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98th Oscars Predictions/Preferences

March 13, 2026

jmunney Awards Shows, Cinema, Oscars, Television 98th Academy Awards, 98th Oscars, Academy Awards, Oscar Predictions, Oscars, Sinners Leave a comment

#OscarBros (CREDIT: Warner Bros./Screenshot)

Here is my annual presentation of my best guesses for who shall emerge victorious at the 98th Oscars and whom I would select on my ballot if I were a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We shall find out the truth together when Monsieur Conan O’Brien hosts the ceremony on Sunday, March 15, 2025.

Best Picture
Prediction: Sinners
Preference: Sinners

Best Director
Prediction: Paul Thomas Anderson
Preference: Ryan Coogler

Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 3/13/26

March 13, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Sports, Television 98th Academy Awards, 98th Oscars, A Pound of Feathers, Academy Awards, Celebrity Jeopardy, Celebrity Jeopardy All-Stars, Into Oblivion, James Blake, Kim Gordon, Lamb of God, March Madness, Oscars, PLAY ME, Slanted, The Black Crowes, Trying Times, undertone Leave a comment

THE OSCARS – Key Art. (Disney)

Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.

Movies
–Slanted (Theaters)
–Undertone (Theaters) – I liked the premise more than the execution, but it’s still worth checking out.

TV
–Celebrity Jeopardy! All Stars Season Premiere (March 13 on ABC)
-98th Academy Awards (March 15 on ABC) – Hosted by Conan O’Brien… for the second year in a row!

Music
-The Black Crowes, A Pound of Feathers
-James Blake, Trying Times
-Kim Gordon, PLAY ME
-Lamb of God, Into Oblivion

Sports
-Men’s March Madness (March 17-April 6 on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV) – And Selection Sunday shall be held March 15 on CBS.
-Women’s March Madness (March 18-April 5 on ABC and the ESPN Family of Networks) – With Selection Sunday being held March 15 on ESPN.

Getting to Know ‘Idiotka’ and ‘The Napa Boys’

March 12, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Anna Baryshnikov, Armen Weitzman, Benito Skinner, Beth Dover, Camila Mendes, Chloe Cherry, Chris Aquilino, David Wain, DJ Qualls, Gabbriette, Galina Jovovich, Gigi Zumbado, Harley Quinn Smith, Idiotka, Ilia Volok, Ivy Wolk, Jack Allison, Jake Choi, Jamar Malachi Neighbors, Jason Mewes, Julia Fox, Kevin Smith, Marcelo Tubert, Mark Ivanir, Mike Hanford, Mike Mitchell, Nastasya Popov, Natasha Behnam, Natasha Leggero, Nelson Franklin, Nerses Stamos, Nick Corirossi, Nik Dodani, Owen Thiele, Paul Rust, Ray Wise, Riki Lindhome, Ryan Perez, Sarah Ramos, Saweetie, Shaun Brown, Steve Agee, The Napa Boys, Vanessa Lee Chester, Zack Bia Leave a comment

Can an Idiotka be a Napa Boy? (CREDIT: Magnolia Pictures; Utopia/Screenshot)

Idiotka

Starring: Anna Baryshnikov, Camila Mendes, Owen Thiele, Benito Skinner, Mark Ivanir, Saweetie, Julia Fox, Galina Jovovich, Nerses Stamos, Gabbriette, Zack Bia, Shaun Brown, Jake Choi, Marcelo Tubert, Ilia Volok, Gigi Zumbado

Director: Nastasya Popov

Running Time: 82 Minutes

Rating: Unrated

Release Date: February 27, 2026 (Theaters)

The Napa Boys

Starring: Armen Weitzman, Nick Corirossi, Sarah Ramos, Jamar Malachi Neighbors, Mike Mitchell, Nelson Franklin, Chloe Cherry, Vanessa Lee Chester, Paul Rust, David Wain, Beth Dover, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, DJ Qualls, Ivy Wolk, Chris Aquilino, Natasha Behnam, Ray Wise, Mike Hanford, Ryan Perez, Natasha Leggero, Riki Lindhome, Steve Agee, Jack Allison, Harley Quinn Smith, Nik Dodani

Director: Nick Corirossi

Running Time: 92 Minutes

Rating: Unrated

Release Date: February 27, 2026 (Theaters)

Within the same week, I saw two little movies that simultaneously felt like they were made expressly for me and like they were from a planet I’ve never visited.

‘Undertone’ and ‘Reminders of Him’ Are Both Out in Theaters in Weekend, and Like a Good Cinephile, I Saw Both of Them in Quick Succession

March 11, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Leave a comment

Reminding you to listen (CREDIT: Michelle Faye/Universal Pictures; A24)

Undertone

Starring: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keena Lyn Bastidas, Jeff Yung, Sarah Beaudin, Brian Quintero

Director: Ian Tuason

Running Time: 94 Minutes

Rating: R for Language (The Spooks are PG-13-Level)

Release Date: March 13, 2026 (Theaters)

Reminders of Him

Starring: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford, Lainey Wilson, Jennifer Robertson, Zoe Kosovic, Nicholas Duvernay, Monika Myers, Hilary Jardine

Director: Vanessa Caswill

Running Time: 114 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for Accident Images, a Few Punches, and a Little Bit of Skinny Dipping

Release Date: March 13, 2026 (Theaters)

In the course of my journeys in Cinematic Completism, I often see two very different movies in quick succession. And it doesn’t get much more starkly distinct than the humble horror flick Undertone and the tragic romance Reminders of Him. So when a moment like this happens, I occasionally like to let everyone know what this whiplash was like for me and guide you towards whether or not it’s worth experiencing it yourself as well.

The 2025 jmunney Academy Awards

March 9, 2026

jmunney Best in Film 2025, Best of 2025, Cinema, Oscars 98th Academy Awards, 98th Oscars, Academy Awards, Jeff Malone Academy Awards, jmunney Academy Awards, Oscars, Sinners Leave a comment

If it’s a sin to win Oscars, I don’t want to be a saint! (CREDIT: Warner Bros./Screenshot)

The Oscar winners are determined by the thousands of members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But what if … they were chosen by just one person? If I were singlehandedly in charge of running the Oscars, here’s how they would go down.

Please Note: Some of my decisions about categorization (like Lead vs. Supporting for actors, or Adapted vs. Original for screenplays) may differ from those of the Academy and other awards bodies.

Nominees are listed alphabetically (either by movie title or by nominee name), winners in bold.

Best Picture
Bring Her Back
The Day the Earth Blew Up
Highest 2 Lowest
The Luckiest Man in America
Marty Supreme
The Naked Gun
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Weapons

Jeff’s Wacky SNL Review: Ryan Gosling/Gorillaz

March 8, 2026

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television Gorillaz, Ryan Gosling, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 51, SNL, SNL Season 51, The Goo Goo Man Leave a comment

I *AM* happy, and I’m feeling glad! (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)

Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.

Upon this Saturday Night Live Reviewing Morn, I’m in a pretty good mood, as it’s an unusually warm Sunday for early March in the Mid-Atlantic. I’m also in a good mood because the 14th episode of SNL Season 51 was (Spoiler Alert!) pretty dang funny! I wasn’t terribly surprised, as it boasted a returning favorite in the form of host Ryan Gosling. As for the tunes, they were provided by Gorillaz, merely making their SNL debut despite having already made us move for the better part of this century.

When Gosling was announced as this week’s host, I thought, “Is this his sixth time?” SNL‘s promotional team was apparently feeling similarly, with a video earlier this week suggesting that Mr. G. thought he was about to join the Five-Timers Club. But it turns out we were both overcounting, as this is actually only his fourth outing as emcee! So in honor of making an outsize impact in a limited time frame, my Reviewing Gimmick for this episode will be One Word for each sketch/segment, summing up my reactions as best as minimally possible.

That’s Auntertainment! Jeopardy! Season 42 Postseason Mini-Episode

March 8, 2026

jmunney Podcasts, That's Auntertainment Champions Wildcard, Jeopardy Invitational Tournament, Jeopardy!, JIT, Podcasts, Second Chance, That's Auntertainment, ToC, Tournament of Champions Leave a comment

We all remain very much in Jeopardy (CREDIT: Screenshot)

Jeff and Special Guest/Dad Bob Malone get to the bottom of Jeopardy! Season 42’s Tournament of Champions, as well as the Second Chance, Champions Wildcard, and Invitational Tournaments.

Entertainment To-Do List: Week of 3/6/26

March 6, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Entertainment To-Do List, Music, Sports, Television Atlanta, Dolly, Gnarls Barkley, Harry Styles, Heel, Hoppers, Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally, Make-Up Is a Lie, Morrissey, Paralympics, Squeeze, The Bride!, The Greatest Average American, Trixies, Winter Paralympics Leave a comment

Is this what you see when you google “Average Man”? (CREDIT: Disney/Connie Chornuk)

Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.

Movies
–The Bride! (Theaters)
–Dolly (Theaters)
–Heel (Theaters and On Demand)
–Hoppers (Theaters) – Is this based on that old Dish Network commercial?

TV
–The Greatest Average American (Premiered February 25 on ABC) – Nate Bargatze-hosted game show with Family Feud influences

Music
-Gnarls Barkley, Atlanta – Reportedly their final album.
-Morrissey, Make-Up Is a Lie
-Squeeze, Trixies
-Harry Styles, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally

Sports
-2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics (March 6-15 on NBC, USA, CNBC, and Peacock)

I Finally Saw Frankenstein (the One Directed by Guillermo Del Toro), and Here’s What I Have to Say About It, In Case You Were Wondering

March 3, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews Burn Gorman, Charles Dance, Christian Convery, Christoph Waltz, David Bradley, Felix Kammerer, Frankenstein, Frankenstein 2025, Guillermo del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Kyle Gatehouse, Lars Mikkelsen, Lauren Collins, Mia Goth, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Oscar Isaac, Ralph Ineson, Sofia Galasso Leave a comment

What’s the vector, Victor? (CREDIT: Ken Woroner/Netflix)

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Charles Dance, Christian Convery, Kyle Gatehouse, Lauren Collins, Sofia Galasso, Ralph Ineson, Burn Gorman, Nikolaj Lie Kaas

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Running Time: 150 Minutes

Rating: R

Release Date: October 17, 2025 (Theaters)/November 7, 2025 (Netflix)

Now that I’ve checked the 2025 filmed version of Frankenstein off my to-watch list, I have finally seen every 98th Academy Awards Best Picture nominee! Despite its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, it did a good job of keeping me awake the entire time, which is quite an accomplishment considering my penchant in recent years for nodding off in the movie theater. Although maybe that also had something to do with the Himalayan sea salt dark chocolate bar I ate…

Anyway, the aspect of this telling that I enjoyed the most was its underlining of how lovely Mia Goth is – something I already believed and now believe even more! It’s a shame about all the violence, though. But that is indeed what the creature and his creator turned to, I suppose. Anyway, overall it was pretty good, I guess.

Grade: 3 out of 5 Frankensteins

jmunney’s Top Cinematic Choices for March 2026

March 2, 2026

jmunney Cinema, Monthly Top Cinematic Choices Movie preview, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, They Will Kill You, undertone Leave a comment

Setting the tone for some good movies in March (PHOTO CREDIT: Dustin Rabin)

They keep making new movies, and some of them are even worth watching. Here’s what’s at the top of the slate for March 2026:

undertone: A horror movie in which all the scares are derived from audio recordings – probably best to go in blind.

You can experience undertone in theaters starting on March 13.

Idiotka

The Napa Boys

Undertone

Reminders of Him

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