Tag Archives: Film

The Chicago Indie Critics Honor Everything

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Chicago Indie Critics have announced their picks for the best of 2022!  You can view the nominees by clicking here and the winners below!

BEST INDEPENDENT FILM (budgets under $25 million)
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE – Producers: Jonathan Wang, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, and Mike Larocca

BEST STUDIO FILM (budgets over $25 million)
RRR – Producers: D.V.V. Danayya

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
DECISION TO LEAVE – Producers: Jisun Back, Park Chan-wook, KO Dae-sok

BEST DOCUMENTARY
FIRE OF LOVE – Producers: Shane Boris, Sara Dosa, and Ina Fichman

BEST ANIMATED FILM
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO – Producers: Guillermo del Toro, Lisa Henson, Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley, and Corey Campodonico

BEST DIRECTOR
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE – Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
WOMEN TALKING – Sarah Polley

BEST ACTOR
Colin Farrell – THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

BEST ACTRESS
Michelle Yeoh – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ke Huy Quan – EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Janelle Monáe – GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY – Casting directors: Brett Howe and Mary Vernieu

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
TOP GUN: MAVERICK – Claudio Miranda

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER – Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
THE WOMAN KING – Gersha Phillips

BEST MAKEUP
THE BATMAN – Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, and Mike Fontaine

BEST EDITING
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE – Paul Rodger

BEST MUSICAL SCORE
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO – Alexandre Desplat

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Naatu Naatu” – RRR – Music by M.M. Keeravaani and lyrics by Chandrabose

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett

BEST STUNTS
RRR – Nick Powell

BREAKOUT ARTIST
Austin Butler

SIGHT UNSEEN PERFORMANCE
Jenny Slate – MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

IMPACT AWARD
Given to a person whose work has had a positive impact on the Chicagoland film community
The late Sergio Mims (film critic)

Here Are The 2022 Nominees of the Vancouver Film Critics Circle!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Oscar nominations are going to be revealed on Tuesday but there are still regional groups announcing their picks for the best of 2022!  For instance, the Vancouver Film Critics Circle has announced their nominees for the best of the year and here they are:

Best Picture
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All At Once
TÁR

Best Director
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Todd Field – TÁR
Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Screenplay
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Todd Field – TÁR
Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Actor
Austin Butler – Elvis
Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin
Paul Mescal – Aftersun

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett – TÁR
Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Janelle Monae – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Supporting Actress
Jessie Buckley – Women Talking
Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin
Frankie Corio – Aftersun
Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Dolly de Leon – Triangle of Sadness
Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Michelle Williams – The Fabelmans

Best Documentary
All the Beauty And the Bloodshed
Fire of Love
Moonage Daydream

Best Foreign Language Film
All Quiet on the Western Front
Holy Spider
RRR

Winners will be announced on February 13th!

Retro Television Reviews: The Elevator (dir by Jerry Jameson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sundays, I will be reviewing the made-for-television movies that used to be a primetime mainstay.  Today’s film is 1974’s The Elevator!  It  can be viewed on YouTube!

Marvin Ellis (Roddy McDowall) hates his job.  He’s been assigned to be the manager of a new high-rise office building.  Parts of the building are still under construction but that hasn’t stopped the company that owns it from selling out office space.  When Mrs. Kenyon (Myrna Loy) comes by and asks to look at the top floor penthouse, Ellis agrees.  In public, Ellis is always friendly and always courteous.  It’s only under the most stressful of circumstances that Ellis reveals that he feels as if the building has been built of out lies and cheap material.

Ellis and Kenyon soon find themselves in a stressful situation when they are trapped in an elevator.  Of course, they’re not alone in the elevator.  There’s also Dr. Reynolds (Craig Stevens), his wife (Teresa Wright), and his mistress (Arlene Golonka).  And then there’s Robert Peters (Barry Livingston), a teenager who has inherited a fortune.  And finally, there’s Eddie Holcomb (James Farentino).  Eddie has a suitcase full of money that he’s stolen from an office in the building.  He’s also got a loaded gun.  And, perhaps worst of all, he has an intense fear of tight places.  The longer that he’s trapped in the elevator, the worse his claustrophobia becomes.

Because the building isn’t really finished yet, the elevator’s alarm button doesn’t really work.  Other than the passengers trapped inside, the only people who know about the stalled elevator are Eddie’s partners-in-crime.  Irene (Carol Lynley) is Eddie’s girlfriend and she just wants to get the situation resolved with as little violence as possible.  Pete (Don Stroud) is Eddie’s sociopathic friend.  Pete is not only determined to rescue Eddie and retrieve the suitcase.  He’s also determined to take care of any potential witnesses by killing everyone on the elevator.

The Elevator is a disaster film, along the lines of Airport and The Towering Inferno.  Due to the hubris of a faceless corporation, a group of people find themselves trapped in a potentially catastrophic situation.  Some of them react with bravery.  Some of them react with cowardice.  All of them get a chance to reveal a bit of who they are on the inside.  Some might say that being trapped in an elevator is not quite as bad being trapped in a fiery skyscraper or being a passenger on a airplane that’s being held hostage by a mad bomber.  Technically, they’re right but I am also going to admit right now that I absolutely hate elevators and I try to avoid them whenever I can.  I always say that this is because running up and down several flights of stairs is a good way to keep my legs looking good and certainly that’s part of it.  But an even bigger reason is that I dread the thought of being stuck in a confined space with a bunch of strangers.  If I was on an elevator that was stuck between floors, I would probably lose my mind.  I have a hard enough time just standing in line for longer than 3 minutes.  As directed by Jerry Jameson, The Elevator does as good job of capturing the feeling of being trapped in a small space.  It’s not a film to watch if you have claustrophobia.

As for the cast, Myrna Loy is a delight as the eccentric Mrs. Kenyon.  And seriously, how can you dislike any film that gives Roddy McDowall a monologue about how much he hates skyscrapers?  It’s an entertaining, if undemanding, film.  After watching The Elevator, I’ll keep taking the stairs.

Live Tweet Alert: Watch Rogue with #ScarySocial

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

 

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, for #ScarySocial, Tim Buntley will be hosting 2007’s Rogue!

 

If you want to join us on Saturday night, just hop onto twitter, start the film at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  The film is available on Prime.  I’ll probably be there and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

Scenes That I Love: Jack Sings True Love’s Flame From David Lynch’s What Did Jack Do?

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s David Lynch’s birthday.  Celebrate accordingly.

In honor of this day, here’s a scene that I love from 2017’s What Did Jack Do?  As Lynch listens, Jack sings about True Love’s Flame.

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix for Escape From New York!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

 

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, I will be hosting the third #FridayNightFlix of 2022!  The movie? 1981’s Escape From New York!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

Escape From New York is available on Prime and Tubi!  See you there!

Scenes That I Love: The Viola Lee Blues Montage from Richard Lester’s Petulia

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Who, you may be asking yourself, could have brought George C. Scott, Julie Christie, and the Grateful Dead all together in one movie?

The answer to that question is Richard Lester, who today celebrates his 91st birthday!  Though Lester is best-known for his work with the Beatles and with the Superman films, I think his best film was undoubtedly 1968’s Petulia.  A sharp social satire, Petulia took a look at what happened when the counter culture and the establishment collided in San Francisco.  And there’s perhaps no better symbol of that collision than George C. Scott, wearing a turtleneck and smoking cigarette while attending a Grateful Dead show.

While the band plays Viola Lee Blues, Scott wanders through 1960s San Francisco.

Scenes That I Love: The Opening of John Boorman’s Zardoz

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Zardoz (1974, dir by John Boorman, DP: Geoffrey Unsworth)

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 90th birthday to the great British filmmaker, John Boorman!  Here is a scene that we love, the opening of Boorman’s 1974 film, Zardoz!  Fresh from directing and receiving an Oscar nomination for Deliverance, Boorman turned down a chance to direct the original Exorcist so he could bring Zardoz to cinematic life.

(Of course, Boorman would direct the first sequel to The Exorcist.)

Directed by John Boorman and featuring Sean Connery, here is the opening of Zardoz!

Everything Wins In Seattle

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Seattle Film Critics Society has announced its picks for the best of 2022!  You can see all the nominees by clicking here and you can check out the winners below!

Best Picture
Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24)

Best Director
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett – TÁR

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Ensemble Cast
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Bret Howe, Mary Vernieu, casting directors

Best Action Choreography
RRR

Best Screenplay
The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh

Best Animated Feature
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On – Dean Fleischer-Camp, director

Best Documentary Feature
Fire of Love – Sara Dosa, director

Best Film Not in the English Language
Decision to Leave – Park Chan-wook, director

Best Cinematography
Top Gun: Maverick – Claudio Miranda

Best Costume Design
Elvis – Catherine Martin

Best Film Editing
Everything Everywhere All At Once – Paul Rogers

Best Original Score
Babylon – Justin Hurwitz

Best Production Design
Babylon – Florencia Martin (Production Design); Anthony Carlino (Set Decoration)

Best Visual Effects
Avatar: The Way of Water – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett

Best Youth Performance (18 years of age or younger upon start of filming)
Frankie Corio – Aftersun

Villain of the Year
Lydia Tár – TÁR – portrayed by Cate Blanchett

2022 Achievement in Pacific Northwest Filmmaking
Sweetheart Deal, Elisa Levine, Gabriel Miller

Everything Wins In Portland

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Portland Critics Association has announced their picks for the best of 2022!

And here they are!

Best Picture
Everything Everywhere All at Once (WINNER)
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (RUNNER UP)
Tár
The Banshees of Inisherin
Top Gun: Maverick

Best Director
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once (WINNER)
James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water
S.S. Rajamouli, RRR
Todd Field, Tár (RUNNER UP)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Adam Driver, White Noise
Austin Butler, Elvis
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin (WINNER)
Park Hae-il, Decision to Leave (RUNNER UP)
Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett, Tár (RUNNER UP)
Margot Robbie, Babylon
Mia Goth, Pearl
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once (WINNER)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Anthony Hopkins, Armageddon Time
Brad Pitt, Babylon (RUNNER UP)
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once (WINNER)
Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
Rory Kinnear, Men

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Dolly De Leon, Triangle of Sadness
Hong Chau, The Whale
Keke Palmer, Nope (RUNNER UP)
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once (WINNER)

Best Ensemble Cast
Amsterdam
Babylon
Everything Everywhere All at Once (RUNNER UP)
Glass Onion (WINNER)
Jackass Forever
The Menu

Best Animated Feature
Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (WINNER)
Mad God
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
Turning Red (RUNNER UP)

Best Documentary Feature
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (RUNNER UP)
Fire of Love
Good Night Oppy
Moonage Daydream (WINNER)

Best Film Not in the English Language
Athena
Decision to Leave (WINNER)
EO
Happening
RRR (RUNNER UP)

Best Comedy Feature
Bros
Everything Everywhere All at Once (WINNER)
Jackass Forever
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (RUNNER UP)
Triangle of Sadness
White Noise

Best Horror Feature
Barbarian (WINNER)
Bones and All
Men
Pearl
X (RUNNER UP)

Best Science Fiction Feature
After Yang
Avatar: The Way of Water (RUNNER UP)
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Nope (WINNER)
Prey

Best Screenplay
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once (RUNNER UP)
Jeong Seo-kyeong and Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Rian Johnson, Glass Onion (WINNER)
Todd Field, Tár

Best Cinematography
Claudio Miranda, Top Gun: Maverick (WINNER)
Greig Fraser, The Batman
Hoyte van Hoytema, Nope
Kim Ji-yong, Decision to Leave (RUNNER UP)
Linus Sandgren, Babylon
Russell Carpenter, Avatar: The Way of Water

Best Original Score
Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (WINNER)
Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
M.M. Keeravaani, RRR
Michael Giacchino, The Batman (RUNNER UP)

Best Costume Design
Catherine Martin, Elvis (WINNER)
Mary Zophres, Babylon
Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once (RUNNER UP)

Best Production Design
Avatar: The Way of Water (RUNNER UP)
Babylon
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once (WINNER)
Glass Onion

Best Sound Design
Avatar: The Way of Water (RUNNER UP)
Babylon
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Nope
Top Gun: Maverick (WINNER)

Best Visual Effects
Avatar: The Way of Water (WINNER)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Everything Everywhere All at Once (RUNNER UP)
Nope
Top Gun: Maverick

Best Stunts or Action Choreography
Avatar: The Way of Water
Everything Everywhere All at Once (RUNNER UP)
RRR
The Batman
Top Gun: Maverick (WINNER)

Top 10 Films Of 2022
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once
2. Tár
3. Decision to Leave
4. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
5. Top Gun: Maverick
6. RRR
7. Avatar: The Way of Water
8. Glass Onion
9. The Banshees of Inisherin
10. The Whale