Holidays on the Lens: Santa Claus (dir by Rene Cardona)


Today’s holiday movie is …. well, it’s a little bit odd.

Santa Claus is a 1959 Mexican film that reminds us that before he became an advertising icon, Nicholas Claus was a Catholic saint.  According to this film, St. Nick also apparently lives in outer space with a bunch of singing children.  His best friend is Merlin and he apparently gets along with Vulcan, the Roman God of fire, as well.

Perhaps angered by the way that Santa is beloved by children of all races and figures of all mythologies, Lucifer orders a little demon named Pitch to go to Earth and turn the children against Santa.

So yeah, Santa Claus is really weird.  However, if you’ve ever wanted to see a movie where Santa is revealed to be a God-like action hero who holds the fate of the world in his hands, this is the film for you!

Scenes that I Love: Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory


Today’s scene that I love comes from 1957’s Paths of Glory.  In this scene, Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) fights a losing battle to save the lives of three soldiers who have been accused of cowardice after refusing to take part in a suicidal attack during World War I.

Douglas not only starred in this film but his also production company also helped to finance it.  The film was co-written and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Kirk Douglas 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 would have been the 109th birthday of actor Kirk Douglas!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Kirk Douglas Films

Champion (1949, dir by Mark Robson, DP; Franz Planer)

The Bad and the Beautiful (1952, dir by Vincente Minnelli, DP: Robert L. Surtees)

Spartacus (1960, dir by Stanley Kubrick, DP: Russell Metty)

Saturn 3 (1980, dir by Stanley Donen, DP: Billy Williams)

Here Are The 2025 Nominations Of The Indiana Film Journalists Association!


Here are the 2025 nominations of the Indiana Film Journalists Association.

There’s a lot of them.

BEST FILM
28 Years Later
Black Bag
Bob Trevino Likes It
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Friendship
Hamnet
Jay Kelly
The Life of Chuck
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
The Phoenician Scheme
The Plague
Sinners
Splitsville
Superman
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Weapons

BEST ANIMATED FILM
In Your Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters
The Legend of Hei 2
Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain
Ne Zha 2
Predator: Killer of Killers
Zootopia 2

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Cloud
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
Reflection In A Dead Diamond
Rental Family
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Universal Language
The Voice of Hind Rajab

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Are We Good?
Deaf President Now!
Disposable Humanity
Grand Theft Hamlet
Hacking at Leaves
Orwell: 2+2=5
Pavements
The Perfect Neighbor
The Tenderness Tour

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly
Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin – Splitsville
Zach Cregger – Weapons
David Koepp – Black Bag
Tracie Laymon – Bob Trevino Likes It
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Charlie Polinger – The Plague

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Mike Flanagan – The Life of Chuck
Alex Garland – 28 Years Later
Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, and Akiva Schaffer – The Naked Gun
James Gunn – Superman
Rian Johnson – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar and Lee Ja-hye – No Other Choice
Will Tracy – Bugonia

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Michael Angelo Covino – Splitsville
Zach Cregger – Weapons
James Gunn – Superman
Park Chan-wook – No Other Choice
Charlie Polinger – The Plague
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Steven Soderbergh – Black Bag

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Everett Blunck – The Plague
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
David Corenswet – Superman
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Michael Fassbender – Black Bag
Barbie Ferreira – Bob Trevino Likes It
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Liam Neeson – The Naked Gun
Josh O’Connor – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Pamela Anderson – The Naked Gun
Miles Caton – Sinners
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Nicholas Hoult – Superman
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
John Leguizamo – Bob Trevino Likes It
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
French Stewart – Bob Trevino Likes It
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST VOCAL / MOTION-CAPTURE PERFORMANCE
Oona Chaplin – Avatar: Fire And Ash
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Will Patton – Train Dreams
Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi – Predator: Badlands
Zhu Jing – The Legend of Hei 2

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING
Black Bag
Bugonia
The Life of Chuck
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Plague
Sinners
Superman
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Weapons

BEST EDITING
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Barry Alexander Brown and Allyson C. Johnson – Highest 2 Lowest
Mike Flanagan – The Life of Chuck
Jon Harris – 28 Years Later
Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another
Kim Sang-bum – No Other Choice
Brian Scott Olds – The Naked Gun
Sara Shaw – Splitsville
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners
Steven Soderbergh – Black Bag

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another
Steven Breckon – The Plague
Darius Khondji – Marty Supreme
Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein
Anthony Dod Mantle – 28 Years Later
Larkin Seiple – Weapons
Steven Soderbergh – Black Bag
Fraser Taggart – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams

BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Jerskin Fendrix – Bugonia
Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another
Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay and Zach Cregger – Weapons
David Holmes – Black Bag
Johan Lenox – The Plague
Daniel Lopatin – Marty Supreme
John Murphy and David Fleming – Superman
Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares
Young Fathers – 28 Years Later

BEST STUNT / MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHY
Wade Eastwood (second unit director / stunt coordinator) – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Timothy Eulich (stunt coordinator) – Eddington
Tyler Hall (stunt coordinator / stunt driver) and Dave McKeown (stunt coordinator) – Splitsville
Brian Machleit (stunt coordinator) – One Battle After Another
Mandy Moore (choreographer) – The Life of Chuck
Alain Moussi (stunt coordinator), Brahim Chab (fight coordinator), László Kósa (stunt coordinator, Hungary) and Balázs Lengyel (fight coordinator, Hungary) – Fight or Flight
Celia Rowlson-Hall (choreographer) – The Testament of Ann Lee
Jacob Tomuri (stunt coordinator) – Predator: Badlands

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Dennis Berardi, Ayo Burgess and Ivan Busquets (VFX supervisors) and José Granell (miniatures / models supervisor) – Frankenstein
Jeff Capogreco (VFX supervisor), Dave Funston (VFX supervisor, OPSIS), Ross McCabe (VFX supervisor, Image Engine), Abishek Nair (VFX supervisor, Industrial Light and Magic / VFX supervisor, second unit), Vincent Papaix (VFX supervisor, Industrial Light and Magic) and Cameron Waldbauer (SFX supervisor) – Tron: Ares
Stephane Ceretti, Enrico Damm, Stéphane Nazé and Guy Williams (VFX supervisors) – Superman
Olivier Dumont and Sheldon Stopsack (VFX supervisors, Wētā), Kathy Siegel (VFX producer / co-producer) and Karl Rapley (animation supervisor, Wētā) – Predator: Badlands
Dan Glass, Chris McLaughlin and Stuart Penn (VFX supervisors) and Dominic Tuohy (SFX supervisor) – Mickey 17
Joe Letteri (senior VFX supervisor), Richard Baneham (VFX supervisor, Lightstorm / virtual second unit director), Eric Saindon (senior VFX supervisor, Wētā Digital) and Daniel Barrett (senior animation supervisor, Wētā Digital) – Avatar: Fire And Ash
Charlie Noble (VFX supervisor), David Zaretti (VFX supervisor, ILM), Russell Bowen (VFX supervisor, beloFX) and Brandon K. McLaughlin (SFX coordinator) – The Lost Bus
Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl and Guido Wolter (VFX supervisors) and Donnie Dean (SFX coordinator) – Sinners
Scott Stokdyk (VFX supervisor, Marvel), Robert Allman (VFX supervisor, Framestore), Daniele Bigi (VFX supervisor, ILM), Theodore Bialek (VFX supervisor, SPI) and Alistair Williams (SFX supervisor) – The Fantastic Four: First Steps

BREAKOUT OF THE YEAR
Clint Bentley (director / co-writer) – Train Dreams
Everett Blunck (performer) – The Plague
Miles Caton (performer) – Sinners
Aidan Delbis (performer) – Bugonia
Chase Infiniti (performer) – One Battle After Another
Jacobi Jupe (performer) – Hamnet
Tracie Laymon (director / writer) – Bob Trevino Likes It
Charlie Polinger (director / writer) – The Plague
Eva Victor (director / writer / performer) – Sorry, Baby
Alfie Williams (performer) – 28 Years Later

ORIGINAL VISION
Good Boy
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
One Battle After Another
The Plague
Reflection In A Dead Diamond
The Testament of Ann Lee
Train Dreams

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the New York Film Critics Online


Here are the 2025 nominations of the New York Film Critics Online!

PICTURE
Hamnet
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
Nuremberg
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams

DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Park Chan-wook – No Other Choice
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Mona Fastvold – The Testament of Ann Lee
Olivier Laxe – Sirāt
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Lynne Ramsey – Die, My Love
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloe Zhao – Hamnet

SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Hamnet
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Train Dreams
Twinless

ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Sope Dirisu – My Father’s Shadow
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Lee Byung Hun – No Other Choice
Dylan O’Brien – Twinless
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

ACTRESS
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Kathleen Chalfant – Familiar Touch
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Jennifer Lawrence – Die, My Love
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Sydney Sweeney – Christy
Tessa Thompson – Hedda

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Michael Cera – The Phoenician Scheme
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Noah Jupe – Hamnet
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Pierre Lottin – When Fall is Coming
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Alexander Skarsgard – Pillion
Stellan Skarsgard – Sentimental Value

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme
Glenn Close – Wake Up Dead Man
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Regina Hall – One Battle After Another
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Eternity
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

ENSEMBLE CAST
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wake Up Dead Man

USE OF MUSIC
Hamnet
KPop Demon Hunters
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Song Sung Blue
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
The Testament of Ann Lee
Wicked: For Good

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirāt
Train Dreams
The Testament of Ann Lee
28 Years Later
Wicked: For Good

DEBUT DIRECTOR
Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow
Harris Dickerson – Urchin
Sarah Friedland – Familiar Touch
Scarlett Johansson – Eleanor the Great
Harry Lighton – Pillion
Carson Lund – Eephus
Charlie Polinger – The Plague
Kristen Stewart – The Chronology of Water
Constance Tsang – Blue Sun Palace
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER
Odessa A’zion
Everett Blunck
Miles Caton
Chase Infiniti
Jacob Jupe
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas
Kayo Martin
Abou Sangare
Eva Victor

ANIMATION
A Magnificent Life
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
100 Meters
Predator: Killer of Killers
Scarlet
Zootopia 2

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
Resurrection
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt
Sound of Falling
The Voice of Hind Rajib
We Will Not Be Moved

DOCUMENTARY
Afternoons of Solitude
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cover-Up
My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 — Last Air in Moscow
Pee-wee as Himself
Put Your Soul in Your Hand and Walk
The Perfect Neighbor
The Alabama Solution
2000 Meters to Andriivka

Sinners Wins In Michigan


The Michigan Movie Critics Guild has announced it picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are listed in bold!

Best Picture
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet

Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Brendan Fraser – Rental Family
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Best Actress
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Emma Stone – Bugonia

Best Supporting Actor
Miles Caton – Sinners
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Hailee Steinfeld – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Animated Film
Arco
Dog Man
K-Pop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best Documentary
Orwell: 2+2=5
Pee-Wee as Himself
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
The Perfect Neighbor
The Tale of Silyan

Best Ensemble
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man
Wicked: For Good

Best Screenplay
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sorry, Baby
Sinners

Best Cinematography
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Breakthrough
Miles Caton – (Actor) Sinners
Chase Infiniti – (Actress) One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – (Actor) Frankenstein
Jacobi Jupe – (Actor) Hamnet
Eva Victor – (Writer, Director, Actor) Sorry, Baby

Best Stunts
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Nobody 2
One Battle After Another

The MMCG Award for Film Excellence
Paul Feig – (Director) The Housemaid / Another Simple Favor
Judy Greer – (Actress) The Long Walk
Paul Walter Hauser – (Actor) The Naked Gun / Fantastic Four: First Steps
Tim Robinson – (Actor/Writer) Friendship
J.K. Simmons – (Actor) The Accountant 2

Here Are The 2025 Golden Globe Nominations


Does anyone care about the Golden Globes any more?  I remember that there was a feeling of relief when it looked like we would finally be free from having to worry about them.  Of course, the Globes are back and under new management.  They’re clawing their way back to relevancy, or at least they’re trying.

To be honest, I don’t trust the nominations below.  I think it’s all about getting people to watch their ceremony again.  Still, the Golden Globes are a thing and here are the film nominations for this year.  The winners will be revealed on January 11th.

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Blue Moon
Bugonia
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
Nouvelle Vague
One Battle After Another

BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Chloe Zhao – Hamnet

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Jennifer Lawrence – Die, My Love
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Julia Roberts – After the Hunt
Tessa Thompson – Hedda
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Emily Blunt – The Smashing Machine
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Oscar Isaac – Frankenstein
Dwayne Johnson – The Smashing Machine
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Jeremy Allen White – Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Lee Byung-hun – No Other Choice
Timothee Chalamet – Marty Supreme
George Clooney – Jay Kelly
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

BEST SCREENPLAY, MOTION PICTURE
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, MOTION PICTURE
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirat

BEST ORIGINAL SONG, MOTION PICTURE
Avatar: Fire and Ash – “Dream as One”
KPop Demon Hunters – “Golden”
Sinners – “I Lied to You”
Train Dreams – “Train Dreams”
Wicked: For Good – “No Place Life Home”
Wicked: For Good – “The Girl in the Bubble”

BEST MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED
Arco
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

BEST MOTION PICTURE, FOREIGN LANGUAGE
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab

GOLDEN GLOBE FOR CINEMATIC & BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1: The Movie
KPop Demon Hunters
Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning
Sinners
Weapons
Wicked: For Good
Zootopia 2

Holidays on the Lens: Christmas Reservations (dir by Deanne Foley)


Melissa Joan Hart — Sabrina! — plays the events coordinator at a ski lodge in this 2019 Christmas movie.  It’s the holiday season and the everyone wants to go skiing …. including her ex-boyfriend!

I like this film.  It has nice scenery, it has holiday cheer, it has Ted McGinley, and it has Melissa Joan Hart.  It has all the necessary ingredients for a fun Lifetime holiday film.