos. 7-9" — Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic) “Eastman: Stay On It” — Christopher Rountree, conductor (Wild Up) “John Williams - The Berlin Concert” — John Williams, conductor (Berliner Philharmoniker) “Works By Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman” — Michael Repper, conductor (New York Youth Symphony)
Opera Recording
“Aucoin: Eurydice” — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Barry Banks, Nathan Berg, Joshua Hopkins, Erin Morley & Jakub Józef Orliński; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus) “Blanchard: Fire Shut Up In My Bones” — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Angel Blue, Will Liverman, Latonia Moore & Walter Russell III; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus) “Davis: X - The Life And Times Of Malcolm X” — Gil Rose, conductor; Ronnita Miller, Whitney Morrison, Victor Robertson & Davóne Tines; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Odyssey Opera Chorus)
Choral Performance
“Bach: St. John Passion” — John Eliot Gardiner, conductor (English Baroque Soloists; Monteverdi Choir) “Born” — Donald Nally, conductor (Dominic German, Maren Montalbano, Rebecca Myers & James Reese; The Crossing) “Verdi: Requiem - The Met Remembers 9/11" — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Donald Palumbo, chorus master (Michelle DeYoung, Eric Owens, Ailyn Pérez & Matthew Polenzani; The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
“Beethoven: Complete String Quartets, Volume 2 - The Middle Quartets” — Dover Quartet “Musical Remembrances” — Neave Trio “Perspectives” — Third Coast Percussion “Shaw: Evergreen” — Attacca Quartet “What Is American” — PUBLIQuartet
Classical Instrumental Solo
“Abels: Isolation Variation” — Hilary Hahn “Bach: The Art Of Life” — Daniil Trifonov “Beethoven: Diabelli Variations” — Mitsuko Uchida “Letters For The Future” — Time For Three; Xian Zhang, conductor (The Philadelphia Orchestra) “A Night In Upper Town - The Music Of Zoran Krajacic” — Mak Grgić
Classical Solo Vocal Album
“Eden” — Joyce DiDonato, soloist; Maxim Emelyanychev, conductor (Il Pomo D’Oro) “How Do I Find You” — Sasha Cooke, soloist; Kirill Kuzmin, pianist “Okpebholo: Lord, How Come Me Here?” — Will Liverman, soloist; Paul Sánchez, pianist (J’Nai Bridges & Caen Thomason-Redus) “Stranger - Works For Tenor By Nico Muhly” — Nicholas Phan, soloist (Eric Jacobson; Brooklyn Rider & The Knights; Reginald Mobley) “Voice Of Nature - The Anthropocene” — Renée Fleming, soloist; Yannick Nézet-Séguin, pianist
Best Classical Compendium
“An Adoption Story” — Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley; Jeff Fair, Starr Parodi & Kitt Wakeley, producers “Aspire” — JP Jofre & Seunghee Lee; Enrico Fagone, conductor; Jonathan Allen, producer “A Concert For Ukraine” — Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; David Frost, producer “The Lost Birds” — Voces8; Barnaby Smith & Christopher Tin, conductors; Sean Patrick Flahaven & Christopher Tin, producers
Contemporary Classical Composition
“Akiho: Ligneous Suite” — Andy Akiho, composer (Ian Rosenbaum & Dover Quartet) “Bermel: Intonations” — Derek Bermel, composer (Jack Quartet) “Gubaidulina: The Wrath Of God” — Sofia Gubaidulina, composer (Andris Nelsons & Gewandhausorchester) “Puts: Contact” — Kevin Puts, composer (Xian Zhang, Time for Three & The Philadelphia Orchestra) “Simon: Requiem For The Enslaved” — Carlos Simon, composer (Carlos Simon, MK Zulu, Marco Pavé & Hub New Music)
Music Video
“Easy On Me” — Adele; Xavier Dolan, video director; Xavier Dolan & Nancy Grant, video producers “Yet To Come” — BTS; Yong Seok Choi, video director; Tiffany Suh, video producer “Woman” — Doja Cat; Child., video director; Missy Galanida, Sam Houston, Michelle Larkin & Isaac Rice, video producers “The Heart Part 5" — Kendrick Lamar; Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar, video directors; Jason Baum & Jamie Rabineau, video producers “As It Was” — Harry Styles; Tanu Muino, video director; Frank Borin, Ivanna Borin, Fred Bonham Carter & Alexa Haywood, video producers “All Too Well: The Short Film” — Taylor Swift; Taylor Swift, video director; Saul Germaine, video producer
Music Film
“Adele One Night Only” — Adele; Paul Dugdale, video director; Raj Kapoor & Ben Winston, video producers “Our World” — Justin Bieber; Michael D. Ratner, video director; Kfir Goldberg, Andy Mininger & Scott Ratner, video producers “Billie Eilish Live At The O2" — Billie Eilish; Sam Wrench, video director; Michelle An, Tom Colbourne, Chelsea Dodson & Billie Eilish, video producers “Motomami (Rosalía Tiktok Live Performance)” — Rosalía; Ferrán Echegaray, Rosalía Vila Tobella & Stillz, video directors “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story” — (Various Artists); Frank Marshall & Ryan Suffern, video directors; Frank Marshall, Sean Stuart & Ryan Suffern, video producers “A Band A Brotherhood A Barn” — Neil Young & Crazy Horse; Dhlovelife, video director; Gary Ward, video producer
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Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas, Naveen Andrews, Colin Firth, Julian Wadham, Jürgen Prochnow, Kevin Whately, Clive Merrison, NIno Castelnuovo. Screenplay: Anthony Minghella, based on a novel by Michael Ondaatje. Cinematography: John Seale. Production design: Stuart Craig. Film editing: Walter Murch. Music: Gabriel Yared. 
The "prestige motion picture" is a familiar genre: It's typically a movie derived from a distinguished literary source or a biopic about a distinguished historic figure, with a cast full of major actors, but designed not so much to advance the art of film as to attract critical raves and awards -- particularly Oscars. There are plenty of examples among the best-picture Oscar winners: A Man for All Seasons (Fred Zinnemann, 1966), Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, 1981), Gandhi (Richard Attenborough, 1982), Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984), Out of Africa (Sydney Pollack, 1985), and The Last Emperor (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987). (The 1980s seemed to be particularly dominated by prestige-seekers.) The trouble is that once the initial attraction of these films has faded, few people seem to remember them fondly or want to watch them again. I'd rather watch The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966) today than sit through A Man for All Seasons, and I would say the same for Atlantic City (Louis Malle, 1981), Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982), Starman (John Carpenter, 1984), Prizzi's Honor (John Huston, 1985), and Moonstruck (Norman Jewison, 1987) when put in competition with the prestige best-picture winners of their respective years. So I watched The English Patient last night to test my theory that prestige movies don't hold up over time. It fits the category precisely: It's based on a Booker Prize-winning novel by Michael Ondaatje; it has a distinguished cast, three of whom were nominated for acting Oscars, including Juliette Binoche, who won; it earned raves from The New Yorker, the New York Times, and Roger Ebert; it raked in 12 Oscar nominations and won nine of them -- picture, supporting actress, director Anthony Minghella, cinematographer John Seale, art direction, costumes, sound, film editor Walter Murch (who also shared in the Oscar for sound), and composer Gabriel Yared. And sure enough, there are films from 1996 that I'd rather watch again than The English Patient, including  Fargo (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen), Lone Star (John Sayles), and Trainspotting (Danny Boyle). But I also have to say that of all the "prestige" best picture winners, The English Patient makes the best case for the genre. It's a good movie, with a mostly well-crafted screenplay by Minghella from a book many thought unfilmable, though it still tries to carry over too much from the novel, such as the character of David Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe), whose function in the film, to provoke Almásy (Ralph Fiennes) into uncovering his story, could have been served equally well by Hana (Binoche). But the performances still seem fresh and committed. Binoche, though designated a supporting actress, carries the film by turning Hana into a kind of central consciousness. I was surprised at how much heat is generated by Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine, considering that they are both usually rather icy performers. There are some beautifully staged scenes, like the one in which Kip (Naveen Andrews) "flies" Hana so she can view the frescoes high in a church. And Murch's sound editing gives the film a marvelous sonic texture, starting with the mysterious clinking sounds at the film's beginning, which are then revealed to be the bottles carried by an Arab vendor of potions. Murch's ear and Seale's eye make the film an enduring audiovisual treat.
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greysautomation · 1 year
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Penguin from batman
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Penguin from batman tv#
It also picked up nods in the same categories at the Bafta Awards where it again was thwarted by Death Becomes Her and The Last Of The Mohicans. It was recognised at the Oscars and Baftasīatman Returns received Oscar nominations in the Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup and Hairstyling categories but lost out to Death Becomes Her and Bram Stoker’s Dracula respectively. Written and performed by Australian troubadour Vance Joy, acoustic ballad Riptide reached No.10 on the UK charts in 2013.įeaturing the lyric ‘I swear she’s destined for the screen/Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you’ve ever seen’, the song was partially inspired by the actress’ performance in Batman Returns. McDonald’s was forced to scrap its Happy Meal tie-in following floods of complaints from parents about the film’s violent tone. Reviewers weren’t the only ones to get a little upset about Batman Returns’ inherent darkness. Tim Burton’s Batman films are virtually technicolour fairy tales compared to Christopher Nolan’s gritty reboot, but back in 1992 critics weren’t prepared for dark, comic-book tales.Įsteemed reviewer Roger Ebert argued that ‘superheroes and film noir don’t go together’, while the Los Angeles Times described its tone as ‘claustrophobic, oppressive’ and one which ‘strangles almost all the enjoyment out of the movie’. In a 2007 interview she revealed she never wanted to see a Catwoman costume again, perhaps due to the fact that it was so tightly sealed she only had a brief amount of time to act her lines before she passed out. Michelle Pfeiffer wasn’t a particular fan of the wardrobe department’s work. Indeed, 12 king penguins and 30 African penguins were used over the course of the shoot, with men in suits, robotics and CGI standing in for the real thing during the more difficult scenes. While computer generated animation was used for the bats, The Penguin’s bird army was a mixture of nature and technology. Sadly, the aging star fell ill shortly before filming and he had to be replaced by Pee-wee Herman, aka Paul Reubens, who also reprised the role for several episodes of Gotham.
Penguin from batman tv#
The original Penguin was supposed to make a cameoīurgess Meredith, who played The Penguin in the cartoonish 60s TV series, signed on to play the Penguin’s father Tucker Cobblepot. The director only agreed to return when he was given more creative control and allowed to commission a rewritten script from Heathers screenwriter Waters. Tim Burton appeared to have had enough of the Caped Crusader after bringing him back to life with 1989’s Batman, describing the possibility of a sequel as a ‘most dumbfounded idea’. Marlon Wayans had not only been cast as Robin in Batman Returns, he’d also been measured up for a suit.īut he never got to wear it onscreen when the sidekick was rested due to the film having too many characters. These included John Candy, Bob Hoskins, Dean Martin, Christopher Lloyd and Dustin Hoffman. Marlon Brando was just one of several big-name actors who were considered for the role of The Penguin before it was given to Danny DeVito. Marlon Brando could have played The Penguin The musical icon, who instead took a role in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, had previously passed on another role Walker then assumed – Max Zorin in A View to Kill. But none other than David Bowie was the first name that producers had in mind. Named after Nosferatu actor Max Schreck, Batman Returns’ all-human villain was played by Christopher Walken. Producers wanted David Bowie to play Max Schreck Madonna, Cher, Raquel Welch, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda were just some of the other names in contention for the role.īut no one was more distraught on missing out than Sean Young – the actress actually turned up to the production offices in a homemade Catwoman outfit to demand an audition.
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actualearthling · 2 years
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Dark City: So Many Unanswered Questions
!Spoilers! (I mean, duh, it’s a 1998 film).
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“Dark City is a 1998 Australian-American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas and starring Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O’Brien, and William Hurt. The screenplay was written by Proyas, Lem Dobbs, and David S. Goyer.
Primarily shot at Fox Studios Australia, the film was jointly produced by New Line Cinema and Proyas’ production company Mystery Clock Cinema and distributed by the former for theatrical release. The film premiered in the United States on February 27th, 1998, and was nominated for a Hugo Award for the Best Dramatic Presentation and six Saturn Awards. It received generally positive critiques, even though it was a box office bomb. Roger Ebert expressed interest in this film, and he appreciated its art direction, set design, cinematography, special effects, and imagination. Some critics have noted its similarities to and influence on The Matrix, which came out a year later. The film is widely considered a sci-fi cult classic.”
Director Alex Proyas is known for his effects-driven filmmaking. He’d already made a big impact with The Crow in 1994. And now Dark City would be a memorialization of his out-of-this-world storytelling (yes, that was a pun). And it categorically was, according to hard sci-fi fans and critics. Though it did less than fantastic at the box office.
 The entire film was shot on constructed sets with zero location shoots. This adds a sense of designed falseness and is crucial in the rest of the story. Fun fact: The Matrix was shot on the sets that had been made for Dark City!
The Matrix was released a year after Dark City, and it also deals with a creepy oppressive force controlling the perceptions and memories of its citizens. They also both revolve around a hero breaking free from their mind control, and the villains trying to capture and contain him. In the end, the heroes use the villains’ powers against them.
 In Dark City, all human memories are newly fabricated when the hands of the clock reach 12. This is referred to as “midnight,” but the term is deceptive because there is no noon. There is never any daylight for the inhabitants at all. Hence the title. “First came darkness, then came the Strangers,” we are told in the opening narration. John Murdoch, the hero, asks Bumstead, the police detective: “When was the last time you remember doing something during the day?” Bumstead is surprised by the question. “You know something?” Murdoch asks him. “I don’t think the sun even exists in this place. I’ve been up for hours and hours, and the night never ends here.”
  About that narration that the studio insisted on, Proyas hated it. It essentially spills the plot right out, in the beginning, leaving no mystery to what’s to come for much of the film. The studio insisted on it because apparently, they thought audiences are stupid and would be frustrated desperately trying to figure out what was happening and give up on the film. Proyas did finally get his way when the director’s cut was released without the narration.
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Their civilization is dying. The narration explains that the Strangers came from another galaxy and abducted a group of humans. Considering the style of the city the extraterrestrials create, I can speculate that these humans were at least, originally abducted around the 1940s. Either that, or it came after, and the ghouls are just big film noir fans. Though through Murdoch’s memories we see brief flashbacks from Shell Beach, and it looks pretty old-timey. We also have no idea how long they have had these humans captive. It appears time stops, and we get the impression that people aren’t aging. Seeing that the strangers seem to be able to bend and shape reality and space, it goes to reason that they also are capable of controlling time. I found myself thinking how strange it would be if the humans had been taken in the 1940s, but in earth time the year was a hundred, even a thousand years in the future. Then some space-faring future humans would come upon the city and rescue the no longer captive humans. I will bring that idea back up when we get to the end of the film.
The Strangers are seeking the secret of the human soul, which they think could be the key to extending their lives. We only get a bit of an idea as to how they plan to use our souls to accomplish this at the end of the movie. And it still leaves me with many questions. They create a vast artificial city, which can be remanufactured, rebuilt, rearranged, or “tuned,” whenever they want to run another experiment. We see the tuning taking place. All humans lose consciousness. All machinery stops. The city changes. Skyscrapers are extruded from the primordial materials of the underworld, architecture is devised, rooms are prepared for their inhabitants, and props are physically set in place by the aliens. Aided by a human scientist, the Strangers “imprint” or inject memories into the foreheads of their test subjects. When humans awaken, they have no memory of the time before; everything they remember has been injected from a communal memory bank. The experiments are to discover things like if a man commits murder one day and then is given a new identity, is he still capable of committing murder? Are men inherently good or evil, or is it a matter of how they think of themselves? What about humans creates a soul that can’t be destroyed? And can they harness that for themselves?
The Strangers occupy the bodies of human cadavers. Most of them are tall. One is in a child’s body, which is always an incredibly creepy concept. The alien beings themselves, living inside the corpses, look like spiders made of frightened noodles. They can levitate, they can change the matter of the city at will, they have a hive insect organization, and they gather in a subterranean cavern to collectively retune the city. 
The movie begins with John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakening alone in a strange hotel to find that he is wanted for a series of brutal murders of prostitutes. The problem is that he can’t remember whether he committed the murders or not. The memories injected by the Strangers have not been completely incorporated. The memory injection was administered by Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland), a scientist who works for the Strangers but clearly hates and fears them. For one moment, John is convinced that he has gone mad. Dr. Schreber calls the motel room and reveals to him that he will now be in great danger from the Strangers, as he was subjected to a failed experiment, and he must get away quickly.
That sets the story into motion. Murdoch wanders through the city, trying to discover its nature. Detective Bumstead (William Hurt) tries to catch him for the serial murders but will gradually be won over by Murdoch’s questions (he is programmed as a cop, but not a very good one). As Murdoch edges closer to solving the mystery, he stumbles upon the underworld of the Strangers. During one escape attempt while being pursued by the Strangers, he finds himself drawn to a billboard of Shell Beach. Where his flashes of memory all take place. When Murdoch tries to break through it in frustration, it is revealed that it was no mere billboard on a wall. The Strangers come upon them, Murdoch breaks through the billboard, a Stranger attacks, and poor Detective Bumstead gets sucked out into space. But of course, it’s no great shock since the narration already ruined the reveal of the humans being on a spaceship at the beginning of the film. John is then forced to surrender, as the strangers have captured his wife, Emma, and are threatening to kill her. The Strangers force the captured Dr. Schreber to imprint John with new memories, but the Doctor instead, imprints John with the knowledge to destroy the Strangers by taking over the underground machine they use to tune the city instead.
During an intense telekinetic battle, John kills the strangers and frees the captive Dr. Schreber. John then uses his powers to create the Shell Beach from his memories. The beach, sea, and for the first time, they see the sun in their city.
Then the humans reawaken, and John reunites with Emma, expectedly to live out the life they had together on Earth at Shell Beach.
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This ending left me with so many questions about the future of the abducted humans.
John will add sunlight, the beach, and perhaps other left-out details, but is he thinking of all the other things that the creatures took care of? What was creating the food and water? If they were stopping aging, will he know how to do that? Will he be able to supply all the society’s needs or were they better off under the creatures’ than under his care? He’s becoming their god. If he can remake matter, can he turn the city into a functioning spaceship and guide them back to Earth or any human life-sustaining planet? They can’t all live in the city together. Have they been sterilized? Will they procreate? In successive generations, won’t they run out of living space?
The cabbie that Murdoch gets a ride with said he took his honeymoon at Shell Beach when John asked him how to get there. He gets frustrated when he tries to remember the way but can’t. Was everyone abducted from the same town? What are the odds that this cabbie out of all the abducted humans had been to what looks like a small beach town? Could the Strangers have abducted an entire town?
It is not unheard of for towns and communities to vanish quickly without a trace.
The colony of Roanoke in North Carolina, USA. The Ancestral Puebloans in Utah. An entire cargo ship called the Mary Celeste was found with its crew mysteriously all missing in 1872. We have also lost entire airplanes like the case of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.
I also wonder so much about Dr. Schreber. As my favorite character in the film, I feel like we could have known him so much better. Was he randomly picked up with the other abductees? Doubt it. The Strangers would have to have gotten extremely lucky to have accidentally caught a scientist with the skills to create their memory potions and treat the other humans. So, he must be special. Maybe they stalked him on Earth. I mean, he is the only human scientist they have. He must be especially talented. He seems to have a mental illness. He’s nervous and paranoid. That could be a result of being the human slave of the strangers and all alone in his knowledge of their reality. What was he like before the abduction?  Why did he help Murdoch in the opening? He’s not told Murdoch can tune until the pool scene. Did the procedure in the hotel room go wrong randomly? Did the Dr. have any inclination that Murdoch was special, or evolving as he said?
 Dark City needs a comic series.
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