It’s Christmas in Louisiana!
The 2019 film, A Christmas Wish, takes place in a small Louisiana town where people leave their Christmas wishes in a wooden box. Faith (Hilarie Burton) is encouraged by her sister, Maddy (Megan Park), to wish for true love. Myself, I wished for a Christmas movie featuring not only several actors from One Tree Hill but also Pam Grier! And, with this film, my wish came true.
Like most of you, I watch this movie every Christmas.
I’m nearly 100% sure that’s not the real Santa.
4 Shots From 4 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.
Today, we wish a happy birthday to director Steven Spielberg! It’s time for….
6 Shots From 6 Films
Duel (1971, dir by Steven Speilberg, DP: Jack Marta)
Jaws (1975, dir. by Steven Spielberg, DP: Bill Butler)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Vilmos Zsigmond)
1941 (directed by Steven Spielberg, DP: William Fraker)
Schindler’s List (1993, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Janusz Kamiński)
Saving Private Ryan (1998, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Janusz Kamiński)
After finding a portly man with a big white beard passed out in a snowbank, small town Sheriff Scott Hanson (Dean Cain) brings him to the hospital. When the man wakes up, he says that his name is Kris Kringle (Bill Lewis) but you can call him Santa Claus. Kris uses his powers to give the children in the hospital what they want. (He creates a miniature pony for one girl.) District Attorney Robert Nielson (Gary Hudson) thinks that Kris is a public danger and wants to have him put in the mental ward. Public defender Sarah Walker (Jud Taylor) defends Kris and falls back in love with her ex-boyfriend, Scott. Santa Claus spreads his magic across town. He detoxifies the town drunk but not even Santa can save the life of a dying child. That scene was very sad.
Have you ever wanted to see Santa Claus play football with Dean Cain and Full House‘s Jodie Sweetin? This is the movie for you! Santa Claus plays in the park and even does a front flip. Go Santa Claus Go! But then old St. Nick also uses his powers to cause another player’s pants to fall down during a key play, which allows Dean Cain’s team to win the game. That’s cheating, which I was always told put you on the naughty list.
Speaking of being on the naughty list, it doesn’t ever make sense that the district attorney is so obsessed with putting Kris Kringle. Santa Claus never hurt anyone. Trying to put Santa Claus in jail before Christmas is definitely worth a lump of coal in your stocking! Defending Santa is an okay Hallmark Christmas movie but don’t spend too much time trying to make it make sense.
As a human being born in the early 1970’s, I was a big fan of Buck Rogers when I was a kid. Whenever Gil Gerard would show up on my TV screen, Dad would usually remind us that he knew him from his days at the University of Central Arkansas. My dad was already my hero, but he also knew BUCK ROGERS?! Badass!!
Gerard was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1943, graduated high school from Little Rock Catholic, and eventually attended UCA at the same time as my dad. Growing up, I would always tell everyone I knew that dad and Buck Rogers went to school together. Today, as a point of pride and reverence to a childhood hero, I’m telling that to all of you.
Rest in peace, Mr. Gerard.
To be honest, I’m not really surprised by this move. It’s been a long time since the Oscar ceremony brought in monster ratings. Movies themselves have moved from being something that bring people together to instead becoming something of a niche interest. The movies that win awards are now often very different from the movies that people are paying to see. As well, we’re now in a culture where we see celebrities almost 24 hours a day. The enigmatic glamour that once went along with celebrity culture is gone and with it, the excitement that made the Oscars a television mainstay.
So, it makes sense. Moving the Oscars to YouTube will mean no longer having to deal with ABC demanding that the Academy give out awards like Oscar Cheers Moment or that Best Popular Film Oscar that they tried to get the Academy to include a few years ago. One presumes the Academy will now control the show, though apparently commercials will still air during the broadcast.
That said, I don’t think this movie is going to make the Oscars relevant again. It’s too late for that. The Oscars will be 101 years old by the time they move to YouTube and the ceremony is still going to face the task of holding viewer’s attention for 3+ hours. The Academy will no longer have to go through the humiliating post-show ritual of trying to make the bad ratings look good. But they will have to deal with the trolls in the comments.
My prediction is that the other awards shows will also be exclusively streaming by 2029. The Oscars are opening the dam. Why would a network waste money broadcasting the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards if the Oscars aren’t even going to be on ABC? Eventually, everyone will have a different awards show to choose from. The sequel to Sound of Freedom will win Best Picture at one ceremony while the prequel to One Battle After Another wins at another and, at another ceremony, the latest Marvel film will compete with the latest DC film.
The Oscars had a good run as an American institution.
But nothing lasts forever.
Are you struggling to get into the Christmas spirit? Do you want to celebrate the holidays with a distinct Bronson flavor? Would you like to hear about the greatest Christmas present I ever received? Do you want to hear my thoughts on the Bronson Christmas classic, YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS?
If the answer is “Yes” to one or all of these questions, then I have the perfect gift for you! The “This Week in Charles Bronson” podcast has just dropped its Christmas episode! Check it out!!
Here are the nominations of the Online Association of Female Film Critics.
BEST FILM
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
Akinola Davies Jr. – “My Father’s Shadow”
Harris Dickinson – “Urchin”
Harry Lighton – “Pillion”
Kristen Stewart – “The Chronology of Water”
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby“
BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – “One Battle After Another”
Ryan Coogler – “Sinners”
Jafar Panahi – “It Was Just an Accident”
Joachim Trier – “Sentimental Value”
Chloé Zhao – “Hamnet“
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
BEST FEMALE LEAD
Jessie Buckley – “Hamnet“
Rose Byrne – “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You“
Renate Reinsve – “Sentimental Value“
Chase Infiniti – “One Battle After Another“
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby“
BEST MALE LEAD
Leonardo DiCaprio – “One Battle After Another“
Joel Edgerton – “Train Dreams“
Ethan Hawke – “Blue Moon“
Michael B. Jordan – “Sinners“
Wagner Moura – “The Secret Agent“
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Elle Fanning – “Sentimental Value“
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – “Sentimental Value“
Amy Madigan – “Weapons“
Wunmi Mosaku – “Sinners“
Teyana Taylor – “One Battle After Another“
BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Benicio del Toro – “One Battle After Another“
Jacob Elordi – “Frankenstein“
Paul Mescal – “Hamnet“
Sean Penn – “One Battle After Another“
Stellan Skarsgård – “Sentimental Value“
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
BEST STUNTS
Ballerina
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Sinners
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Hedda
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
BEST EDITING
F1: The Movie
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – “Sinners“
Michael Bauman – “One Battle After Another“
Dan Laustsen – “Frankenstein“
Adolpho Veloso – “Train Dreams“
Łukasz Żal – “Hamnet“
BEST DOCUMENTARY
2000 Meters to Andriivka
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
The Perfect Neighbor
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
The Voice of Hind Rajab
THE ROSIE
The OAFFC’s signature award celebrates the film that “best promotes women, their voices, and the female experience through cinema.”
Die My Love
Hamnet
Hedda
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Sorry, Baby
Here are the 2025 film nominations from the Society of Composers and Lyricists. The winners will be announced on February 6th.
Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – Sinners
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – Frankenstein
JONNY GREENWOOD – One Battle After Another
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & JOHN POWELL – Wicked: For Good
MAX RICHTER – Hamnet
JERSKIN FENDRIX – Bugonia
Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film
DARA TAYLOR – Straw
BRYCE DESSNER – Train Dreams
DAVID FLEMING – Eternity
FABRIZIO MANCINELLI – Out of the Nest
JÓNSI & ALEX SOMMERS – Rental Family
SARA BARONE & FOREST CHRISTENSON – To Kill a Wolf
Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production
DIANE WARREN – “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
ALICE SMITH, MILES CATON & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners
RAPHAEL SAADIQ & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “I Lied to You” from Sinners
SARA BAREILLES – “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light
NIKHIL KOPARKAR & RAMMY PARK – “The Hills of Tanchico” from The Wheel of Time
ED SHEERAN, BLAKE SLATKIN & JOHN MAYER – “Drive” from F1
Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production
EJAE & MARK SONNENBLICK – “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good
JACK BLACK & JARED HESS – “Steve’s Lava Chicken” from A Minecraft Movie
MARK RONSON, ANDREW WYATT & JACK BLACK – “I Feel Alive” from A Minecraft Movie
BLAKE SLATKIN, SHAKIRA & ED SHEERAN – “Zoo” from Zootopia 2
Reunion Tower (picture by Erin Nicole)
The Dallas Fort Worth Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025. And here they are:
BEST PICTURE
Winner: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: SINNERS (2); MARTY SUPREME (3); HAMNET (4); SENTIMENTAL VALUE (5); TRAIN DREAMS (6); FRANKENSTEIN (7); JAY KELLY (8); BUGONIA (9); IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (10)
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: Timothée Chalamet – MARTY SUPREME (2); Michael B. Jordan – SINNERS (3); Ethan Hawke – BLUE MOON (4); Joel Edgerton – TRAIN DREAMS (5)
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Rose Byrne – IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
Runners-up: Jessie Buckley – HAMNET (2); Renate Reinsve – SENTIMENTAL VALUE (3); Emma Stone – BUGONIA (4); Chase Infiniti – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (5)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Stellan Skarsgård – SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Runners-up: Benicio del Toro – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2); Sean Penn – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (3); Paul Mescal – HAMNET (4); Adam Sandler – JAY KELLY (5)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Teyana Taylor – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: Amy Madigan – WEAPONS (2); Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – SENTIMENTAL VALUE (3); Odessa A’zion – MARTY SUPREME (4); Wunmi Mosaku – SINNERS (5)
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: Ryan Coogler – SINNERS (2); Chloé Zhao – HAMNET (3); Josh Safdie – MARTY SUPREME (4); Guillermo del Toro – FRANKENSTEIN (5)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Runners-up: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (2); THE SECRET AGENT (3); NO OTHER CHOICE (4); SIRÂT (5)
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
Runners-up: 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA (2); ORWELL: 2+2=5 (3); COVER-UP (4); COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT (5)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner: KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
Runner-up: ARCO
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-up: Ryan Coogler – SINNERS
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Autumn Durald Arkapaw – SINNERS
Runner-up: Adolpho Veloso – TRAIN DREAMS
BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Winner: Ludwig Göransson – SINNERS
Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat – FRANKENSTEIN
RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (Best Low-Budget or Cutting-Edge Independent Film)
Winner: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Through the Shattered Lens 