Category Archives: Film

Here Are The Shortlists For The 98th Academy Awards

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Academy released their shortlists earlier today.  A lot of people online are saying that the presence of Wicked: For Good on the lists means that its Best Picture hopes are still alive.  It could just as likely be that the Academy likes honoring big productions with technical nominations.

Here are the shortlists.  Consult them before making any bets.

ANIMATED SHORT FILM 

“Autokar”
“Butterfly”
“Cardboard”
“Éiru”
“Forevergreen”
“The Girl Who Cried Pearls”
“Hurikán”
“I Died in Irpin”
“The Night Boots”
“Playing God”
“The Quinta’s Ghost”
“Retirement Plan”
“The Shyness of Trees”
“Snow Bear”
“The Three Sisters”

CASTING 

“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“One Battle after Another”
“The Secret Agent”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Weapons”
“Wicked: For Good”

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

“Ballad of a Small Player”
“Bugonia”
“Die My Love”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nouvelle Vague”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sentimental Value”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Song Sung Blue”
“Sound of Falling”
“Train Dreams”
“Wicked: For Good”

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM 

“The Alabama Solution”
“Apocalypse in the Tropics”
“Coexistence, My Ass!”
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Cover-Up”
“Cutting through Rocks”
“Folktales”
“Holding Liat”
“Mr. Nobody against Putin”
“Mistress Dispeller”
“My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 – Last Air in Moscow”
“The Perfect Neighbor”
“Seeds”
“2000 Meters to Andriivka”
“Yanuni”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM 

“All the Empty Rooms”
“All the Walls Came Down”
“Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud”
“Bad Hostage”
“Cashing Out”
“Chasing Time”
“Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone’”
“Classroom 4”
“The Devil Is Busy”
“Heartbeat”
“Last Days on Lake Trinity”
“On Healing Land, Birds Perch”
“Perfectly a Strangeness”
“Rovina’s Choice”
“We Were the Scenery”

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM 

Argentina, “Belén”
Brazil, “The Secret Agent”
France, “It Was Just an Accident”
Germany, “Sound of Falling”
India, “Homebound”
Iraq, “The President’s Cake”
Japan, “Kokuho”
Jordan, “All That’s Left of You”
Norway, “Sentimental Value”
Palestine, “Palestine 36”
South Korea, “No Other Choice”
Spain, “Sirât”
Switzerland, “Late Shift”
Taiwan, “Left-Handed Girl”
Tunisia, “The Voice of Hind Rajab”

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM 

“Ado”
“Amarela”
“Beyond Silence”
“The Boy with White Skin”
“Butcher’s Stain”
“Butterfly on a Wheel”
“Dad’s Not Home”
“Extremist”
“A Friend of Dorothy”
“Jane Austen’s Period Drama”
“Pantyhose”
“The Pearl Comb”
“Rock, Paper, Scissors”
“The Singers”
“Two People Exchanging Saliva”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING 

“The Alto Knights”
“Frankenstein”
“Kokuho”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nuremberg”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“The Smashing Machine”
“The Ugly Stepsister”
“Wicked: For Good”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Bugonia”
“Captain America: Brave New World”
“Diane Warren: Relentless”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Hamnet”
“Hedda”
“A House of Dynamite”
“Jay Kelly”
“Marty Supreme”
“Nuremberg”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Train Dreams”
“Tron: Ares”
“Truth and Treason”
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”
“Wicked: For Good”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG) :

“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from “Tron: Ares”
“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”
“Dream As One” from “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“Drive” from “F1”
“Dying To Live” from “Billy Idol Should Be Dead”
“The Girl In The Bubble” from “Wicked: For Good”
“Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters”
“Highest 2 Lowest” from “Highest 2 Lowest”
“I Lied To You” from “Sinners”
“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” from “Sinners”
“No Place Like Home” from “Wicked: For Good”
“Our Love” from “The Ballad of Wallis Island”
“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from “Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”
“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”

SOUND 

“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning”
“One Battle after Another”
“Sinners”
“Sirât”
“Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”
“Superman”
“Wicked: For Good”

VISUAL EFFECTS 

“Avatar: Fire and Ash”
“The Electric State”
“F1”
“Frankenstein”
“Jurassic World Rebirth”
“The Lost Bus”
“Sinners”
“Superman”
“Tron: Ares”
“Wicked: For Good”

Review: Lethal Weapon 2 (dir. by Richard Donner)

Posted on by Arleigh

“We’re back, we’re bad. You’re black, I’m mad. Let’s go!” — Martin Riggs

Lethal Weapon 2 is the kind of sequel that doesn’t really try to reinvent what worked the first time so much as crank the volume on everything: the action is bigger, the jokes come faster, and the chaos feels almost constant. Depending on what you loved about Lethal Weapon, that approach delivers more of the high-energy partnership in a flashier package. It’s a confident, very entertaining 80s action movie that knows it’s a sequel and leans into the spectacle that status allows.

Plot-wise, Lethal Weapon 2 wastes no time reminding you what this world feels like. It drops Riggs and Murtaugh into a wild car chase almost immediately, and from there the story locks onto a case involving South African diplomats hiding behind apartheid-era “diplomatic immunity” while running a massive drug and money-laundering operation. It’s a cleaner, more high-concept hook than the original’s murkier web of Vietnam vets and heroin smuggling, and the script makes the villains broad on purpose, almost cartoonishly arrogant, to give the audience someone very easy to hate. The trade-off is that the plot feels a bit more mechanical this time; you always know who the bad guys are and what the destination is, so the film’s real energy comes from the detours, jokes, and set-pieces rather than any mystery.

One of the big shifts from Lethal Weapon to Lethal Weapon 2 is tone. The first film balanced brutal violence and dark humor with a surprisingly heavy focus on Riggs’ suicidal grief and Murtaugh’s fear of getting too old for the job. The sequel keeps those elements in the background but leans harder into banter, slapstick timing, and outrageous gags like the now-famous exploding toilet sequence, with Richard Donner’s direction pushing the script toward action comedy. It’s still R-rated and not shy about blood or cruelty, but the emotional intensity is dialed down compared to the original’s raw edges.

Mel Gibson and Danny Glover remain the anchor, and their chemistry is as sharp as ever. Gibson’s Riggs is still reckless and unhinged, but there’s a looser, more playful side to him this time; he’s less haunted and more of a live-wire prankster until the story gives him something personal to latch onto. Glover’s Murtaugh continues to be the grounded center, constantly exasperated and always half a step away from just walking off the job, and the film has a lot of fun putting his straight-man persona through increasingly humiliating situations while still letting him be competent when it counts. Compared to the first film, where their partnership slowly thawed from suspicion to genuine trust, Lethal Weapon 2 starts from “these guys are already a team” and builds its best moments from how comfortably they now bounce off each other.

The biggest new ingredient is Joe Pesci as Leo Getz, a federal witness turned tagalong who basically functions as the franchise’s third stooge. Pesci leans into the motor-mouthed, paranoid, endlessly complaining energy that would become his signature, and his presence tips some scenes from gritty cop story into broad comedy. He undercuts tension at times, but he also gives the movie a different rhythm, especially in the quieter in-between beats where the first film might have lingered more on Riggs’ inner damage.

In terms of action, Donner clearly has more money and confidence to play with, and it shows. The chases are bigger, the shootouts are staged with a slicker sense of geography, and there’s a steady escalation in scale that makes the film feel like a genuine summer sequel rather than just another mid-budget cop movie. The original had a grimy, street-level intensity, with brutal fistfights and sudden bursts of violence; Lethal Weapon 2 is more interested in creative set-pieces, crowd-pleasing payoffs, and moments designed to make an audience cheer. It’s less intimate, but it is rarely dull.

Where the film lands in a more complicated space is its attempt to keep some emotional stakes alive while also going bigger and funnier. Riggs’ grief over the loss of his wife is still part of his character, and the story finds ways to poke at that wound again, including a new relationship that lets him imagine some kind of future beyond the constant death wish. Those beats are there to echo what worked so well in the first movie, but they have less room to breathe, often getting squeezed between an action scene and a joke instead of shaping the entire film’s tone. You can feel the push and pull between wanting to keep the darker emotional spine and delivering the kind of lighter, more easily marketable sequel a studio would understandably chase.

The villains themselves are effective in that pulpy 80s way: not nuanced, but very punchable. Arjen Rudd, with his smug talk of “diplomatic immunity,” is a villain designed to make audiences grind their teeth, and his main henchman adds a physically intimidating, quietly sadistic presence to the mix. Compared to the original’s more grounded ex-military antagonists, these guys feel one step closer to Bond territory, and that shift mirrors the film’s overall move toward heightened, almost comic-book stakes. What the sequel loses in plausibility, it gains in revenge-fantasy satisfaction.

When stacked directly against Lethal Weapon, the second film feels like a classic case of “if you liked hanging out with these characters once, here’s more time with them.” The original is tighter, more emotionally focused, and arguably more distinctive, with a stronger sense of danger and genuine unpredictability around Riggs’ mental state. Lethal Weapon 2 smooths some of those jagged edges and replaces them with quips, bigger set-pieces, and a more overtly crowd-pleasing structure, which makes it an easier, more consistently fun watch but also a slightly less resonant one. It is still a good film, but in many ways it is also the moment where the franchise shifts from a character-driven cop thriller with action to a full-on action-comedy machine.

As a fair, middle-of-the-road assessment, Lethal Weapon 2 works very well on its own terms and delivers exactly what most people want out of a late-80s buddy-cop sequel. The chemistry is intact, the action is energetic, and the film moves with the kind of confident pace that never really lets you get bored. At the same time, the tonal tilt toward broader humor and more cartoonish villains means it doesn’t quite have the same staying power or emotional punch as Lethal Weapon, especially if what hooked you the first time was how wounded and volatile it all felt. For fans of the original, it’s an enjoyable continuation—a louder, flashier second round that may not hit as hard, but still knows how to entertain.

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Kansas City Film Critics Circle have announced their nominations for the best of 2025!  And here they are:

BEST FILM
Frankenstein
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Weapons

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ari Aster – Eddington
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Rian Johnson – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon

BEST ACTRESS
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Jennifer Lawrence – Die My Love
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Josh O’Connor – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Glenn Close – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Frankenstein
Hamnet
The Life of Chuck
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
F1 The Movie
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Tron: Ares

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
The Bad Guys 2
KPop Demon Hunters
Predator: Killer of Killers
Zootopia 2

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Arco
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value

BEST DOCUMENTARY
My Mom Jayne
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor
Secret Mall Apartment
We Best the Dream Team

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY/HORROR
28 Years Later
Frankenstein
Sinners
Superman
Weapons

TOM POE AWARD FOR BEST LGBTQ FILM
Hedda
The History of Sound
Twinless
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
The Wedding Banquet

BUSTER KEATON AWARD FOR THE BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE FILM
F1 The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Nobody 2
The Running Man
Warfare

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Las Vegas Film Critics Society

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Las Vegas Film Critics Society.

BEST PICTURE
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia

BEST ACTRESS
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Amanda Seyfried – The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone – Bugonia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emily Blunt – The Smashing Machine
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST DIRECTOR
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Frankenstein
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST FILM EDITING
F1: The Movie
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

BEST SCORE
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Tron: Ares

BEST SONG
Clothed by the Sun – The Testament of Ann Lee
Drive – F1: The Movie
Golden – KPop Demon Hunters
I Lied to You – Sinners
Train Dreams – Train Dreams

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cover Up
John Candy: I Like Me
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Arco
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle
In Your Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters
Zootopia 2

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
It Was Just an Accident
Left-Handed Girl
No Other Choice
Sentimental Value
The Secret Agent

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST ART DIRECTION
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Superman
The Fantastic Four: First Steps

BEST ACTION FILM
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
Superman
The Running Man

BEST COMEDY
Eternity
Friendship
The Ballad of Wallis Island
The Naked Gun
One of Them Days

BEST HORROR / SCI-FI
28 Years Later
Bring Her Back
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Long Walk

BEST FAMILY FILM
How to Train Your Dragon
KPop Demon Hunters
Lilo & Stitch
The Legend of Ochi
Zootopia 2

BEST ANIMAL PERFORMANCE
Bing, the Great Dane – The Friend
Hercules, the Dog – Marty Supreme
Indy – Good Boy
Olga, the Cat – Sorry, Baby
Richard and Baba – The Penguin Lessons

BEST ENSEMBLE
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BREAKOUT FILMMAKER
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams
Drew Hancock – Companion
Emilie Blichfeldt – The Ugly Stepsister
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
James Sweeney – Twinless

BEST STUNTS
F1: The Movie
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Predator: Badlands
The Running Man

YOUTH MALE PERFORMANCE (UNDER 21)
Christian Convery – Frankenstein / The Monkey
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet
John Wren Phillips – Bring Her Back
Mason Thames – How to Train Your Dragon
Miles Canton – Sinners

FEMALE YOUTH PERFORMANCE (UNDER 21)
Helena Zengel – The Legend of Ochi
Maia Kealoha – Lilo & Stitch
Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl
Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family
Sora Wong – Bring Her Back

WILLIAM HOLDEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Kathryn Bigelow
Barbara Broccoli
Kathleen Kennedy
Delroy Lindo
Sigourney Weaver

Here Are The Nominations of the Florida Film Critics Circle

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the quirky nominations of the Florida Film Critics Circle!  Love you, Florida!

BEST PICTURE
Grand Tour
The Mastermind
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners

ACTOR
Lee Byung-hun (No Other Choice)
Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Josh O’Connor (The Mastermind)

ACTRESS
Crista Alfaiate (Grand Tour)
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You)
Jennifer Lawrence (Die My Love)
Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rita Cortese (Most People Die on Sundays)
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)
Mia Threapleton (The Phoenician Scheme)

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another)
Jacques Develay (Misericordia)
David Jonsson (The Long Walk)
Delroy Lindo (Sinners)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)

ENSEMBLE
Eephus
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners

DIRECTOR
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Bi Gan (Resurrection)
Kelly Reichardt (The Mastermind)
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another)
Park Chan-wook (No Other Choice)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Astronaut Lovers (Marco Berger)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (Mary Bronstein)
It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi)
Rent Free (Fernando Andrés & Tyler Rugh)
Sentimental Value (Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier)
Sinners (Ryan Coogler)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia (Will Tracy)
Hamnet (Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell)
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Liane-Cho Han, Aude Py, Maïlys Vallade & Eddine Noël)
No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar, Lee Ja-hye)
One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Grand Tour (Gui Liang, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Rui Poças)
One Battle After Another (Michael Bauman & Paul Thomas Anderson)
Resurrection (Dong Jingsong)
Sinners (Autumn Durald Arkapaw)
Sirāt (Mauro Herce)

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Frankenstein
No Other Choice
Resurrection
Sinners

EDITING
Die My Love (Toni Froschhammer)
No Other Choice (Kim Sang-bum & Kim Ho-bin)
Marty Supreme (Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie)
One Battle After Another (Andy Jurgensen)
Sinners (Michael P. Shawver)

PRODUCTION DESIGN & ART DIRECTION
Frankenstein
The Phoenician Scheme
Resurrection
The Secret Agent
Sinners

ORIGINAL SCORE
The Mastermind (Rob Mazurek)
One Battle After Another (Jonny Greenwood)
Sinners (Ludwig Göransson)
Sirāt (Kangding Ray)
Resurrection (M83)

DOCUMENTARY
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators
River of Grass
Sabbath Queen

INTERNATIONAL FILM
Grand Tour
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
Resurrection
The Secret Agent
Sirāt

ANIMATED FEATURE
100 Meters
Arco
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

FIRST FILM
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Eephus
Lurker
Sorry, Baby
The Ugly Stepsister

BREAKOUT AWARD
Miles Caton (Sinners)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another)
Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet)
Théodore Pellerin (Lurker)
Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby)

GOLDEN ORANGE
River of Grass – Sasha Wortzel
No Sleep Till – Alexandra Simpson

Sinners Wins In Indiana

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yesterday, the Indiana Film Journalists Association announced its picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are listed in bold.

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 (RUNNER-UP)
The Phoenician Scheme
The Plague
Sinners (WINNER)
Splitsville
Superman
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Weapons

Other Best Film Finalists / Top 10 Films: (listed alphabetically)
Bob Trevino Likes It
Hamnet
The Life of Chuck
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Weapons

BEST ANIMATED FILM
In Your Dreams
KPop Demon Hunters (WINNER)
The Legend of Hei 2 (RUNNER-UP)
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 (WINNER)
Reflection In A Dead Diamond
Rental Family
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value (RUNNER-UP)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
Pavements
The Perfect Neighbor
The Tenderness Tour (WINNER)

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 (RUNNER-UP)
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Mike Flanagan – The Life of Chuck (RUNNER-UP)
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 (WINNER)
Clint Bentley – Train Dreams
Ryan Coogler – Sinners (RUNNER-UP)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Nicholas Hoult – Superman
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
John Leguizamo – Bob Trevino Likes It
Amy Madigan – Weapons (RUNNER-UP)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
Will Patton – Train Dreams (WINNER)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
The Plague
Sinners (WINNER)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
Kim Sang-bum – No Other Choice
Brian Scott Olds – The Naked Gun
Sara Shaw – Splitsville
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners (WINNER)
Steven Soderbergh – Black Bag

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners (WINNER)
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
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 (WINNER)
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
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 (WINNER)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
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 (WINNER)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
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 (RUNNER-UP)
Aidan Delbis (performer) – Bugonia
Chase Infiniti (performer) – One Battle After Another (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
One Battle After Another
The Plague
Reflection In A Dead Diamond
The Testament of Ann Lee (RUNNER-UP)
Train Dreams

The Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another 

The Phoenix Film Critics Society Honors One Battle After Another

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The members of the Phoenix Film Critics Circle challenge their rivals in the Phoenix Film Critics Society.

The other Phoenix film critics group — the Phoenix Film Critics Society — yesterday announced their picks for the best of 2025.  And here they are:

PFCS 2025 TOP TEN (in alphabetical order)
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another (WINNER: Best Picture)
Sinners
Song Sung Blue
Sorry, Baby
The Life of Chuck
The Long Walk
Train Dreams

BEST PICTURE
One Battle After Another

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING
Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Sinners

BEST SCREENPLAY ADAPTED FROM OTHER MATERIAL
One Battle After Another

THE OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR
The Life of Chuck

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Zootopia 2

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
No Other Choice

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
I Lied to You – Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Sinners

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Sinners

BEST FILM EDITING
One Battle After Another

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Frankenstein

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Sinners

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH
Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet

Here Are The 2025 Satellite Nominations

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’m not really sure why the Satellite Awards are a still a thing but they are.  (Peanut gallery: “Jokes on you, Lisa!  You’re still writing about them!”)  Here are their 2025 film nominations.

Best Picture (Drama)
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sentimental Value
Train Dreams

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)
Bugonia
Father Mother Sister Brother
Marty Supreme
Nouvelle Vague
Novocaine
Sorry, Baby

Best Director
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
James Cameron – Avatar: Fire And Ash
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Best Actor (Drama)
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Oscar Isaac – Frankenstein
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent

Best Actress (Drama)
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Diane Lane – Anniversary
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Leonie Benesch – Late Shift
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
George Clooney – Jay Kelly
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
Liam Neeson – The Naked Gun
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical)
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners

Best Original Screenplay
Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident
Noah Baumbach & Emily Mortimer – Jay Kelly
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Ryan Coogler – Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay
Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar & Lee Ja-hye – No Other Choice
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Will Tracy – Bugonia

Best Animated Feature
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best Documentary
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Becoming Led Zeppelin
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cover-Up
Deaf President Now!
Ocean with David Attenborough
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Alabama Solution
The Librarians
The Perfect Neighbor

Best International Film
It Was Just an Accident
Late Shift
Little Trouble Girls
No Other Choice
Sentimental Value
Sirât
The Secret Agent
The Voice of Hind Rajab

Best Cinematography
Adolpho Veloso – Train Dreams
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Claudio Miranda – F1: The Movie
Dan Laustsen – Frankenstein
Łukasz Żal – Hamnet
Michael Bauman – One Battle After Another

Best Editing
Affonso Gonçalves & Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Andy Jurgensen – One Battle After Another
Kirk Baxter – A House of Dynamite
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Stephen Mirrione – F1: The Movie

Best Production Design
Avatar: Fire And Ash
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

Best Costume Design
Kate Hawley – Frankenstein
Malgosia Turzanska – Hamnet
Miyako Bellizzi – Marty Supreme
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners

Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat – Frankenstein
Hans Zimmer – F1: The Movie
Jonny Greenwood – One Battle After Another
Ludwig Göransson – Sinners
Max Richter – Hamnet
Volker Bertelmann – A House of Dynamite

Best Original Song
“Dreams as One” – Avatar: Fire And Ash
“Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters
“I Lied to You” – Sinners
“No Place Like Home” – Wicked: For Good
“The Girl in the Bubble” – Wicked: For Good
“Train Dreams” – Train Dreams

Best Makeup & Hair
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
Tron: Ares
Wicked: For Good

Best Sound (Editing & Mixing)
Avatar: Fire And Ash
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire And Ash
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Sinners
Superman

Best Ensemble
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Holidays On The Lens: Snowed Inn Christmas (dir by Gary Yates)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s Christmas!

Tis the season that hardworking New York reporters find themselves stranded in snowy middle America and end up falling in love while saving historic inns!  In 2017’s Snowed Inn Christmas, the two reporters are played by Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew W. Walker and the inn is located in Santa Claus, Indiana.

Yes, it’s predictable.  Most of these films are.  That’s actually a huge part of their appeal.  They take place in a much more innocent world and they celebrate the holiday season without shame or snarkiness.  The important thing is that Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew W. Walker eventually make for a cute couple and the snowy scenery is really nice to look at.

Enjoy a Snowed Inn Christmas!