Practical Magic 2

Oh what I would give for a midnight margarita with the Owens sisters.  It’s been a lifetime and we’re picking up where the family dynamic has once again been transformed by the curse cast by Great great great great grand witch Maria.  Aunts Franny and Jett are still giving their magical advice, Sally is the local librarian, once again a widow, while Gillian has been practicing her special skills far and wide.  Sally’s daughters, Kylie and Antonia, have been raised under a glamor that removes their memory of their magical lineage and the curse that will follow them for their lives.  Aunt Jett is having a special birthday and the sisters are reunited for the occasion.  Unfortunately, not having everyone on the same page leads daughter, Kylie, to flee the scene to London to find a cure for the curse and she’s woefully unprepared.  Based on the book series by Alice Hoffman, I wholeheartedly recommend reading or listening to the books or at least watching the first film so you’re up to speed.  The addition of Lee Pace as Dr. Ian Wright was a treat and if the series continues, hopefully, with Practical Magic 3, Sandra, Nicole, and Lee would be a must.  Rating:  3.75 ⭐️s.  Grab an umbrella, a pointy hat, a pair of red and white stockings, and a margarita and put the lime in the coconut and drink’ ‘em both down.  See it with your coven, I mean friends.

The Odyssey

When you were in school, were you required to read this poem by Homer?  It’s been so long for me, but yes it was part of my curriculum, but in college instead of high school.  One of my classes was Greek Mythology and the Bible, this was definitely a highlight.  Odysseus’ twenty year journey and mythical encounters before, during, and after the Trojan War is a study in guilt, PTSD, fierce determination, and extreme critical thinking.  Meanwhile, Queen Penelope is challenged to raise their son as a single mother trying to stave off a bunch of suitors who are convinced that she can’t govern Ithaca without a man in charge.  Guess what?  She can and with much more intelligence and empathy than even the gods display.  I have no idea how long it took to make this masterpiece, but every bit is brilliant.  Cast, crew, director put in 150%, from cinematography to visual effects…stunning.  Look for a ton of nominations and wins in major categories come awards season.  Rating:  4+ stars - Sagapo poli (English translation-love very much). Epharisto for your attention.

The Mandalorian and Grogru

For those of you who aren’t Star Wars geeks, you might want to phone a friend to get up to warp speed on the Force, Rebel Alliance, and the Way.  Mandalorians are bounty hunters who don’t necessarily discriminate on who they’re working for.  They have strict protocols and don’t seem like the homebody type when it comes to fulfilling their destinys.  However, the introduction of “the Child” five years earlier, has made us see the human side of Din Djarin.  Grogru (the Child, sometimes referred to as “baby yoda”) is developing his skills and being kept safe from the Imperialist regime.   The New Republic is hiring and Djarin is just the ticket to get a much sought after Imperial warlord out of commission.  What ensues takes us down a wormhole in space that dregs up some surprising alliances from long ago and far away.  But then again, this is the way.  Rating:  3.75 ⭐️s - don’t touch any buttons until you’re told.

Send Help

One of my favorite sayings is, “I’m here to save your ass, not kiss it”.  Linda from Accounting is about to finally get promoted after her company’s CEO passes away.  She’s been with the firm for 7 very uneventful years, punching the clock, keeping the pretty boys from looking like losers, doing the heavy lifting with little more than a possibly empty promise to keep her showing up and trying to reach that brass ring.  One highlight of her tenure is meeting the boss’ son, Bradley, heir apparent, at the company Christmas party.  He made a bigger impression than she did and it’s not a great one.  The day arrives and Linda is passed over for promotion.  She’s spunky, shall we say, and seizes the moment to state her case why she should be the next Vice President.  This falls on Bradley’s dead ears and the story moves from safe and sad to exotic and exciting in a blink of an eye.  Linda has a dream to be on Survivor and use her skills to get on the show and win.  She’s about to get her wish, but it’s life taking a karmatic turn instead of central casting.  As a retired career admin, this pushed so many buttons it was cathartic to watch.  Thankfully, it’s a fantasy.  McAdams and O’Brien are a perfect match, Director Raimi has hit a hole in one, and no doubt this dark comedy will garner awards.   Rating:  fasten your seat belts and practice your fire making skills - 4 ⭐️s. 

Project Hail Mary

Haven’t read the book, but will now that I’ve seen the film.  Amazing special effects, very matter of fact on the one hand and exceptionally innovative on the other.  Ryan Gosling is going to be nominated for best actor next year.  Simple story involving a middle school science teacher, a government mission to save the earth, sooner than later, by sending him with others to a planet far, far away to collect data.  It’s a buddy film, that gives new meaning to friendship that’s solid as a rock.  Rating: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Spock - 4 stars

2026 Olly Gibbs Best Picture Nominations Illustrations

Best Picture Nominations by Olly Gibbs

https://www.ollygibbs.com/oscar-illustrations-2026

Bugonia

Would I have picked this to be on the best picture list?  Honestly, it’s out there.  It’s original, creepy, Jesse Plemons can be really scary as a “normal” person, and Emma Stone goes to extreme lengths to convince us she’s just as normal and not a victim of a bizarre conspiracy theory or has Stockholm Syndrome, although it’s easy to see why one would be drawn to that conclusion.  Using the word bizarre to describe this is a bit lite.  Stand out for me is the actor who plays Jesse’s cousin.  From the get-go, you notice he’s a bit different, and that’s perfect because he is autistic, high functioning and he does a fantastic job of portraying Donny (Aidan Delbis).  Be aware that there are not happy outcomes here and the violence level, on a scale of one to ten, is about a seven to ten+.  It’s streaming on Peacock and Fandango.  Rating:  how do you really identify an alien?  ICE need not apply.  3.25⭐️s