Ditch the Oscars – Here Are Your Best Alternatives This Weekend

Brandon Marcus
TV Movies
TV Movies Games

In case you haven’t heard, Hollywood’s biggest night is here. That’s right, the Academy Awards are this Sunday. Let’s be honest, a whole lot of people will be watching the big show. But let’s say you don’t have much interest in the Oscars. If you want to take a pass on Jimmy Kimmel, La La Land taking home all of the awards, and the rest of the big show, you have options. They’re good ones too.

Here are the new movies, shows, and games hitting the market this week. See, you don’t have to watch the Oscars.

Drew predicted the box office returns for these films last Sunday. Check it out!

At the Movies

Get Out

Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Current RT Meter: 100% Fresh
Drew’s box office prediction: $18,000,000

Wow, this thing looks terrific. Not only does it feel like an original horror film, it looks like a straight up blast. The trailer had me interested, but the rave reviews (100% on Rotten Tomatoes!) have me convinced this movie will be special. Funny man Jordan Peele (the Peele of Key & Peele) has created a modern masterpiece of tension and fear. He’s also packed the movie full of biting social commentary about race which means this movie won’t only scare you; it’ll make you think. This sounds like the exact type of movie that should be celebrated. Who knows, maybe it’ll even be one of the nominees for next year’s Oscars.

The Verdict: Horror fan? See this. Comedy fan? See it. A fan of good cinema? See it! Bottom line: support Peele’s directorial debut and see this movie.

Collide

Director: Eren Creevy
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Anthony Hopkins
Current RT Meter: No Score Yet (not a good sign…)
Drew’s box office prediction: $7,000,000

You probably haven’t heard of Collide. Why is that? Well, the studio obviously doesn’t have a lot of faith in this caper thriller. The movie has an impressive cast but hasn’t received any marketing and zero reviews. That means this will likely be a huge mess. It stars Nicholas Hoult as a man on the run from a dangerous gang. There is sure to be backstabbing, fast-paced chase scenes, gunplay, and maybe even romance. It just probably won’t be any good. If you want to avoid anything related to the Oscars, you should watch Collide because there is no way it’s coming close to the Academy Awards.

The Verdict: Have you seen every other film out right now? Or maybe you want to kick up your feet in an empty theater? Collide should provide.

Rock Dog

Director: Ash Brannon 
Stars: J.K. Simmons, Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard
Current RT Meter: 50% Rotten
Drew’s box office prediction: $2,000,000

I hate to harp on movies. A lot of people put time and effort into these projects. That being said, Rock Dog looks like another film quietly being tossed into theaters this weekend. The studio seems downright embarrassed about this animated film. It stars Luke Wilson as a dog who leaves his home village to become a rock star. There are some talented performers involved, even Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons. However, this movie definitely won’t win him his second statue. If the reviews and lack of confidence mean anything, Rock Dog is going to be one heck of a dud.

The Verdict: This one definitely won’t win any awards next year. But maybe – just maybe – your kids will get a few chuckles out of Rock Dog. Take them if they’re itching to see something aimed at them.

On the Tube

I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Netflix. Available Friday)

Netflix is branching out with I Don’t Feel at Home in This World AnymoreThis isn’t your typical Netflix project. Instead, it’s a gritty black comedy about a woman who has just had it with the cruelty of modern society. Her quest for justice takes her down a dark path that leads to some strange, dangerous places. Fans of last year’s fantastic Green Room should fire up I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore this weekend for something remarkably dark.

The Verdict: If you’re comfortable being uncomfortable, you should spend a few hours with Macon Blair’s film.

Independent Spirit Awards (Saturday. IFC, 5 PM EST)

We love Nick Kroll and John Mulaney. We love independent films. We love the Spirit Awards because they are so unlike the Oscars. They’re laid back, fun, loose. It’s like the cool kid party 24 hours before the Academy Awards. So if you don’t want the glitz, glam, and long run-time of the Oscars, check out the Spirits Awards. The movies are more interesting, and the jokes will definitely be funnier.

The Verdict: Mulaney and Kroll are reason enough to watch. The terrific films nominated make it even sweeter.

For the Gamers

Halo Wars 2 (Xbox One/PC. Available Now)

Halo has been around for a long time. As the old saying goes if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Although, maybe alter it a bit? That’s what Halo Wars 2 does because it’s not a straight-up first-person shooter. Instead, it’s a real-time strategy (RTS) game which is a totally different beast. If you’ve ever played an RTS then you know it takes a lot more brains and, well, strategy, of course. That’s a fun, welcome change for the series. Halo die-hards are devoted and will likely give Halo Wars 2 a play through.

The Verdict: Strategy games are always a good time. If you’ve been waiting to get into Halo, this is a good way to ease into the franchise.

Whether you’re watching the Oscars are one of the choices above, enjoy your weekend! See you next week!

Brandon Marcus
A pop culture lover from birth, Brandon has previously written for VeryAware.com, NerdBastards.com, Trouble.city and CHUD.com. He has complained extensively about inconsequential things on all those sites. Brandon resides in the Pacific Northwest but his heart belongs to Gotham City.