*By Max Godnick* Roughly three months remain until the 91st Academy Awards, and if you're lucky, you might be able to squeeze in one Oscar contender per weekend before the big night. Award season is in full swing this month with a crowded slate of contenders jockeying for adoration from audiences and critics alike. The race begin in earnest last month with the release of Bradley Cooper's [memeable] (https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8477323/a-star-is-born-best-memes) epic, "A Star Is Born." With a box-office haul of $259 million and counting, the musical (a remake of a remake of a remake) is a true juggernaut and has firmly established itself as the front runner in the vaunted Best Picture (and Director, and Actor, and Actress, and Supporting Actor, and Original Song) category. With the race heating up by the week, Cooper and Lady Gaga will be fortunate to maintain their front-runner status by months' end ー [they're far from the shallow now](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A). Julian Roman, a critic and contributing editor at MovieWeb, joined Cheddar on Friday to preview some of November's most anticipated new flicks. **"Bohemian Rhapsody" (20th Century Fox):** Another one bites the dust. The Freddie Mercury biopic's [long road](http://www.vulture.com/2018/11/bohemian-rhapsody-chaotic-eight-year-odyssey-to-the-screen.html) to the big screen landed with a critical thud, garnering mixed reviews for its depiction of Queen's rise to arena-rock fame. But, audiences looking for somebody to love need only look to leading man Rami Malek ("Mr. Robot") for a bright spot in this jukebox film. The actor is getting raves for his turn as the mustachioed music icon and is a good bet as a Best Actor nominees. He is the champion, the movie alas is not. (Nov. 2) *Roman's Take:* "I think the film will do very well. I thought it was great, very entertaining. A lot of the people who didn't like it want it to have more salacious details regarding Mercury's homosexuality. The film doesn't really dive that deep but it has a lot of music ... it moves quickly, I think it's going to be a big hit." **"Roma" (Netflix):** Netflix ($NFLX) is going where it's never gone before: the movie theater. The streaming platform [veered](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-give-3-award-contenders-runs-select-theaters-1153081) from its long-held position of streaming over everything when it agreed to theatrical releases for three of its movies. Chief among them is "Roma," Alfonso Cuarón's ("Gravity") black-and-white homage to Mexico City featuring a mostly-unknown cast. The film is Netflix's best shot at its first Best Picture nomination, an honor the company so desperately is coveting ー that it's willing to set aside its small-screen loyalty to court more traditionalist Academy members. If anything can dull Cooper's "Star" this month, "Roma" is the one to watch. (Nov. 21) *Roman's Take:* "I don't think Netflix really cares how much money this makes at the box office. They just want the movie released so it's going to qualify for Oscars. They want the awards, they want the big film-making season where everyone's wearing nice dresses and they're going to big premieres. This is what Netflix wants, they want the prestige of the big studios." **"Green Book" (Universal):** Before sequels and superheroes took over the box office, mid-budget, four-quadrant crowd-pleasing dramas used to be the defining genre for Oscar bait. Universal hopes to bring the format back to the forefront with "Green Book," a low-key story about a Jamaican-American pianist and his New York driver's tour of the Deep South in the 1960s. After making noise on the festival circuit, the studio is aiming to turn a word-of-mouth campaign into the season's sleeper contender. Viggo Mortensen stars alongside Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight") who's out to win his second Best Supporting Actor trophy in just three years. (Nov. 16) *Roman's Take:* "I think this is the sleeper hit of the season. I think this film is going to be a big box-office hit and very big at the awards as well... The movie is being called the reverse of 'Driving Miss Daisy' but that's way too simple to put this movie in that box." **"Widows" (20th Century Fox):** "Oceans 8" disappointed both critically and commercially when it failed to break the bank this summer. But gender-bending twists on the classic heist format get another chance this month with "Widows," director Steve McQueen's first movie since the 2012 awards darling "12 Years a Slave." The film stars Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo, and Elizabeth Debicki as the quartet of titular widows who pick up where their deceased husband's left off in a heist gone wrong. It's based on a British series from the 1980s of the same name and penned by "Gone Girl" writer Gillian Flynn. If the Oscars want to pay tribute to the year-long referendum on women in Hollywood, this would be a good place to start. (Nov. 16) *Roman's Take:* "I'm expecting greatness... This is a big cast, a great director, and great writing, so I have really high hopes." **"Creed II" (MGM):** If any November blockbuster stands a puncher's chance of landing on Oscar ballots, it's "Creed II." Michael B. Jordan returns opposite Sylvester Stallone in the sequel to 2015's hit "Rocky" spin-off. The boxing franchise enters its fifth decade every bit the phenomenon it once was. Since his star-making turn three years ago, Jordan has grown into one of Hollywood's most bankable leading men. After helping "Black Panther" become the eighth highest-grossing movie of all time earlier this year, the star's earning power will be put to the test again over Thanksgiving weekend. In the sequel, Creed finds himself up against the son of former Rocky foe Ivan Drago. No matter who hits the mat first this time, the movie seems destined to be a winner. (Nov. 21) *Roman's Take:* "I'm afraid it might fall a little bit flat where it comes to 'sequelitis' as I call it, and lacking originality. Now , Michael B. Jordan is a tremendous actor, Sylvester Stallone a tremendous actor, so I hope it's more dramatic and not just fluff."

Share:
More In Culture
BET's Kimberly Paige on Her Accomplishments and Inviting Diverse Audiences
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Kimberly Paige at TV network BET joined Cheddar News to talk about leadership, the projects she was pivotal in building, and her approach to leadership and "inviting" diverse audiences rather than "targeting" them. "if you think about when someone says, 'I'm targeting you,' you're generally in someone's kind of crosshairs, if you will," she said. "And so I use the notion of who are we inviting to participate in the brand in a meaningful way. I think it's a nuance, but it has huge implications."
Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter on Going Solo With New Country Single 'Easy'
Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter joined Cheddar News to talk about fatherhood and his solo work on a new crossover song called "Easy," featuring country singer Jimmie Allen. "What I love about country music is the lyrics, the melodies, the stories that are in them as well," he said. "And you know, you hear it's just pretty simple and pretty easy."
First Look at Oscar Stembridge New Music Video for 'Am I the Only One'
Oscar Stembridge, the youngest musician to have signed with Universal Music Sweden, has a passion for spreading awareness of climate activism as well as music. Cheddar News got an exclusive first look at the video for the new song, "Am I the Only One" and spoke with the 14-year-old singer about his young career and advocacy work. "Basically it all kind of started when, inspired from Greta Thunberg, I wrote my first kind of song called 'We March,' which is about my generation not wanting to pay the price of the older generations' inaction," he said.
Rising Office Vacancy Rates Have Big Impact on Broader Economy
The office real estate market might be in trouble, as vacancy rates in major cities remain across the country, even as COVID restrictions continue to fall away. Ryan Severino, the chief economist for real estate and investment management firm JLL, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the latest office trends and why some may be concerning for the broader economy. "There are knock-on ramifications for a lot of the ancillary industries that support office workers," he said. "If you think about coffee shops, places that someone might go out to get lunch or a drink or dinner after work, those are obviously still feeling the brunt of people not being physically back in office spaces the way that they were before the pandemic."
Texas Man Sues Robocall Operators to Win $100K
According to tracking services, Americans get inundated with more than 130 million robocalls every day. One man decided that he had enough and started suing telemarketers. Daniel Graham joins Cheddar News to share how he won more than $100,000 in settlements.
'Slow and Steady Wins the Race' for Netflix Gaming, Says Arkadium Co-Founder
Streaming giant Netflix has thrown its hat into the ring with some video game offerings of its own so far, but the hurdles to gaining market share in the space might be daunting despite recently acquiring its third game development studio. Kenny Rosenblatt, the president and co-founder of casual game maker Arkadium, joined Cheddar to offer his view of where things are headed for Netflix. "Microsoft entered the video game market in 1990, years ago with 'Windows Solitaire. It has taken them that long to become the player that they are today," he said. "So I like what Netflix is doing. Slow and steady wins the race."
Stocks Close Near Session Highs in Another Strong Day for Markets
U.S. stocks closed Tuesday's session near session highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 350 points, after rising more than 400 points at its session high. Shares were also impacted positively by optimism around peace talks in Ukraine. Nancy Prial, Co-Chief Executive Officer & Senior Portfolio Manager of Essex Investment Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Load More