Tag Archives: awards

What Lisa Marie Watched Last Night #64: The 70th Annual Golden Globes

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Last night, I watched the 70th Annual Golden Globe awards.  Judging from twitter, so did a lot of other people.  All I can say is that I hope my golden globes are as popular as this show when they’re 70 years old.

Why Was I Watching It?

I have to admit that I nearly didn’t watch it because I was in kind of a crappy mood on Sunday night.  Seriously,that night,  my twitter timeline was a testament to just how annoyed this little redheaded Irish girl can get.  But, in the end, I decided that I had to watch the Golden Globes because, even though I don’t care much for rich celebrities, I do love movies, I love TV, and I love award shows.  Add to that, I knew that if I didn’t watch the Golden Globes that would mean missing out on a chance to make countless references to my boobs and I just couldn’t do that to my followers on twitter.

What Was It About?

It was about celebrities getting drunk and winning awards and getting bleeped while delivering their acceptance speeches.  It was about the fact that the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will do anything to get George Clooney to come hang out with them.  It was about Tommy Lee Jones glaring, Jodie Foster rambling, and Quentin Tarantino using the n-word backstage.  It was about Ben Affleck winning Best Director and Argo beating Lincoln for best film.  It was about star fucking and star mocking.  It was the best of award shows and it was the worst of award shows.  In short, it was the Golden Globes.

What Worked?

To be honest, the 70th annual Golden Globes were a lot of fun.  The show moved quickly and most of the jokes were actually funny.  The assembled stars started drinking early and I think that helped out a lot.

Among those who won Golden Globes, the best acceptance speeches were given by Lena Dunham, Christoph Waltz, Ben Affleck, and Daniel Day-Lewis.  A lot of people were critical of Anne Hathaway’s acceptance speech but I thought it was sweet and genuine.

My favorite winner was Jennifer Lawrence, mostly because she specifically started her speech by mentioning that she had beaten “Meryl.”  Some people on twitter felt that was a bit rude but, quite frankly, I’ve grown tired of Meryl Streep showing up at every awards ceremony looking like grandma in a prom dress.

(Meryl, incidentally, was not at the Golden Globes last night because she had the flu.)

I thought Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig were funny when they did their little introduction for the Best Actress (Comedy/Musical) award but I thought Tommy Lee Jones’ annoyed glare was even funnier.

Tina Fey (who looked great) and Amy Poehler (who did not) were both great hosts and I loved Poelher’s joke about how torturous it must have been for Kathryn Bigelow to be married to James Cameron.  That’s one of the great things about the Golden Globes.  Unlike at the Oscars, people are willing to make jokes about James Cameron.

Unlike a lot of people, I found Jodie Foster’s “coming out” speech to be funny and wonderfully human.  That said, I wasn’t aware that Jodie Foster was ever in the closet.  Seriously, worst kept secret ever.

It was a genuinely exciting and nice moment when Argo was announced as the winner for Best Motion Picture (Drama), defeating the heavily favored Lincoln. While I liked both of those films, there is a definite backlash brewing against the seeming inevitability of Lincoln’s victory.

Finally, Sacha Baron Cohen was pretty annoying but, on the plus side, he did take the time to insult Russell Crowe’s singing.  As anyone who has ever watched South Park knows, this means that Crowe is going to jump in his tug boat and head off on a quest for vengeance.

And that’s the way things should be.

What Did Not Work?

A lot of people on twitter were really excited when Bill Clinton came out on stage to introduce the clip for Lincoln.  Myself, I hit mute as soon as I saw him.  I don’t watch awards shows to see redneck politicians.  Add to that, having Bill Clinton introduce Lincoln was yet another example of the nonstop hype that has led to people resenting both Steven Spielberg and his latest film.

The Golden Globes used to be a fun precursor to the actual Oscar nominations so it was hard not to be disappointed that, under this new schedule, the Golden Globes were awarded after the Oscar nominations had been announced.

“OMG!  Just like me!” Moment

"I'll show you some Golden Globes!"

“I’ll show you some Golden Globes!”

Lessons Learned

None.  I was too stubborn last night to learn any lessons.

The Oscar Nominations: The Complete List

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Films listed in bold also appeared on my list of my personal picks for what I felt should have been nominated.

BEST PICTURE
“Amour”
“Argo”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Django Unchained”
“Les Miserables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Zero Dark Thirty”

BEST DIRECTOR
Michael Haneke, “Amour”
Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”
Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”
David. O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master” 
Denzel Washington, “Flight”

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”
Quvenzhane Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin, “Argo”
Robert De Niro, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, “The Master”
Sally Field, “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Jacki Weaver, “Silver Linings Playbook”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Argo”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Amour”
“Django Unchained”
“Flight”
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Zero Dark Thirty”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Amour”
“Kon-Tiki”
“No”
“A Royal Affair”
“War Witch”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Brave”
“Frankenweenie”
“Paranorman”
“The Pirates”
“Wreck-It Ralph”

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“5 Broken Cameras”
“The Gatekeepers”
“How to Survive a Plague”
“The Invisible War”
“Searching for Sugar Man”

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Anna Karenina”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Les Miserables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Anna Karenina”
“Django Unchained”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Skyfall”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Anna Karenina”
“Les Miserables”
“Lincoln”
“Mirror Mirror”
“Snow White and the Huntsman”

BEST EDITING
“Argo”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Zero Dark Thirty”

BEST MAKEUP
“Hitchcock”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Les Miserables”

BEST SCORE
“Anna Karenina”
“Argo”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Skyfall”

BEST SONG
“Before My Time” (“Chasing Ice”)
“Suddenly” (“Les Miserables”)
“Pi’s Lullaby” (“Life of Pi”
“Skyfall” (“Skyfall”)
“Everybody Needs a Best Friend” (“Ted”)

BEST SOUND EDITING
“Argo”
“Django Unchained”
“Life of Pi”
“Skyfall”
“Zero Dark Thirty”

BEST SOUND MIXING
“Argo”
“Les Miserables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Skyfall”

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Avengers”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Life of Pi”
“Prometheus”
“Snow White and the Huntsman”

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
“Adam and Dog”
“Fresh Guacamole”
“Head Over Heels”
“Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare”
“Paperman”

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
“Inocente”
“Kings Point”
“Mondays at Racine”
“Open Heart”
“Redemption”

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
“Asad”
“Buzkasi Boys”
“Curfew”
“Death of a Shadow”
“Henry”

Finally! DFW Weighs In On The Oscar Race

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s Oscar season and we’ve finally reached the moment that you all know you’ve been waiting for.  That’s right — my hometown has finally made its voice heard!

The DFW Film Critics Association is made up of film critics who work for media outlets in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex and throughout North Texas.  Every December, they announce their picks for the best in cinema.

Here are their picks for 2012.  There’s a few pleasant surprises (like the fact that  Life of Pi, Skyfall, and the Master all made their top ten) and a few annoying shocks (because seriously, if Texas critics can’t appreciate Bernie, who can?) but, for the most part, the winners are pretty much what you would expect.  I think some of this might be because I’m not a member of the DFW Critics Association.  Fortunately, I’ll be announcing my own picks for the best in 2012 during the first week of January.

Best Picture:

1) Lincoln

2) Argo

3) Zero Dark Thirty

4) Life of Pi

5) Les Miserables

6) Moonrise Kingdom

7) Silver Linings Playbook

8) Skyfall

9) The Master

10) Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Actor:

1) Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln

2) Joaquin Phoenix in The Master

3) John Hawkes in The Sessions

4) Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables

5) Denzel Washington in Flight

Best Actress:

1) Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty

2) Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook

3) Helen Mirren in Hitchock

4) Emmanuelle Riva in Amour

5) (tie) Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild and Naomi Watts in The Impossible

Best Supporting Actor

1) Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln

2) Phillip Seymour Hoffman in The Master

3) Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained

4) Alan Arkin in Argo

5) Robert De Niro in Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actress

1) Sally Field in Lincoln

2) Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables

3) Amy Adams in The Master

4) Helen Hunt in The Sessions

5) Ann Dowd in Compliance

Best Director

1) Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty

2) Steven Spielberg for Lincoln

3) Ben Affleck for Argo

4) Ang Lee for Life of Pi

5) Wes Anderson for Moonrise Kingdom

Best Foreign-Language Film

1) Amour

2) A Royal Affair

3) The Intouchables

4) Holy Motors

5) The Kid With A Bike

Best Documentary

1) Searching For Sugar Man

2) Bully

3) How To Survive A Plague

4) West of Memphis

5) The Invisible War

Best Animates Film

1) Paranorman

2) Frankenweenie

3) Pirates: Band of Misfits

Best Screenplay

1) Zero Dark Thirty

2) Django Unchained

Best Cinematography

1) Life of Pi

2) Skyfall

Best Musical Score:

1) Lincoln

The Russell Smith Award:

Beasts of the Southern Wild

 

Here Are the 75 (yes, 75!) songs that are eligible for Best Original Song

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Academy today announced the 75 songs that will be eligible to be nominated for best original song of 2012.  That’s right — 75 songs!  And here they are:

“For You” from “Act of Valor”
“Metaphorical Blanket” from “Any Day Now”
“Let It Rain” from “Being Flynn”
“Learn Me Right” from “Brave”
“Touch the Sky” from “Brave”
“Airport” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
“Come on Girl” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
“Someday” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
“Protect the King” from “Brooklyn Castle”
“California Solo” from “California Solo”
“Casa De Mi Padre” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
“Del Cielo” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
“Yo No Se” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
“No Other Plans” from “Celeste and Jesse Forever”
“Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice”
“By the Light of the Moon” from “Crossroad”
“The Sambola! International Dance Craze” from “Damsels in Distress”
“When You Comin’ Home” from “Darling Companion”
“Death by China” from “Death by China”
“Delhi Safari” from “Delhi Safari”
“Ancora Qui” from “Django Unchained”
“Freedom” from “Django Unchained”
“100 Black Coffins” from “Django Unchained”
“Who Did That to You?” from “Django Unchained”
“How Bad Can I Be?” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
“Let It Grow” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
“Thneedville” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
“Ain’t No Train” from “Downtown Express”
“You Don’t Have to Be a Star” from “Fame High”
“Jose’s Martyrdom” from “For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada”
“Strange Love” from “Frankenweenie”
“Voodoo” from “Halloween Party”
“Luna Nascosta” from “Hidden Moon”
“Song of the Lonely Mountain” from “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Abraham’s Daughter” from “The Hunger Games”
“Master of the Seas” from “Ice Age Continental Drift”
“We Are” from “Ice Age Continental Drift”
“Looking for a Sign” from “Jeff, Who Lives at Home”
“From Here to the Moon and Back” from “Joyful Noise”
“He’s Everything” from “Joyful Noise”
“I’m Yours” from “Joyful Noise”
“Wide Awake” from “Katy Perry: Part of Me”
“Cosmonaut” from “Lawless”
“Beaten Up and Broken Down” from “Least among Saints”
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
“Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi”
“When I Grow Up” from “Losing Control”
“Love Always Comes as a Surprise” from “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”
“Ladies of Tampa” from “Magic Mike”
“The Baddest Man Alive” from “The Man with the Iron Fists”
“This Gift” from “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”
“Still Alive” from “Paul Williams Still Alive”
“Dotted Line” from “People Like Us”
“Snake Eyes” from “Promised Land”
“Razors.Out” from “The Raid: Redemption”
“I’m Not Leaving” from “Re:Generation”
“Still Dream” from “Rise of the Guardians”
“Undercover Love” from “Rock of Ages”
“Big Machine” from “Safety Not Guaranteed”
“I Be Here” from “Saint Dracula”
“I Have Secrets” from “Saint Dracula”
“Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
“Breath of Life” from “Snow White and the Huntsman”
“Gone” from “Snow White and the Huntsman”
“One Wing” from “Sparkle”
“Not Running Anymore” from “Stand Up Guys”
“Feel Love” from “Struck by Lightning”
“Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from “Ted”
“Never Had” from “10 Years”
“Dull Tool” from “This Is 40”
“She Won’t Let Go” from “Until They Are Home”
“Kiss Me Goodbye” from “Virginia”
“Anything Made of Paper” from “West of Memphis”
“Hashishet Albi” from “Where Do We Go Now?”
“When Can I See You Again?” from “Wreck-It Ralph”

The LAFCA Rejects Zero Dark Thirty And Embraces Amour

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Oscar season continued today as the Los Angeles Film Critics Association named their picks for the best in 2012.  The winners are listed below:

BEST PICTURE
“Amour”
Runner-up: “The Master”

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson (“The Master”)
Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow (“Zero Dark Thirty”)

BEST ACTOR
Joaquin Phoenix (“The Master”)
Runner-up: Denis Lavant (“Holy Motors”)

BEST ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence (“Silver Linings Playbook”)
Emmanuelle Riva (“Amour”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Dwight Henry (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”)
Runner-up: Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams (“The Master”)
Runner-up: Anne Hathaway (“The Dark Knight Rises”; “Les Miserables”)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Chris Terrio (“Argo”)
Runner-up: David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook”)

BEST EDITING
Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg (“Zero Dark Thirty”)
William Goldenberg (“Argo”)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins (“Skyfall”)
Runner-up: Mihai Malaimare Jr. (“The Master”)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Master”
Runner-up: “Moonrise Kingdom”

BEST MUSIC/SCORE
Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”)
Runner-up: Johnny Greenwood (“The Master”)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
“Holy Motors”
Runner-up: “Footnote”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Frankenweenie”
Runner-up: “It’s Such a Beautiful Day”

BEST DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION FILM
“The Gatekeepers”
Runner-up: “Searching for Sugar Man

Over on Goldderby.com and AwardsDaily.com, all the usual suspects seem to be shocked that Zero Dark Thirty didn’t win best picture and happy that Beasts of the Southern Wild got some love.  A lot of the people leaving comments are also upset that The Master got as many votes as it did.  Over at Goldderby, one visitor found the time to comment, “Those votes for The Master should have been tossed in the trash, along with the film itself!” before going back to his usual routine of waiting to see if any celebs had responded to his twitter follow request.

As far as Amour winning best picture is concerned, I’m happy to see another film win a major critics’ award because seriously, Oscar season can get pretty boring when only one film is winning everything in sight.

As for Beasts of the Southern Wild, this is one of those times when I find myself respectfully disagreeing with just about every other reviewer out there (including our very own Leonth3Duke, whose excellent review can be read here).  The film had its moments (and I do think that Dwight Henry was the best thing in the film) but, for the most part, it left me cold.  Then again, I’ve never had much patience for the myth of the noble savage.

As for The Master, it’s one of the best of the year.  Deal with it.

It’s Annie! Here are the latest Annie Nominations.

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

brave_disney_510

In one final bit of film award news, the latest nominations for the Annie Awards were announced yesterday.  The Annie Nominations honor the best in animation and, as a result, they really act as a precursor for only one Oscar category: Best Animated Feature Film.  Films that win at the Annies often end up getting nominated for Best Animated Feature but, oddly enough, they rarely seem to win the actual award.  (For instance, How To Train Your Dragon won the Annie for best feature over Toy Story 3.)

Below is the list of this year’s film-related nominations.  Brave, Rise of the Guardians, and Wreck-It Ralph lead the nominations this year with ten each.

Best Animated Feature
“Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios
“Frankenweenie” – The Walt Disney Studios
“Hotel Transylvania” – Sony Pictures Animation
“ParaNorman” – Focus Features
“Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” – Aardman Animations
“The Rabbi’s Cat” – GKIDS
“Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Directing in a Feature Production
Genndy Tartakovsky, “Hotel Transylvania” – Sony Pictures Animation
Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux, “The Rabbi’s Cat” – GKIDS
Remi Bezancon, Jean-Christophe Lie, “Zarafa” – GKIDS
Rich Moore, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Sam Fell, Chris Butler, “ParaNorman” – Focus Features

Writing in a Feature Production
Chris Butler, “ParaNorman” – Focus Features
Gideon Defoe, “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” – Aardman Animations
Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa, Karey Kirkpatrick, “From Up on Poppy Hill” – GKIDS
John August, “Frankenweenie” – The Walt Disney Studios
Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios
Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Storyboarding in a Feature Production
Emmanuela Cozzi, “ParaNorman” – Focus Features
Johanne Matte, “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Leo Matsuda, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Lissa Treiman, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Rob Koo, “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” – DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in a Feature Production
Adam Sandler as Dracula, “Hotel Transylvania” – Sony Pictures Animation
Alan Tudyk as King Candy, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Atticus Shaffer as “E” Gore, “Frankenweenie” – The Walt Disney Studios
Catherine O’Hara as Weird Girl, “Frankenweenie” – The Walt Disney Studios
Imelda Staunton as Queen Victoria, “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” – Aardman Animations
Jim Cummings as Budzo, “Adventures in Zambezia” – Saltzman Communications
Jude Law as Pitch, “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Kelly MacDonald as Merida, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios

Editing in a Feature Production
Catherine Apple, “Hotel Transylvania” – Sony Pictures Animation
Joyce Arrastia, “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Mark Rosenbaum, “Secret of the Wings” – DisneyToon Studios
Nicholas A. Smith, ACE, Robert Graham Jones, ACE, David Suther, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios
Tim Mertens, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Music in a Feature Production
Alexandre Desplat, “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Bruce Retief, “Adventures in Zambezia” – Saltzman Communications
Henry Jackman, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Joel McNeely, Brendan Milburn, Valerie Vigoda, “Secret of the Wings” – DisneyToon Studios
John Powell, Adam Schlesinger, Ester Dean, “Ice Age: Continental Drift” – Blue Sky Studios
John Powell, Cinco Paul, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” – Illumination Entertainment
Mark Mothersbaugh, “Hotel Transylvania” – Sony Pictures Animation
Patrick Doyle, Mark Andrews, Alex Mandel, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Feature Production
Dan Nguyen, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios
David Pate, “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Jaime Landes, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios
Phillppe LeBrun, “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Pierre Perifel, “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Travis Hathaway, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios
Travis Knight, “ParaNorman” – Focus Features
Will Becher, “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” – Aardman Animations

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
Erik de Boer, Amanda Dague, Matt Brown, Mary Lynn Machado, Aaron Grey, “Life of Pi – Orangutan” – Rhythm & Hues Studio
Erik de Boer, Matt Shumway, Brian Wells, Vinayak Pawar, Michael Holzl, “Life of Pi – Tiger” – Rhythm & Hues Studio
Jakub Pistecky, Maia Kayser, Scott Benzu, Steve King, Kiran Bhat, “The Avengers” – Industrial Light & Magic
Mike Beaulieu, Roger Vizard, Atushi Sato, Jackie Kochler, Derek Esparza, Richard Smith, Mac Tyrie – Columbia Pictures – “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN” – Sony Pictures Animation

Character Design in a Feature Production
Bill Schwab, Lorelay Bove, Cory Loftis, Minkyu Lee, “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Carlos Grangel, “Hotel Transylvania” – Sony Pictures Animation
Carter Goodrich, “Hotel Transylvania” – Sony Pictures Animation
Craig Kellman, “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” – DreamWorks Animation
Heidi Smith, “ParaNorman” – Focus Features
Yarrow Cheney, Eric Guillon, Colin Stimpson, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” – Illumination Entertainment

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
Andrew Nawrot, Joe Gorski, Grant Laker – “ParaNorman” – Focus Features
Andrew Schneider, “Ice Age: Continental Drift” – Blue Sky Studios
Andy Hayes, Carl Hooper, David Lipton – “Rise of the Guardians” – DreamWorks Animation
Bill Watral, Chris Chapman, Dave Hale, Keith Klohn, Michael K. O’Brien, “Brave” – Pixar Animation Studios
Brett Albert – “Wreck-It Ralph” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
Jihyun Yoon – “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” – DreamWorks Animation
Joel Aron – “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
Jerome Platteaux, John Sigurdson, Ryan Hopkins, Raul Essig, Mark Chataway, “The Avengers” – Industrial Light & Magic
Stephen Marshall, Joseph Pepper, Dustin Wicke, “The Amazing Spider-Man” – Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation
Sue Rowe, Simon Stanley-Clamp, Artemis Oikonomopoulou, Holger Voss, Nikki Makar, Catherine Elvidge, “John Carter” – Cinesite
Willi Geiger, Rick Hankins, Florent Andorra, Florian Witzel, Aron Bonar, “Battleship” – Industrial Light & Magic

Best Animated Short Subject
“Brad and Gary” – Illumination Entertainment
“Bydlo” – National Film Board of Canada
“Eyes on the Stars” – StoryCorps
“Goodnight Mr. Foot” – Sony Pictures Animation
“Kali the Little Vampire” – National Film Board of Canada
“Maggie Simpson in ‘The Longest Daycare’” – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
“Paperman” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
“The Simpsons — ‘Bill Plympton Couch Gag’” – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV

The New York Film Critics Circle Has Spoken

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Zero Dark Thirty

Yesterday, the New York Film Critics Circle weighed in on the Oscar race.  The NYFCC is one of the oldest and most respected of the professional critic organizations.  As far as the state of the Oscar race is concerned, the NYFCC actually wields some influence.  In other words, the NYFCC help to build the bandwagon that all the other little toadsuckers will eventually jump on.

Here are the winners:

Best Picture: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Best Actress: Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Best Supporting Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Bernie and Magic Mike

Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field, Lincoln

Best Screenplay: Tony Kushner for Lincoln

Best Cinematography: Greg Fraiser, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Foreign Language Film: Amour

Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie

Best Documentary: The Central Park Five

On a personal note, I apologize for the delay in getting these results posted to the site.  However, last night, I was pretty busy teaching my very first dance class.  Yay me!

And here are The Independent Spirit Nominations

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Gotham Awards aren’t the only awards regularly given to films that the majority of filmgoers will never get to see.  The Independent Spirit Nominations are also dedicated to recognizing the best of independent film and they tend to get a bit more attention than the Gothams.  With the early Oscar talk being dominated by mainstream studio films like Argo, Lincoln and Les Miserables, indie films like Bernie and Moonrise Kingdom are going to need all of the help that they can get.

BEST PICTURE

Bernie

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Keep The Lights On

Moonrise Kingdom

Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR

Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom

Julia Loktev, The Loneliest Planet

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SCREENPLAY

Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom

Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks

Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On

BEST FIRST FEATURE

Fill the Void

Gimme the Loot

Safety Not Guaranteed

Sound of My Voice

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Rama Burshtein, Fill the Void

Derek Connolly, Safety Not Guaranteed

Christopher Ford, Robot & Frank

Rashida Jones & Will McCormack, Celeste and Jesse Forever

Jonathan Lisecki, Gayby

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – (for features under $500,000)

Breakfast with Curtis

Middle of Nowhere

Mosquita y Mari

Starlet

The Color Wheel

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Linda Cardellini, Return

Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed

BEST MALE LEAD

Jack Black, Bernie

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

John Hawkes, The Sessions

Thure Lindhardt, Keep the Lights On

Matthew McConaughey, Killer Joe

Wendell Pierce, Four

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Rosemarie DeWitt, Your Sister’s Sister

Ann Dowd, Compliance

Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice

Lorraine Toussaint, Middle of Nowhere

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike

David Oyelowo, Middle of Nowhere

Michael Péna, End of Watch

Sam Rockwell, Seven Psychopaths

Bruce Willis, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Yoni Brook, Valley of Saints

Lol Crawley, Here

Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Roman Vasyanov, End of Watch

Robert Yeoman, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST DOCUMENTARY

How to Survive a Plague

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present

The Central Park Five

The Invisible War

The Waiting Room

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

Amour (France)

Once Upon A Time in Anatolia (Turkey)

Rust And Bone (France/Belgium)

Sister (Switzerland)

War Witch (Democratic Republic of Congo)

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD

Nobody Walks, Alicia Van Couvering

Prince Avalanche, Derrick Tseng

Stones in the Sun, Mynette Louie

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

Pincus, director David Fenster

Gimme the Loot, director Adam Leon

Electrick Children, director Rebecca Thomas

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD (given to emerging documentary filmmaker)

Leviathan, directors Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel

The Waiting Room, director Peter Nicks

Only the Young, directors Jason Tippet & Elizabeth Mims

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (for ensemble cast)

Starlet Director: Sean Baker Casting Director: Julia Kim Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Karren Karagulian, Stella Maeve, James Ransone

Moonrise Kingdom Wins At The Gotham Awards

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, it’s Oscar season and that means that, over the upcoming month, a bunch of otherwise obscure organizations are going to be handing out a lot of awards to a small group of films.  Last night, the Gotham Awards were awarded to the “best” in independent films.  The Gothams aren’t exactly known for being a reliable Oscar precursor but they do signal start the awards season and I, of course, am an awards junkie.

Here are the winners:

Best Feature: Moonrise Kingdom
Gotham Independent Film Audience Award: Artifact
Best Ensemble Performance: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt and Mark Duplass, Your Sister’s Sister
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
Breakthrough Actor: Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere
Breakthrough Director: Behn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Documentary: How to Survive a Plague

Of course, the “best” is in the eye of the beholder.  I, for one, greatly enjoyed Moonrise Kingdom.  However, I also thought (and continue to think) that Beasts of the Southern Wild is one of the most overrated films of all time.  Seriously, didn’t Voltaire end the myth of the noble savage with Candide?  It’s also interesting to note that, despite racking up a lot of nominations and being two of the best films of 2012, neither The Master nor Bernie won any awards.

And like that, Oscar season begins: The Gotham Independent Film Awards Nominations

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As I’ve said many times in the past, I am an Oscar fanatic and Oscar season is my favorite time of the year.  Well, I’m happy to say that the 2012 Oscar season has now officially began.  The Gotham Independent Film Spirit Awards have been announced.

“The what?” you my be asking.

Well, okay, it’s true that the Gothams aren’t as influential as the Golden Globes or the National Board of Review.  But, still, for independent filmmakers who are hoping not to be forgotten in the rush to embrace mainstream films like Lincoln, The Great Gatsby, and Zero Dark Thirty, every little bit of publicity helps.

The nominations appear to be dominated by Bernie, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Master.  That’s not a bad thing because I consider each one of those films to be one of the best of the year.

Here’s the nominations.  I’m going to hold off on offering up any commentary, beyond saying that I’m glad to see that Bernie is being remembered.

Best Feature:

Bernie

The Loneliest Planet

The Master

Middle of Nowhere

Moonrise Kingdom

Best Documentary:

Detropia

How To Survie a Plague

Marina Abramowtiz: The Artist Is Present

Room 327

The Waiting Room

Best Ensemble Performance:

Bernie

Moonrise Kingdom

Safety Not Guaranteed

Silver Linings Playbook

Your Sister’s Sister

Breakthrough Director

Zal Batmanglij for “Sound of My Voice”
Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for “Francine”

Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for “Now, Forager”
Antonio Mendez Esparza for “Aqui­ y Alli¡ (Here and There)”
Benh Zeitlin for “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

Breakthrough Actor
Mike Birbiglia in “Sleepwalk with Me”
Emayatzy Corinealdi in “Middle of Nowhere”
Thure Lindhardt in “Keep the Lights On”
Melanie Lynskey in “Hello, I Must Be Going”
Quvenzhane Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
“Kid-Thing”
“An Oversimplification of Her Beauty”
“Red Flag”
“Sun Don’t Shine”
“Tiger Tail in Blue”