Geek of Oz

With 2019 winding down, film fans everywhere get to engage in the annual pointless exercise which is compiling our top films of the year lists. Oh the stress! What if we put something at 3 instead of 7?! What about this or that?! You put that there?! YOU MONSTER!! You get the idea. Now my only rule when compiling any end of year list is that these are just my favourite films. I’m not saying they’re the “best” of the year by any means. These are the films I can’t stop thinking about, even long after I caught them. Some linger longer than others, so that’s basically how I rank them. My biggest regret is that i didn't see enough foreign films this year. I kind of dropped the ball on world cinema despite the fact four non-english films are in my top 10. I’d really love to hear what your favourite films of the year were. Remember there’s no right or wrong in this game. All that matters is your relationship with the films you’re consuming. We all have no idea as much as e

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”.  Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it. TOP GUN: MAVERICK IN CINEMAS JUNE 25, 2020

Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path. A QUIET PLACE PART II IN CINEMAS MARCH 19, 2020

A British drug lord tries to sell off his highly profitable empire to a dynasty of Oklahoma billionaires. The Gentlemen heralds Guy Ritchie's return to his well trodden tropes of fast-talking, well-tailored British gangsters and for me it worked to great effect. Your mileage may vary on Ritchie as a director, but you can’t deny that over the years he has cranked out some real bangers. Now let me be very clear, The Gentlemen is loosely based on the model which made his other gangster films successful. And when I say loosely based, it’s probably safer to say it’s the exact same model. The only real key difference is the pacing, which is considerably slower than his usual offerings. I admired the sense of restraint on display, for me it showed Ritchie’s growth as a storyteller. The quick editing and frantic action, has been replaced with a more methodical way or wandering through the narrative. For the most part, the film centres around street-savvy journo Fletcher

Set in a suburban fantasy world, “ Onward ” introduces two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt), who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there. Also featuring the voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Ian and Barley’s mom, Laurel Lightfoot, and Octavia Spencer as the voice of the Manticore, Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new original feature film is directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae—the team behind “ Monsters University .” Onward in Australian cinemas April 2, and New Zealand cinemas April 9. #PixarOnward

Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending, is reimagined in this delicious new film adaptation of EMMA. Handsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along. Emma hits cinemas February 13

1917 has the best opening act of 2019. To be blunt, it’s cinematic a masterclass. Sadly despite the obvious craft on display, my mind wandered as the film progressed. After some wrestling with my thoughts, I’ve been able to confirm why this is; the film is touted as a “one shot film”, meaning that it is presented as if there are no cuts or editing and we follow the action in real time. Which isn’t in fact the case, because there are subtle cuts and edited moments. My issue isn’t so much the authenticity of the one shot claims, it’s that I find the technique distracting and instead of immersing me in the action, has almost the complete opposite effect. The film follows two young British soldiers in World War 1 given the unenviable task of crossing enemy territory, in order to hand deliver a message which will save the lives of hundreds of fellow soldiers. The film serves as a testament to the sacrifice and bravery displayed by thousands of soldiers who paid the ultimate price

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it. TOP GUN: MAVERICK HITS CINEMA JUNE 25th

From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind modern horror masterpiece The Witch, comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. Check out the trailer for one of our most anticipated films of the new year In cinemas February 6.

In “Free Guy,” a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story…once he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way…before it is too late. In Cinemas July 2, 2020

In No Time To Die , Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology... In cinemas April 8, 2020

Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge is an exciting new game show set in a galaxy far, far away, which tests young contestants’ abilities in the core Jedi principles of strength, knowledge, and bravery as they face thrilling and fun obstacles in an attempt to achieve the rank of Jedi Knight! From lightsabers to hyperspace, the Force, and the dark side, Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge transports viewers and contestants into the Star Wars galaxy like never before. The show is hosted by Ahmed Best, who will play a Jedi Master and mentor to the contestants. Known to many fans as Jar Jar Binks from the Star Wars prequels, Best’s unique set of skills as an actor, dancer, martial arts expert, STOMP musician, and Star Wars fan make him the perfect choice as the show’s host and mentor. Best is joined by a hilarious humanoid droid companion, voiced by Mary Holland (VEEP, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre). “This is definitely a kids game show like no other,” says Lucasfilm’s s

Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow in Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow”—the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei aka The Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Melina. Directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige. Black Widow hits Australian cinemas on April 30, 2020