Daily Archives: December 16, 2018

The Phoenix Critics Circle Lifts The Favourite Out Of The Ashes

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Sunday, the Phoenix Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2018 and The Favourite was their favorite!

Click here for a full list of nominees and check out the winners below!

BEST PICTURE
The Favourite

BEST COMEDY FILM
Eighth Grade

BEST SCIENCE FICTION FILM
Annihilation

BEST HORROR FILM
Hereditary

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Roma

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

BEST MOVIE BASED ON A COMIC BOOK OR GRAPHIC NOVEL
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

BEST ACTOR
Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

BEST ACTRESS
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Richard E Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

BEST SCREENPLAY
Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara, The Favourite

BEST SCORE
Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Swings Into The Hearts of the Utah Film Critics!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Sunday, the Utah Film Critics reminded me why I love awards season.

After a few weeks of the same three or four films winning award after award, the Utah Film Critics decided to go against the conventional wisdom and, as best picture of 2018, they selected the animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse!

Obviously, the Utah Film Critics aren’t as influential as the National Board of Review or the Golden Globes or even the Critics Choice Awards.  If I had to choose between the two, I’d say that Black Panther has a far better chance of becoming the first comic book movie to be nominated for best picture.  Still, it’s always fun to play what if.

(Also, Utah deserves credit for giving acting awards to both Elsie Fisher and Hugh Grant.)

Anyway, here are all the winners out of Utah!

Best Picture: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (RU: Roma)

Best Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (RU: none)

Best Documentary Feature: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (RU: Minding the Gap)

Best Non-English Language Feature: Roma (RU: Burning)

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma (RU: Ryan Coogler, Black Panther)

Best Actor: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (RU: Christian Bale, Vice)

Best Actress: Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade (RU: Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born)

Best Supporting Actor (tie): Hugh Grant, Paddington 2 and Russell Hornsby, The Hate U Give

Best Supporting Actress: Olivia Colman, The Favourite (RU: Elizabeth Debicki, Widows)

Best Original Screenplay: Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade (RU: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Phil Lord & Rodney Rothman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (RU: Audrey Wells, The Hate U Give)

Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma (RU: Rob Hardy, Annihilation)

Best Original Score: Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury, Annihilation (RU: Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk)

Here Are The 2018 Houston Film Critics Society Nominations!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Finally, the only state that matters is starting to make it’s voice heard in this year’s Oscar race!

On Sunday, the Houston Film Critics Society announced their nominations for the best of 2018.  Houston really, really liked both The Favourite and If Beale Street Could Talk.  The winners will be announced on January 3rd.

Here are the nominees!

Best Picture
A Star is Born
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Eighth Grade
If Beale Street Could Talk
The Favourite
First Reformed
Green Book
Hereditary
Roma
Vice

Best Director
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Adam McKay, Vice

Best Actor
Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Ethan Hawke, First Reformed
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Best Actress
Glenn Close, The Wife
Toni Collette, Hereditary
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Vice
Claire Foy, First Man
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Best Screenplay
Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade
Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Paul Schrader, First Reformed
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Adam McKay, Vice

Best Cinematography
Rachel Morrison, Black Panther
Linus Sandgren, First Man
Robbie Ryan, The Favourite
James Laxton, If Beale Street Could Talk
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Best Animated Film
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Original Score
Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther
Justin Hurwitz, First Man
Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs
Thom Yorke, Suspiria

Best Original Song
“All the Stars,” Black Panther
“Ashes,” Deadpool 2
“Hearts Beat Loud,” Hearts Beat Loud
“Revelation,” Boy Erased
“Shallow,” A Star is Born

Best Foreign Language Film
Burning
Border
Cold War
Roma
Shoplifters

Best Documentary Feature
Free Solo
Minding the Gap
RBG
Three Identical Strangers
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Texas Independent Film Award
1985
An American in Texas
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek
Support the Girls
Tejano

Visual Effects
Black Panther
First Man
Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Best Poster
BlacKkKlansman (two)
Mandy
Suspiria (two)

Best Worst Film of the Year
The 15:17 to Paris
The Happytime Murders
Life Itself
Peppermint
Venom

The St. Louis Film Critics Association Names A Star Is Born The Best Of 2018

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Sunday, the St. Louis Film Critics Association announced their picks for the best of 2018!  While A Star is Born hasn’t quite dominated the precursor season in the way that many expected that it would, it still managed to win over St. Louis.

For a full list of nominees, click here.  And check out the winners below:

BEST FILM
A Star Is Born
Runner-up: BlacKkKlansman

BEST DIRECTOR
Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman
Runner-up: Alfonso Cuarón – Roma

BEST ACTOR
Ethan Hawke – First Reformed
Runner-up: Christian Bale – Vice

BEST ACTRESS
Toni Collette – Hereditary
Runner-up: Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner-up: Mahershala Ali – Green Book

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk
Runner-up: Emma Stone – The Favourite

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Vice – Adam McKay
Runner-up: The Favourite – Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BlacKkKlansman – Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee (Screenplay); Ron Stallworth (Book)
Runner-up: Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (Screenplay); Lee Israel (Book)

BEST EDITING
Vice – Hank Corwin
Runner-up: First Man – Tom Cross

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
Runner-up: If Beale Street Could Talk – James Laxton

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Black Panther – Hannah Beachler
Runner-up: The Favourite – Fiona Crombie

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Avengers: Infinity War
Runner-up: Black Panther

BEST SCORE
BlacKkKlansman – Terence Blanchard
Runner-up: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – Carter Burwell

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Bohemian Rhapsody
Runner-up: BlacKkKlansman

BEST ACTION FILM
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Runner-up: Avengers: Infinity War

BEST COMEDY
The Favourite
Runner-up: Paddington 2

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
Runner-up: Isle of Dogs

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Won’t You Be Me Neighbor?
Runner-up: Three Identical Strangers

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE
Roma
Runner-up (tie): Capernaum, The Captain, The Guilty

BEST SCENE
Roma – Beach rescue
Runner-up: Bohemian Rhapsody – Live Aid

 

Lisa’s Week In Review: 12/10/18 — 12/16/18

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s been a busy week but, on Saturday, I watched Santa Claus Conquers The Martians with my friends, the Late Night Movie Gang.  And all was right with the world.

Movies I Watched:

  1. Easy Rider (1969)
  2. Romina (2018)
  3. Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964)
  4. Seven in Heaven (2018)
  5. Thank God, It’s Friday (1978)
  6. Three Identical Strangers (2018)

Television Shows I Watched:

  1. 911
  2. Andy Warhol’s Factory People
  3. The Brady Bunch
  4. The Case That Haunts Me
  5. Dead Silent
  6. Doctor Phil
  7. Evil Up Close
  8. Face the Truth
  9. Hell’s Kitchen
  10. Jonestown Massacre: As We Watched
  11. King of the Hill
  12. The Love Boat
  13. Murder Made Me Famous
  14. The Night That Didn’t End
  15. The Office
  16. Saved By The Bell
  17. Seinfeld
  18. Shipping Wars
  19. South Park
  20. Survivor 37
  21. Unsolved Mysteries
  22. Young Sheldon

Books I Read:

  1. Just After Midnight (2018) by Catherine Ryan Hyde
  2. Naughty or Nice (2018) by Alexa Riley
  3. True Indie: Life and Death in Filmmaking (2018) by Don Coscarelli

Music To Which I Listened:

  1. Avril Lavigne
  2. Big Data
  3. Black Honey
  4. Champagne Superchillin
  5. The Chemical Brothers
  6. Fitz and the Tantrums
  7. Jakalope
  8. Kim Wilde
  9. Lana Del Rey
  10. Lindsey Stirling
  11. M83
  12. Mew
  13. Ørjan Nilsen
  14. Röyksopp
  15. Sharon Van Etten
  16. Sleigh Bells
  17. Taylor Swift
  18. Tove Lo

Links From Last Week:

  1. On Reality TV Chat Blog, I reviewed the latest episode of Survivor!
  2. On my music site, I shared music from Taylor Swift, Black Honey, Sharon Van Etten, Ørjan Nilsen, Röyksopp, and M83.
  3. On her photography site, Erin shared: Black-and-White Street, Window, A Look Through A Window, Court Yard, The Dog, Fork, and Statue.
  4. Shame Storm
  5. A Tribute to Elisha Cook, Jr.
  6. Make Me Believe Dear Poet
  7. Throw Out The Paints

Links From The Site:

  1. Erin shared the following artwork: Country Girl, Good Luck To The Corpses, The Clocks at Ravenwood, Career of Sin, Best True Fact Detective, Thrilling Mystery, and The Affairs of a Leading Lady!
  2. Gary reviewed The Story of Temple Drake, Too Much Too Soon, Christmas Wrapping, and Superman!
  3. Ryan reviewed A House In The Jungle, A Ghost Sickness, and Recollection and he shared his weekly reading round-up!
  4. Arleigh shared the trailer for Godzilla and two K-pop songs: Be Natural and Décalcomanie!
  5. I shared music videos for Santa Baby, You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch, Silent Night, What Child Is This, and Skyrim (all performed by Lindsey Stirling), Last Christmas by Crazy Frog, and She Came Home For Christmas by Mew.

Want to see what I did last week?  Click here!

The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Announces Their Picks For The Best of 2018

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

And here they are!

Best Picture: ROMA and The Favourite (tie)

Robert Altman Award for Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, ROMA
Runner-up: Paul Schrader, First Reformed

Best Actor: Christian Bale, Vice and Ethan Hawke, First Reformed (tie)

Best Actress: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Runner-up: Yalitza Aparicio, Roma

Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner-up: Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, Vice
Runner-up: Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Leave No Trace

Best Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman
Runner-up: Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Original Screenplay: The Favourite
Runner-up: Eighth Grade

Best Animated Feature: Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
Runners-up: Incredibles 2 and Isle of Dogs (tie)

Best Foreign-Language Film: ROMA
Runner-up: Cold War

Best Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Runner-up: Free Solo

Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film: A Quiet Place
Runner-up: Sorry to Bother You

Tom Poe Award for Best LGBTQ Film: Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner-up: Love, Simon

The Boston Society Of Film Critics Honors If Beale Street Could Talk and Lynne Ramsay!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Earlier today, the Boston Society of Film Critics announced their picks for the best of 2018.  Along with selecting If Beale Street Could Talk as best picture, they also gave best director to You Were Never Really Here‘s Lynne Ramsay.

Best Film: If Beale Street Could Talk
Runner-up: Shoplifters

Best Director: Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here)
Runner-up: Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)

Best Actor: John C. Reilly (Stan & Ollie)
Runner-up: Ethan Hawke (First Reformed)

Best Actress: Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Runner-up: Sakura Ando (Shoplifters)

Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Runners-up (tie): Brian Tyree Henry (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Steven Yeun (Burning)

Best Supporting Actress: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Runner-up: J. Smith-Cameron (Nancy)

Best Ensemble: Shoplifters
Runner-up: The Favourite

Best Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Runner-up: Tamara Jenkins (Private Life)

Best Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Runner-up: Three Identical Strangers

Best Animated Film: Isle of Dogs
Runner-up: Ralph Breaks the Internet

Best Foreign Language Film: Shoplifters
Runner-up: Cold War

Best New Filmmaker: Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade)
Runner-up: Ari Aster (Hereditary)

Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuarón (ROMA)
Runner-up: Lukasz Zal (Cold War)

Best Editing: Tom Cross (First Man)
Runner-up: Bob Murawski and Orson Welles (The Other Side of the Wind)

Best Original Score: Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Runner-up: Justin Hurwitz (First Man) and Jonny Greenwood (You Were Never Really Here)

Weekly Reading Round-Up : 12/09/2018 – 12/15/2018, Mini Kus! Goes To China

Posted on by Ryan C. (fourcolorapocalypse)

Ryan C.'s Four Color Apocalypse

After a couple of weeks off to review all of what’s come before in 2018 for my slate of year-end “Top 10” columns, the Weekly Reading Round-Up is back, and we’ve got a damn interesting slate to look at from our Latvian friends at Kus! this week, as they continue their journey eastward. The last issue of their long-running S! anthology series focused on comics from Japan, and this time out, their latest quartet of Mini Kus! releases spotlights four unique and distinctive cartoonists from China, all presented courtesy of guest-editor R. Orion Martin of Chinese indie/alternative comics publisher Paradise Systems. Let’s get right down to business, shall we?

Doghair by Ganmu is number 71 in the Mini Kus! line and features cold, austere artwork that matches the tone of its protagonist, an obsessive type who pours all of that obsession into the well-being, appearance, and happiness of his dog…

View original post 618 more words

Music Video Of The Day: She Came Home For Christmas by Mew (2002, dir by ????)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

From Denmark comes today’s music video of the day.

The video inspired by this dream-like Chirstmas song is both beautiful and oddly disturbing.  It’s apparently the story of two fairies, one good and one bad.  It’s also the story of a dancing bear and who doesn’t appreciate a dancing bear?  Unfortunately, things don’t really work out that well for the bear but nature gets revenge.  The fact that the entire story takes place on a stage only serves to make things even more surreal.  Whenever I see anything strange happen on a stage, I automatically start to think about the Club Silencio sequence from Mulholland Drive.

Anyway, enjoy!