All the Bright Places

Director Cathy Yan

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Elle Fanning, Justice Smith, Keegan-Michael Key, Alexandra Shipp

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 28th, 2020 (Netflix)

“Dealing with the loss of her sister, introverted Violet Markey rediscovers passion for living when she meets the eccentric and unpredictable Theodore Finch. ”

From director Brett Haley (The Hero, Hearts Beat Loud), All the Bright Places tells the story of Violet and Theodore, who meet and change each other's lives forever. As they struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they discover that even the smallest places and moments can mean something. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, All the Bright Places:

• The movie is based on an international best selling book by Jennifer Niven who said in an interview she found inspiration to write the book after having the privilege of knowing and falling in love with a boy who had bipolar disorder.

• Elle Fanning was cast for the lead five months prior to the release of the book.

Impractical Jokers: The Movie

Director Chris Henchy

Genre Comedy

Cast Brian Quinn, Joe Gatto, James Murray, Sal Vulcano

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 21st, 2020

“The story of a humiliating high school mishap from 1992 that sends the Impractical Jokers on the road competing in hidden-camera challenges for the chance to turn back the clock and redeem three of the four Jokers.”

The film version of the popular truTV series, Impractical Jokers: The Movie is the story of a humiliating high school mishap from 1992 that sends the Impractical Jokers on the road competing in hidden-camera challenges for the chance to turn back the clock and redeem three of the four Jokers. Check out the official trailer below!!

Love is Blind

Genre Reality-TV

Cast Nick Lachey

Rating TV-MA

Season Premiere February 13th, 2020 (Netflix)

“Singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating.”

“Is the best way to meet the love of your life by… not meeting them? Netflix is about to put that wild theory to the test with Love is Blind, a new reality series — its first serialized dating show, unless you count Grace and Frankie — in which singles get engaged to each other after only hearing their voice. During the three-week, 10-part event, which is hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, contestants will get to know their potential spouses through conversations unburdened with such things as the sight of the other person. (They speak to each other in “pods.”) After the caution-to-the-wind proposals, the couples will move in together and plan a soon-to-happen wedding.

Is hearing someone’s voice enough for love — or are these brave souls turning a deaf ear to common sense? Perhaps a little bit of both, based on this first trailer for the show. Sure, there are some hugs of relief and someone noting, “The physical attraction is on par with the emotional connection,” but there is also a runaway bride wailing, “I cannot do this!”

Love is Blind — not to be confused with Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, in which couples agree to marry upon their first meeting — debuts Feb. 13 with five episodes. Four episodes drop the following week, and a two-hour finale wraps up this bold experiment on Feb. 27.”

— Entertainment Weekly

Check out the official trailer for Love is Blind below, now streaming on Netflix!!

2020 Oscar Winners

The 92nd Academy Awards show is in the books, are you pleased with the results? The South Korean thriller "Parasite" upset the frontrunner "1917" to become the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Director Bong Joon Ho sharing credit with legendary directors Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino speaks to his dedication to film. Joaquin Phoenix took home a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar for Joker, with Renee Zellweger taking Best Actress for her performance in Judy.

Check out the full list of winners courtesy of Ted Takes below!!

Best Picture:

Ford v Ferrari

The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit

Joker

Little Women

Marriage Story

1917

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Parasite - WINNER

Lead Actor:

Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory

Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker - WINNER

Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Lead Actress:

Cynthia Erivo, Harriet

Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story

Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Renee Zellweger, Judy - WINNER

Supporting Actor:

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Al Pacino, The Irishman

Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood - WINNER

Supporting Actress:

• Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell

• Laura Dern, Marriage Story - WINNER

• Scarlett Johannson, Jojo Rabbit

• Florence Pugh, Little Women

• Margot Robbie, Bombshell
  
  
  

Best Director:

• Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

• Todd Phillips, Joker

• Sam Mendes, 1917

• Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

• Bong Joon Ho, Parasite - WINNER

Animated Feature Film:

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

I Lost My Body

Klaus

Missing Link

Toy Story 4 - WINNER

Animated Short:

Dcera, Daria Kashcheeva

Hair Love, Matthew A. Cherry - WINNER

Kitbull, Rosana Sullivan

Memorable, Bruno Collet

Sister, Siqi Song

Adapted Screenplay:

The Irishman, Steven Zaillian

Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi - WINNER

Joker, Todd Phillips, Scott Silver

Little Women, Greta Gerwig

The Two Popes, Anthony McCarten

Original Screenplay:

Knives Out, Rian Johnson

Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach

1917, Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino

Parasite, Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han - WINNER

Cinematography:

The Irishman, Rodrigo Prieto

Joker, Lawrence Sher

The Lighthouse, Jarin Blaschke

1917 , Roger Deakins - WINNER

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Robert Richardson

Best Documentary Feature:

American Factory, Julia Rieichert, Steven Bognar - WINNER

The Cave, Feras Fayyad

The Edge of Democracy, Petra Costa

For Sama, Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts

Honeyland, Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov

Best Documentary Short Subject:

In the Absence

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone - WINNER

Life Overtakes Me

St. Louis Superman

Walk Run Cha-Cha

Best Live Action Short Film:

• Brotherhood, Meryam Joobeur

• Nefta Football Club, Yves Piat

• The Neighbors’ Window, Marshall Curry - WINNER

• Saria, Bryan Buckley

• A Sister, Delphine Girard

Best Foreign Language Film:

Corpus Christi, Jan Komasa

Honeyland, Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov

Les Miserables, Ladj Ly

Pain and Glory, Pedro Almodovar

Parasite, Bong Joon Ho - WINNER

Film Editing:

Ford v Ferrari, Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland

The Irishman, Thelma Schoonmaker

Jojo Rabbit, Tom Eagles

Joker, Jeff Groth

Parasite, Jinmo Yang

Sound Editing:

Ford v Ferrari, Don Sylvester - WINNER

Joker, Alan Robert Murray

1917, Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Wylie Stateman

Star Wars: The Rise of SkyWalker, Matthew Wood, David Acord

Sound Mixing:

Ad Astra

Ford v Ferrari

Joker

1917 - WINNER

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Production Design:

The Irishman, Bob Shaw and Regina Graves

Jojo Rabbit, Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova

1917, Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh - WINNER

Parasite, Lee Ha-Jun and Cho Won Woo, Han Ga Ram, and Cho Hee

Original Score:

Joker , Hildur Guðnadóttir - WINNER

Little Women, Alexandre Desplat

Marriage Story, Randy Newman

1917, Thomas Newman

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, John Williams

Original Song:

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” Toy Story 4

“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” Rocketman - WINNER

“I’m Standing With You,” Breakthrough

“Into the Unknown,” Frozen 2

“Stand Up,” Harriet

Makeup and Hair:

Bombshell - WINNER

Joker

Judy

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

1917

Costume Design:

The Irishman, Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson

Jojo Rabbit, Mayes C. Rubeo

Joker, Mark Bridges

Little Women, Jacqueline Durran

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Arianne Phillips

Visual Effects:

Avengers: Endgame

The Irishman

1917 - WINNER

The Lion King

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

It’s on to 2020 for Hollywood!!

Emma

Director Autumn de Wildem

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Anya Taylor-Joy, Gemma Whelan, Josh O’Connor, Bill Nighy

Rating PG

Release Date February 21st, 2020

“In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.”

From director Autumn de Wildem, Emma is a comedy drama that follows the antics of a young woman who lives in Georgian- and Regency-era England and occupies herself with matchmaking - in sometimes misguided, often meddlesome fashion- in the lives of her friends and family. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Emma:

• Adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, 'Emma'.

• Actress Anya Taylor-Joy, born in Miami, FL, spoke only Spanish until she was 8 years old, when she learned English after moving to London. She still is fluent in Spanish.

Brahms: The Boy II

Director William Brent Bell

Genre Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Cast Katie Holmes, Christopher Convery, Owain Yeoman, Anjali jay

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 21st, 2020

“After a family moves into the Heelshire Mansion, their young son soon makes friends with a life-like doll called Brahms.”

From director William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside), Brahms: The Boy II is a follow-up to the 2016 horror film. When a young family moves to the Heelshire's residence, terror strikes when a boy from the family discovers a doll called Brahms that appears to be eerily human. Check out the official trailer below!!

Better Call Saul: Season 5

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere February 23rd, 2020 10:00PM EST (AMC)

“The trials and tribulations of criminal lawyer Jimmy McGill in the time before he established his strip-mall law office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.”

The Breaking Bad spin-off series Better Call Saul returns for a 5th season, and things are only getting darker for “Better Call Saul” and Jimmy, especially as his impending complete transformation into the Saul Goodman of “Breaking Bad” looms closer. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Better Call Saul:

• The salon where the "temporary" office of Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) is, is the one that he (as Saul Goodman) offers to sell to Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) for money laundering in Breaking Bad (2008).

• The series takes place in 2002, six years before the beginning of Breaking Bad (2008) and seven years before Saul's first appearance.

Hunters

Genre Drama

Cast Al Pacino, Logan Lerman, Josh Radnor, Kate Mulvany

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere February 21st, 2020 (Amazon Prime)

“A diverse band of Nazi hunters living in 1977 New York City discover hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the U.S. The eclectic team will set out on a bloody quest to bring them to justice.”

From executive producer Jordan Peele, Hunters is a drama series about a diverse band of Nazi hunters living in 1977 New York City who discover hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the U.S. The eclectic team will set out on a bloody quest to bring them to justice. Check out the official trailer below!! Available to stream on Amazon Prime February 21st.

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Hunters:

• Marks Al Pacino's first appearance in a TV series since his acting debut in N.Y.P.D. (The Godfather Saga and Angels Of America were mini-series).

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Genre Animation | Action | Adventure

Cast Tom Kane, Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor

Rating TV-PG

Series Premiere February 21st, 2020 (Disney+)

“Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and other Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the Republic against the droid army of the Separatists.”

“In a huge surprise, Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series Season 7 was announced at San Diego Comic-Con. Fans got their first look at an older Anakin, Obi-Wan, Rex, and Ahsoka in a new SDCC trailer, which you can watch below. A total of 12 new episodes of the animated series are officially coming to Disney’s upcoming streaming service.

After being canceled on Cartoon Network in 2013, the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars returned for a final sixth season on Netflix in 2014. The sixth season was shorter than the five that proceeded it and left many of supervising director Dave Filoni’s stories unresolved. Several authors picked up those plot lines and wrote them into novels, such as Star Wars: Ahsoka Tano and Star Wars: Dark Disciple.”

— GameSpot.com

Check out the official trailers below!!

The Call of the Wild

Director Chris Sanders

Genre Animation | Adventure | Family

Cast Harrison Ford, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford, Dan Stevens

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 21st, 2020

“A sled dog struggles for survival in the Alaskan wild.”

From director Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods) The Call of the Wild is an action adventure that tells the story of tells the story of Buck, a big-hearted dog whose blissful domestic life is turned upside down when he is suddenly uprooted from his California home and transplanted to the exotic wilds of the Alaskan Yukon during the Gold Rush of the 1890’s.. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Call of the Wild:

• Based on a short adventure novel of the same name by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand.

The Last Thing He Wanted

Director Dee Rees

Genre Crime | Drama | Mystery

Cast Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, Rosie Perez, Willem Dafoe

Rating R

Release Date February 21st, 2020 (Netflix)

“A reporter becomes involved in the very story she’s trying to break when she helps her father broker an arms deal.”

From director Dee Rees (Mudbound) The Last Thing He Wanted follows a veteran D.C. journalist who loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she's trying to break. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Last Thing He Wanted:

• Based on Joan Didion's 1996 Orange Prize-winning novel, The Last Thing He Wanted.

• Premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

The Night Clerk

Director Michael Cristofer

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Tye Sheridan, Ana de Armas, John Leguizamo, Helen Hunt

Rating R

Release Date June 6th, 2020 (Netflix)

“A hotel clerk becomes the prime suspect when a woman is murdered during his shift. As the police investigation closes in, he makes a personal connection with a guest — but soon realizes he must stop the killer before she becomes the next victim.”

Written and directed by Michael Cristofer, The Night Clerk is a crime thriller that tells the story of voyeuristic hotel clerk becomes the subject of a murder investigation. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Tye Sheridan:

• Won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at the Venice Film Festival in 2013 for his performance in Joe (2013).

• His idol is James McAvoy, whom he acted alongside in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).

Sonic the Hedgehog

Director Jeff Fowler

Genre Animation | Action | Adventure

Cast James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, Neal McDonough

Rating PG

Release Date February 14th, 2020

“Juvenile delinquent Sonic the Hedgehog and local policeman Tom Wachowski must stop Dr. Eggman from completing his plans for world domination.”

From director Jeff Fowler, his directorial debut, Sonic the Hedgehog is the live-action adaptation of the classic videogame franchise telling the story of juvenile delinquent Sonic the Hedgehog and local policeman Tom Wachowski who must stop Dr. Eggman from completing his plans for world domination. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Sonic the Hedgehog:

• Sonic in this film has new shoes, and a furrier appearance, as well as an athlete body that suits a runner. According to producer Tim Miller, "fur is an essential part of integrating Sonic into the real world as a real creature."

• Tom Holland, Josh Gad, Chris Pratt, Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Will Forte, Jim Parsons, Charlie Day, Paul Rudd, and Adam Devine were all considered for the voice of Sonic.

Fantasy Island

Director Jeff Wadlow

Genre Adventure | Comedy | Horror

Cast Lucy Hale, Michael Peña, Maggie Q, Portia Doubleday

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 14th, 2020

“A horror adaptation of the popular ‘70s TV show about a magical island resort.”

From director Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down, Kick Ass 2, Truth or Dare) and production company Blumhouse, Fantasy Island is a adventure horror that follows the enigmatic Mr Roarke who makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island's mystery in order to escape with their lives. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Fantasy Island:

• A horror adaptation of the popular '70s TV show about a magical island resort.

The Photograph

Director Stella Meghie

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, Chelsea Peretti, Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Rating PG-13

Release Date February 14th, 2020

“A series of intertwining love stories set in the past and in the present.”

Written and directed by Stella Meghie (Jean of the Joneses, The Weekend), The Photograph is a romance drama about love and loss, and everything in between. .When famed photographer Christina Eames dies unexpectedly, she leaves her estranged daughter, Mae, hurt, angry and full of questions. When Mae finds a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box, she soon finds herself delving into her mother's early life -- an investigation that leads to an unexpected romance with a rising journalist. Check out the official trailers below!!

Downhill

Director Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Will Ferrell, Miranda Otto, Zach Woods

Rating R

Release Date February 14th, 2020

“After barely escaping an avalanche during a ski vacation in the Alps, a man and his wife reevaluate their lives and how they feel about each other.”

From directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, Downhill is a comedy drama that takes a hard look at the traditional love story. After barely escaping an avalanche during a ski vacation in the Alps, a man and his wife reevaluate their lives and how they feel about each other. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Downhill:

• Based on the Swedish film Force Majeure (2014).

Ordinary Love

Director Lisa Barrows D’Sa, Glenn Leyburn

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Lesley Manville, Liam Neeson, Amit Shah, David Wilmot

Rating R

Release Date February 14th, 2020

“An extraordinary look at the lives of a middle-aged couple in the midst of the wife’s breast cancer diagnosis.”

From directors Lisa Barrows D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, and writer Owen McAfferty, Ordinary Love is a drama that takes an extraordinary look at the lives of a middle-aged couple in the midst of the wife's breast cancer diagnosis.

“Joan and Tom have been married for many years. There is an ease to their relationship which only comes from spending a life time together and a depth of love which expresses itself through tenderness and humour in equal part. When Joan is unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer, the course of her treatment shines a light on their relationship as they are faced with the challenges that lie ahead and the prospect of what might happen if something were to happen to Joan. ORDINARY LOVE is a story about love, survival and the epic questions life throws at each and every one of us.”

Check out the official trailer below!!

Narcos: Mexico - Season 2

Genre Crime | Drama

Cast Diego Luna, Scoot McNairy, Teresa Ruiz, Michael Peña

Rating TV-MA

Season Premiere February 13th, 2020 (Netflix)

“The rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in Mexico.”

Much to the delight of fans Narcos: Mexico is returning for a 2nd season!! The show chronicles the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in Mexico. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Series Facts, Narcos: Mexico:

• Carlos Muñoz Portal, the production's location manager, was murdered in Temascalapa in central Mexico. His murder nearly derailed the entire production over safety concerns.

• Many of the songs in the series are Narcocorridos, a popular genre of Norteno Mexican folk music.

To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You

Director Michael Fimognari

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Jordan Fisher, Ross Butler

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 12th, 2020 (Netflix)

“Lara Jean and Peter have just taken their relationship from pretend to officially official when another recipient of one of her old love letters enters the picture.”

From director Michael Fimognari, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is the sequel to the hit Netflix film. Lara Jean and Peter have just taken their relationship from pretend to officially official when another recipient of one of her old love letters enters the picture. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You:

• Jordan Fisher plays John Ambrose McClaren in this movie. In To All the Boys I've Loved before (2018) the role of John Ambrose was played by a different actor, Jordan Burtchett.

• Author Jenny Han has stated that there are no Asian boys as love interests because there were none in her novel.

• Filmed back to back with the third film in the trilogy.

VFW

Director Joe Begos

Genre Action | Horror

Cast Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Martin Kove, Fred Williamson

Rating Unrated

Release Date February 14th, 2020 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A group of war veterans must defend their local VFW post and an innocent teen against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants.”

From director Joe Begos, VFW tells the story of a typical night for veterans at a VFW turns that turns into an all-out battle for survival when a desperate teen runs into the bar with a bag of stolen drugs. When a gang of violent punks come looking for her, the vets use every weapon at their disposal to protect the girl and themselves from an unrelenting attack. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, VFW:

• The interiors of the VFW post were shot on location at a real VFW hall in Grand Prairie, Texas (specifically Post #2494). Several of the hall's real veterans appear as extras in the bar during the opening scenes.