Thursday, December 11, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
AFI Top 10 (SYKE ELEVEN!!!)
What's in:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Nightcrawler
Selma
Unbroken
Whiplash
What was left out:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
A Most Violent Year
Inherent Vice
And also, The Theory of Everything seems to be DOA
Even with the expansion to 11 movies, The Grand Budapest Hotel was still left out just a day after finishing runner up in pretty much everything at the LA film critics awards (to Boyhood).
Next up are the SAG nominations, and not a moment too soon because all of the acting races seem wide open. The only clear contender is Julianne Moore competing for Best Actress for her work in Still Alice, but even at this stage, a dark horse can enter the field, and SAG picks ALL the dark horses.
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Nightcrawler
Selma
Unbroken
Whiplash
What was left out:
The Grand Budapest Hotel
A Most Violent Year
Inherent Vice
And also, The Theory of Everything seems to be DOA
Even with the expansion to 11 movies, The Grand Budapest Hotel was still left out just a day after finishing runner up in pretty much everything at the LA film critics awards (to Boyhood).
Next up are the SAG nominations, and not a moment too soon because all of the acting races seem wide open. The only clear contender is Julianne Moore competing for Best Actress for her work in Still Alice, but even at this stage, a dark horse can enter the field, and SAG picks ALL the dark horses.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
National Board of Review picks 'A Most Violent Year' for Best Film
Here are the winners:
Best Film- A Most Violent Year
Best Director- American Sniper (Clint Eastwood)
Best Actor- A Most Violent Year (Oscar Issac) and Birdman (Michael Keaton)
Best Actress- Still Alice (Julianne Moore)
Best Supporting Actor- Birdman (Edward Norton)
Best Supporting Actress- A Most Violent Year (Jessica Chastain)
Best Original Screenplay- The Lego Movie
Best Adapted Screenplay- Inherent Vice
Best Animated Film- How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Documentary- Life Itself
Best Foreign Film- Wild Tales
Best Ensemble- Fury
Best Directoral Debut- Obvious Child (Gillian Robespierre)
Breakthrough Performance- Jack O'Connell (from Starred Up and Unbroken)
Top 10 Films of the Year:
A Most Violent Year
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Fury
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Lego Movie
Nightcrawler
Unbroken
Top 5 Foreign Language Movies:
Force Majeure
Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem
Leviathan
Two Days, One Night
We Are the Best!
Top 5 Documentaries:
Art and Craft
Jodorowsky's Dune
Keep on Keepin' On
The Kill Team
Last Days in Vietnam
Reaction: Please don't ask me how a movie can win best Documentary and not be on the documentary shortlist. Or how the Lego Movie lost Animated Film but was on the top 10 films of the year, and the winner was not.
The truth is, there are somethings that may never be answered.
It was always a guess as to what the NBR would pick. A Most Violent Year was a little outside the box, however, it's current meteoritic rating is only rivaled by Birdman and Boyhood. The only real surprise was the lack of Whiplash on the top 10 films of the year.
Also a push for P.T. Anderson's Inherent Vice, which, only with a recent theatrical trailer release, has it been getting any press at all. Fury, Nightcrawler, Unbroken and The Lego Movie will most likely end their run of recognition here, save Lego in animated categories. It's characteristic of the NBR to promote films that don't have any chances with any of the major award ceremonies (i.e. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty last year).
Best Film- A Most Violent Year
Best Director- American Sniper (Clint Eastwood)
Best Actor- A Most Violent Year (Oscar Issac) and Birdman (Michael Keaton)
Best Actress- Still Alice (Julianne Moore)
Best Supporting Actor- Birdman (Edward Norton)
Best Supporting Actress- A Most Violent Year (Jessica Chastain)
Best Original Screenplay- The Lego Movie
Best Adapted Screenplay- Inherent Vice
Best Animated Film- How to Train Your Dragon 2
Best Documentary- Life Itself
Best Foreign Film- Wild Tales
Best Ensemble- Fury
Best Directoral Debut- Obvious Child (Gillian Robespierre)
Breakthrough Performance- Jack O'Connell (from Starred Up and Unbroken)
Top 10 Films of the Year:
A Most Violent Year
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
Fury
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Lego Movie
Nightcrawler
Unbroken
Top 5 Foreign Language Movies:
Force Majeure
Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem
Leviathan
Two Days, One Night
We Are the Best!
Top 5 Documentaries:
Art and Craft
Jodorowsky's Dune
Keep on Keepin' On
The Kill Team
Last Days in Vietnam
Reaction: Please don't ask me how a movie can win best Documentary and not be on the documentary shortlist. Or how the Lego Movie lost Animated Film but was on the top 10 films of the year, and the winner was not.
The truth is, there are somethings that may never be answered.
It was always a guess as to what the NBR would pick. A Most Violent Year was a little outside the box, however, it's current meteoritic rating is only rivaled by Birdman and Boyhood. The only real surprise was the lack of Whiplash on the top 10 films of the year.
Also a push for P.T. Anderson's Inherent Vice, which, only with a recent theatrical trailer release, has it been getting any press at all. Fury, Nightcrawler, Unbroken and The Lego Movie will most likely end their run of recognition here, save Lego in animated categories. It's characteristic of the NBR to promote films that don't have any chances with any of the major award ceremonies (i.e. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty last year).
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Oscar Season is Finally Here, Let's Get This Thing Crackin'
Today, all film fans who have been saving their extra cash
for the rush of films at the end of the year can begin to relinquish their
disposable income at the box office, unless you’re a torrent-er, in which case,
you can start marking your calendar for the December release dates of movies
you won’t be taking any dates too!
Award season 2014 has kicked off with the announcement of
the New York Film Critics Circle Awards Monday.
Uncharacteristic, as usually the first awards to be announced come from
the National Board of Review, who announce their best of 2014 tomorrow. In the meantime, if you are worried about
prematurely making picks for this season, the NYFCC always gives us a glimpse
at potential contenders.
Up until a few years ago, the NYFCC were among the last
critics awards announced.
Along with the NBR, they are the oldest, and arguably most
prestigious critics awards. Unlike the
NBR, they more often align with other critics awards, and the Oscars. The NBR has always prided themselves on being
different from the AMPAS and the Oscars, so expect tomorrows winners to be
different.
Anyway, getting down to business, we did learn that the most
powerful force going into the season is Boyhood. It’s promise validated by the first major win
of the season.
For all of you don’t know the Richard Linklater’s coming of
age of a millennial boy, filmed over the course of twelve years, you can watch
the trailer here:
Boyhood’s
Linklater also took home Best Director and Patricia Arquette took home Best
Supporting Actress. Neither have ever
been nominated for an Oscar in those categories, however Linklater has been
nominated twice for Screenplay. Both
were getting the most press leading up to the December critics awards.
Other major awards included:
Best Actor- Timothy Spall for Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh’s latest film which earned Spall Best Actor
at Cannes earlier this year.)
Best Actress- Marion Cotillard for The Immigrant and Two Days,
One Night (The former premiered at Cannes in 2013 and is eligible for this Oscars,
but is not expected to be up for anything, and the later premiered at Cannes
this year and won the Sydney Prize at the Sydney Film Festival.)
Best Supporting Actor- J.K. Simmons for Whiplash (watch out for this film this Oscar season, and this performance.)
Best Screenplay- The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson’s
latest film is already out on home video, it may have come out to early to be
considered a heavy contender.)
Best Cinematography- The
Immigrant
Best Nonfiction Film- Citizenfour
Best Foreign Film- Ida
Best Animated Film- The
Lego Movie
My guess is this- If Boyhood
wins tomorrow at the National Board of Review, it will be a forced to be
reckoned with this season. Also, the NBR
posts their top ten films of the year as well, which is pretty all encompassing
of movies you can hit in the theaters, no matter where you are in America.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Most predictable Oscars concludes
Wow, sorry, didn't mean to be a downer. Ellen was hilarious and there was some funny bits. Pink's tribute to The Wizard of Oz was amazing. Every other bit painfully filled the hours long show that was complete with absolutely no surprises.
I made 20 of 23 awards, changing my last minute pick for Best Supporting Actress to snag an upset and was thankfully wrong in thinking Lupita Nyong'o was going to lose for her brilliant performance in 12 Years a Slave. American Hustle, having had ten chances to take home an Oscar, walked away with nothing.
My most sincere condolences to all of you who have fallen under the curse of actually caring that Jennifer Lawrence fell on the red carpet. Some people are clumsy and have balance issues. She also may have been stoned, so go back to stealing your neighbor's wifi.
Gravity, despite winning seven Oscars, lost the top prize to 12 Years a Slave. For all of you who have ever seen this page, you knew that there was no way of anything else happening. However, viewers were still rewarded by seeing the historical win of Gravity's director Alfonso Cuarón, the first Latin American Best Director winner.
Her also reeled in Best Original Screenplay, backed by an awesome speech by Spike Jonze. Best speech had to go to a heartfelt and sincere (and well prepared) speech by Jared Leto after winning Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyers Club, accepting his award for all those affected by AIDS. Luckily there were not a lot of disappointing speeches, most were very fast, unlike the show.
Dear Oscars,
Please refrain from any stupid "tributes" like that pathetic animated films, of which you select five animated films to represent the cartoons "we love." We have also suffered from too many years of worthless trailers for the Best Picture nominees. I do apologize, however, after having two months to watch all the films and seeing endless tributes of the same films in other ceremonies. Stick with Jim Carrey doing Bruce Dern in front of Bruce Dern, and Ellen making twitter shut down.
Oh, and I will leave you lovely people with this:
I made 20 of 23 awards, changing my last minute pick for Best Supporting Actress to snag an upset and was thankfully wrong in thinking Lupita Nyong'o was going to lose for her brilliant performance in 12 Years a Slave. American Hustle, having had ten chances to take home an Oscar, walked away with nothing.
My most sincere condolences to all of you who have fallen under the curse of actually caring that Jennifer Lawrence fell on the red carpet. Some people are clumsy and have balance issues. She also may have been stoned, so go back to stealing your neighbor's wifi.
Gravity, despite winning seven Oscars, lost the top prize to 12 Years a Slave. For all of you who have ever seen this page, you knew that there was no way of anything else happening. However, viewers were still rewarded by seeing the historical win of Gravity's director Alfonso Cuarón, the first Latin American Best Director winner.
Her also reeled in Best Original Screenplay, backed by an awesome speech by Spike Jonze. Best speech had to go to a heartfelt and sincere (and well prepared) speech by Jared Leto after winning Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyers Club, accepting his award for all those affected by AIDS. Luckily there were not a lot of disappointing speeches, most were very fast, unlike the show.
Dear Oscars,
Please refrain from any stupid "tributes" like that pathetic animated films, of which you select five animated films to represent the cartoons "we love." We have also suffered from too many years of worthless trailers for the Best Picture nominees. I do apologize, however, after having two months to watch all the films and seeing endless tributes of the same films in other ceremonies. Stick with Jim Carrey doing Bruce Dern in front of Bruce Dern, and Ellen making twitter shut down.
Oh, and I will leave you lovely people with this:
Winners are posted in the Oscars section. Thank you all so much for participating in my favorite night of the year!
'The Great Beauty' and Lutpia Nyong'o keep the night rollin
The Great Beauty
Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave
Bill Murray= Best Presenter
and I guess Ellen broke twitter.
Much props to Emmanuel Lubezki for winning his first Oscar for Best Cinematography for Gravity!
Oscars...so far
No I'm not mad I've gotten two predictions wrong. Seriously...I'm not...
Anyway, Ellen is the funniest. If you don't think so, you're either prejudice or a prude. Or both.
No surprises as of yet, 20 Feet from Stardom had an excellent win, after having won the box office award for documentary. A pretty surprising win in Animated Short Film for "Mr. Hublot"
For future reference Oscars, keep out the Best Picture trailers and all other unnecessary clips unless they pertain exactly to a competitive or honorary award. Ellen is also correct in the lack of Finding Nemo impression.
Here are a list of winners so far:
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club
Best Costume Design: The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club
Best Live Action Short: "Helium"
Best Animated Short: "Mr. Hublot"
Best Documentary Short: "The Lady in Number Six"
Best Documentary Feature: 20 Feet from Stardom
Anyway, Ellen is the funniest. If you don't think so, you're either prejudice or a prude. Or both.
No surprises as of yet, 20 Feet from Stardom had an excellent win, after having won the box office award for documentary. A pretty surprising win in Animated Short Film for "Mr. Hublot"
For future reference Oscars, keep out the Best Picture trailers and all other unnecessary clips unless they pertain exactly to a competitive or honorary award. Ellen is also correct in the lack of Finding Nemo impression.
Here are a list of winners so far:
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club
Best Costume Design: The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club
Best Live Action Short: "Helium"
Best Animated Short: "Mr. Hublot"
Best Documentary Short: "The Lady in Number Six"
Best Documentary Feature: 20 Feet from Stardom
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