Live Tweet Alert: Watch The Giant Gila Monster With #ScarySocial!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, for #ScarySocial, I will be hosting 1959’s The Giant Gila Monster!

If you want to join us on Saturday night, just hop onto twitter, start the film at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  The film is available on Prime and Tubi!  I’ll be there co-hosting and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy!

 

Sinners Wins In Central Florida


The Critics Association of Central Florida has announced its picks for the best of 2025!  And here they are:

Best Picture
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

Best Director
Winner: Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Runner-up: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Best Actor
Winner: Timothee Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Runner-up: Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

Best Actress
Winner: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Runner-up: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Runner-up (TIE): Ariana Grande, Wicked: For Good/Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Best Cast
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

Best Youth Performance
Winner: Jacobi Jupe, Hamnet
Runner-up: Cary Christopher, Weapons

Best Documentary
Winner: The Perfect Neighbor
Runner-up: Stolen Kingdom

Best International Film
Winner: No Other Choice
Runner-up: It Was Just an Accident

Best Animated Film
Winner: KPop Demon Hunters / Zootopia 2 (TIE)

Best Screenplay
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

Best Cinematography
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

Best Score
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

Best Original Song
Winner: “Golden,” KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: “I Lied to You,” Sinners

Best Sound Design
Winner: F1
Runner-up: Sinners

Best Editing
Winner (TIE): One Battle After Another / Marty Supreme

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling
Winner: Frankenstein
Runner-up: Sinners

Best Production Design
Winner: Frankenstein
Runner-up: Sinners

Best Visual Effects
Winner: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Runner-up: Superman

Best Costume Design
Winner: Sinners
Runner-up: Frankenstein

Best Stunt Coordination
Winner: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Runner-up: F1

Best Hybrid Performance
Winner: Oona Chaplin, Avatar: Fire and Ash
Runner-up: Zoe Saldana, Avatar: Fire and Ash

Best First Feature
Winner: Eva Victor, Sorry Baby
Runner-up: Andrew DeYoung, Friendship

Pittsburgh Chooses Sinners


The Pittsburgh Film Critics Association has announced their picks for the best of 2025.  And here they are:

BEST PICTURE
Winner: Sinners
Runner-Up: One Battle After Another

BEST LEAD ACTOR
Winner: Rose Byrne — If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Runner-Up: Jessie Buckley — Hamnet

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Amy Madigan — Weapons
Runner-Up: Wunmi Mosaku — Sinners

BEST FEATURED ACTOR (15 minutes or less of screen time)
Winner: William H. Macy — Train Dreams
Runner-Up: Naomi Ackie — Sorry, Baby

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Winner: Miles Caton — Sinners
Runner-Up: Chase Infiniti — One Battle After Another
Bark-through performance: Indy the Dog — Good Boy

BEST ANIMATED VOICE PERFORMANCE
Winners (Tie): Arden Cho — KPop Demon Hunters; Ke Huy Quan — Zootopia 2

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Ryan Coogler — Sinners
Runner-Up: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Ryan Coogler — Sinners
Runner-Up: Eva Victor — Sorry, Baby

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson — One Battle After Another
Runner-Up: Rian Johnson — Wake Up Dead Man

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Autumn Durald Arkapaw — Sinners
Runner-Up: Adolpho Veloso — Train Dreams

BEST EDITING
Winner: Michael P. Shawver — Sinners
Runner-Up: Andy Jurgensen — One Battle After Another

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Winner: Hannah Beachler — Sinners
Runner-Up: Tamara Deverell — Frankenstein

BEST SCORE
Winner: Ludwig Göransson — Sinners
Runner-Up: Jonny Greenwood — One Battle After Another

BEST SONG
Winner: “I Lied to You” — Sinners
Runner-Up: “Golden” — KPop Demon Hunters

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Winner: Steve Boeddeker — Sinners
Runner-Up: Al Nelson — F1: The Movie

BEST HAIR, MAKEUP, & COSTUMES
Winner*:* Siân Richards, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry (Hair and Makeup); Ruth E. Carter (Costumes) — Sinners
Runner-up: Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey (Hair and Makeup); Kate Hawley (Costumes) — Frankenstein

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-Up: Zootopia 2

BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Winner: Sentimental Value
Runner-Up: It Was Just an Accident

BEST STUNT PERFORMANCE & CHOREOGRAPHY
Winner: Wade Eastwood — Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
Runner-Up: Andy Gill — Sinners

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD
Winner: It Was Just an Accident for director Jafar Panahi’s continued critique of the Iranian regime.

Scenes That I Love: Lee Van Cleef In Sabata


Today would have been Lee Van Cleef’s 101st birthday.

Today’s scene that I love features Van Cleef as the title character in 1969’s Sabata.  In this scene, he faces off in a duel with William Berger’s Banjo.  Even when he’s playing the good guy, like in this film, Lee Van Cleef leaves no doubt that he’s not someone you want to mess with.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Ulu Grosbard Edition


4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, on what would have been his 97th birthday, we pay tribute to director Ulu Grobsard with….

4 Shots From 4 Ulu Grosbard Films

The Subject Was Roses (1968, dir by Ulu Grosbard, DP: Jack Priestley)

Straight Time (1978, dir by Ulu Grosbard, DP: Owen Roizman)

True Confessions (1981, dir by Ulu Grosbard, DP: Owen Roizman)

Georgia (1995, dir by Ulu Grosbard, DP: Jan Kiesser)

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix for The Humanoid!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly watch parties.  On Twitter, I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday and I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday.  On Mastodon, I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, I will be hosting #FridayNightFlix!  The movie?  1979’s The Humanoid, starring Richard Kiel!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, find The Humanoid on Prime, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  I’ll be there happily tweeting.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

See you there!

One Battle After Another Wins In Columbus!


The Columbus Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025. The winners are listed in bold.

Best Film
1. One Battle After Another
2. No Other Choice
3. Sinners
4. It Was Just an Accident
5. Bugonia
6. Wake Up Dead Man
7. Sentimental Value
8. Train Dreams
9. Weapons
10. Marty Supreme
11. Frankenstein

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Ryan Coogler, Sinners (RUNNER-UP)
Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

Best Lead Performance
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (RUNNER-UP)
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon (WINNER)
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia

Best Supporting Performance
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
Adam Sandler, Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Best Ensemble
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Sinners (RUNNER-UP)
Wake Up Dead Man

Actor of the Year (For an Exemplary Body of Work)
Josh Brolin, The Running Man, Wake Up Dead Man, and Weapons
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another and The Phoenician Scheme (RUNNER-UP)
Josh O’Connor, The History of Sound, The Mastermind, Rebuilding, and Wake Up Dead Man (WINNER)
Amanda Seyfried, The Housemaid and The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone, Bugonia and Eddington

Breakthrough Film Artist
Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme (Acting)
Miles Caton, Sinners (Acting)
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another (Acting) (WINNER)
Carson Lund, Eephus (Directing and Screenwriting)
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (Acting, Directing, and Screenwriting) (RUNNER-UP)

Best Cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners (WINNER)
Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein
Claudio Miranda, F1
Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams
Łukasz Żal, Hamnet

Best Film Editing
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Stephen Mirrione, F1 (RUNNER-UP)
Joe Murphy, Weapons
Michael P. Shawver, Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams
Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein
Park Chan-Wook, Lee Kyoung-Mi, Don McKellar, and Jahye Lee, No Other Choice (RUNNER-UP)
Will Tracy, Bugonia
Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet

Best Original Screenplay
Ryan Coogler, Sinners (WINNER)
Zach Cregger, Weapons
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident (RUNNER-UP)
Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, Marty Supreme
Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Best Score
Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
Ludwig Göransson, Sinners (WINNER)
Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
Daniel Lopatin, Marty Supreme
Max Richter, Hamnet

Best Documentary
Cover-Up (RUNNER-UP)
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators (WINNER)
Seeds

Best Foreign Language Film
It Was Just an Accident (WINNER)
No Other Choice (RUNNER-UP)
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirât

Best Animated Film
Arco
The Bad Guys 2
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters (RUNNER-UP)
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (WINNER)
Predator: Killer of Killers
Zootopia 2

Frank Gabrenya Award for Best Comedy
The Baltimorons (RUNNER-UP)
Friendship
The Naked Gun
One of Them Days (WINNER)
Splitsville

Best Overlooked Film
The Ballad of Wallis Island
The Baltimorons
The Mastermind (RUNNER-UP)
Peter Hujar’s Day
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
Warfare (WINNER)

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the American Society of Cinematographers!


The American Society Of Cinematographers have announced their nominations for the best of 2025.  And here they are:

Theatrical Feature Film (Sponsored by Keslow Camera)
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC for “Sinners”
Michael Bauman for “One Battle After Another”
Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC for “Marty Supreme”
Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF for “Frankenstein”
Adolpho Veloso, ABC, AIP for “Train Dreams”

Spotlight Award (Sponsored by Panavision)
Steven Breckon for “The Plague”
Mátyás Erdély, ASC, HSC for “Orphan”
Karl Walter Lindenlaub, ASC, BVK for “Amrum”

Documentary Award (Sponsored by Canon U.S.A.)
Mstyslav Chernov and Alex Babenko for “2000 Meters from Andriivka”
Brandon Somerhalder for “Come See Me in the Good Light”
Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo and Tor Edvin Eliassen for “Folktales”

Here Are The 2025 DGA Nominations


The Directors Guild of America has announced its nominees for the best directors of 2025.  And here they are:

FEATURE FILM
Paul Thomas Anderson – “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Coogler – “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Guillermo Del Toro – “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Josh Safdie – “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Chloe Zhao – “Hamnet” (Focus Features)

FIRST-TIME THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM
Hasan Hadi – “The President’s Cake” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Harry Lighton – “Pillion” (A24)
Alex Russell – “Lurker” (Mubi)
Charlie Polinger – “The Plague” (IFC)
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby” (A24)