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
Amy (Denise Richards) grew up in the small town of Chestnut, where her Aunt Linda (Catherine Hicks) owned the local bakery and hosted the annual Christmas cookie contest. (Yum!) When Amy grew up, she moved away from Chestnut and got a job in New York at an advertising firm run by Don Dupree (Parker Stevenson). When Aunt Linda dies, she leaves half of the bakery to Amy. Aunt Linda’s last request was that Amy restart the annual cookie contest. The only problem is that the other half of the bakery has been left to Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Jack (Patrick Muldoon).
Sometimes, I wish that I lived in Hallmark Christmas movie because I would love to be able to just take off from my job and open a bakery in a small town. That would be a dream come true for me. I baked my first batch of Christmas cookie when I was six! (Mom helped.) Everyone said they were the best they had ever tasted! I think I could have won that cookie contest! Now, I wish I lived in Chestnut but I know that Chestnut is not a real place. It’s just somewhere that we all wish could be real.
I enjoyed A Christmas Reunion. It appealed to the romantic baker in me. Not only did Denise Richards and Patrick Muldoon spend a lot of time in the kitchen but they also outsmarted the crooked lawyer (Jake Busey) who wanted to sell the bakery to a Starbucks. I laughed when Busey gave them a contract to sign and said, “Just sign where the red flags are,” because his whole character was a red flag. A Christmas Reunion may not take place in the real world but it would be nice if it did.
2018’s A Christmas In Tennessee tells a story that’s as old as time.
In a snowy Tennessee town, Allison (Rachel Boston) and her mother (Patricia Richardson) run a bakery. When a developer named Matthew (Andrew W. Walker) shows up in town, he seems charming enough. Except … oh no! He’s planning on buying the town and turning it into a ski resort!
Can love save Christmas? Only in Tennessee!
Oh, stop being cynical! It’s a cute movie that takes place in a nice small town and everything works out for the best in the end. It’s simple and it’s cozy and it’s just right for the holidays.
Sorry, Wham fans. This will always be a Taylor Swift song to me.
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special
Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby
Do you recognize me?
Well, it’s been a year
It doesn’t surprise me
Merry Christmas
I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying “I love you”
I meant it
Now I know what a fool I’ve been
But if you kissed me now
I know you’d fool me again
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special
Oh, oh, baby
A crowded room
Friends with tired eyes
I’m hiding from you
And your soul of ice
My god, I thought you were someone to rely on
Me? I guess I was a shoulder to cry on
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
A man under cover, but you tore me apart
Now I’ve found a real love. You’ll never fool me again
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year
To save me from tears
I’ll give it to someone special
A face on a lover with a fire in his heart
I gave you my heart
A man under cover, but you tore him apart
Maybe next year I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special
Special
Someone
Someone
I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special
Who give me something in return
I’ll give it to someone—
Hold my heart and watch it burn
I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone special
I thought you were here to stay
How could you love me for a day
I thought you were someone special
Gave you my heart
I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone—
Last Christmas
I gave you my heart
You gave it away
I’ll give it to someone—
I’ll give it to someone—
Is there a Santa Claus?
Well, if you’ve ever seen the original 1947 Miracle on 34th Street than you already know the answer. There is a Santa Claus and he looks exactly like Edmund Gwenn!
In this scene, Kris Kringle is on trial. He swears that he is Santa Claus. The prosecution claims that not only isn’t he Santa Claus but Santa doesn’t exist at all. Fortunately, it’s the U.S. Post Service to the rescue!
The original Miracle on 34th Street is true Christmas classic and I hope you enjoy this holiday scene that I love.
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.
4 Shots From 4 Holiday Films
Santa Claus (1959, dir by Rene Cardona)
Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964, dir by Nicholas Webster)
Scrooge (1970, dir by Ronald Neame)
Santa Claus: The Movie (1985, dir by Jeannot Szwarc)
by Erin Nicole
I read that Hello Kitty wasn’t supposed to be a cat. Sorry, that’s a cat!
