Oppenheimer Wins In Central Florida


Yesterday, the Critics Association of Central Florida announced their picks for the best of 2023!

And here they are:

Best Picture
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Barbie

Best Director
Winner: Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Greta Gerwig – Barbie

Best Actor
Winner: Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Bradley Cooper – Maestro

Best Actress
Winner: Emma Stone – Poor Things
Runner-up: Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Ryan Gosling – Barbie

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Runner-up: Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer

Best Cast
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Barbie

Best Documentary
Winner: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Runner-up: Beyond Utopia

Best International Film
Winner: The Zone of Interest
Runner-up: Anatomy of a Fall

Best Animated Film
Winner: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Runner-up: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Best Screenplay
Winner: Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach – Barbie

Best Cinematography
Winner: Hoyte Van Hoytema – Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Robbie Ryan – Poor Things

Best Costume Design
Winner: Barbie
Runner-up: Poor Things

Best Editing
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Poor Things

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling
Winner: Poor Things
Runner-up: Barbie

Best Production Design
Winner: Barbie
Runner-up: Poor Things

Best Score
Winner: Ludwig Göransson – Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Daniel Pemberton – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Original Song
Winner: “I’m Just Ken” – Barbie
Runner-up: “What Was I Made For” – Barbie

Best Sound Design
Winner: Oppenheimer
Runner-up: Maestro

Best Stunt Coordination
Winner: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Runner-up: John Wick: Chapter 4

Best Visual Effects
Winner: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Runner-up: Oppenheimer

Austin Nominates Godzilla


Yesterday, the Austin Film Critics Association announced their nominees for the best of 2023!  Godzilla made the best picture list so good for him!  It may not translate to Oscar glory but it’s nice to see Godzilla finally getting some love.

The winners will be announced on January 10th.

Best Picture
American Fiction
Barbie
Godzilla Minus One
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Director
Greta Gerwig, Barbie
Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Celine Song, Past Lives

Best Actress
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Hüller, Anatomy Of A Fall
Greta Lee, Past Lives
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Emma Stone, Poor Things

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Andrew Scott, All Of Us Strangers
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

Best Supporting Actor
Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Charles Melton, May December
Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Julianne Moore, May December
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best Ensemble
Asteroid City
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things

Best Original Screenplay
Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik, May December
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie
David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Celine Song, Past Lives
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomy Of A Fall

Best Adapted Screenplay
Kelly Fremon Craig, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
Tony McNamara, Poor Things
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Cinematography
Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer
Matthew Libatique, Maestro
Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie
Rodrigo Prieto, Killers of the Flower Moon
Robbie Ryan, Poor Things

Best Editing
Jennifer Lame, Oppenheimer
Yorgos Mavropsaridis, Poor Things
Thelma Schoonmaker, Killers of the Flower Moon
Kevin Tent, The Holdovers
Michelle Tesoro, Maestro

Best Original Score
Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things
Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
Daniel Pemberton, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon
Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, Barbie

Best International Film
Anatomy Of A Fall
The Boy and the Heron
Godzilla Minus One
The Taste of Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Documentary
20 Days in Mariupol
Beyond Utopia
Four Daughters
Little Richard: I Am Everything
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Best Animated Film
The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Suzume
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance
Bradley Cooper, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Ayo Edebiri, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Shameik Moore, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Chloë Grace Moretz, Nimona
Hailee Steinfeld, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Stunt Coordinator
Stephen Dunlevy & Scott Rogers, John Wick: Chapter 4
Wade Eastwood, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Chavo Guerrero, Jr., The Iron Claw
Crispin Layfield, Polite Society
Noon Orsatti, Extraction 2

Best First Film
Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane
Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou, Talk To Me
A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand And One
Celine Song, Past Lives

The Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award
Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms, Theater Camp, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Unknown Country, Fancy Dance, Quantum Cowboys
Abby Ryder Fortson, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers
Celine Song, Past Lives

Killers Of The Flower Moon Wins In Oklahoma


Yesterday, the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of 2023!  And here they are:

Top 10 Films
1. Killers of the Flower Moon
2. The Holdovers
3. Oppenheimer
4. Barbie
5. Past Lives
6. The Zone of Interest
7. Poor Things
8. May December
9. The Boy and the Heron
10. American Fiction

Best Actress
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers

Best Supporting Actress
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers

Best Supporting Actor
Ryan Gosling – Barbie

Best Director
Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Original Screenplay
David Hemingson – The Holdovers

Best Adapted Screenplay
Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Documentary
American Symphony

Best Animated Feature
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

Best Foreign Language Film
The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom/Poland)

Best Cinematography
Hoyte Van Hoytema – Oppenheimer

Best Score
Robbie Robertson – Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Ensemble
Barbie

Best First Feature
Celine Song – Past Lives

Best Body of Work
Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall & The Zone of Interest

Most Disappointing Film
Maestro

Special Citation for Achievement in Oklahoma Independent Filmmaking
Fancy Dance – Directed by Erica Tremblay

Here Are The 2023 Nominations of the Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Guild


For all the attention that is given to the various regional critics groups during awards season, the true precursors are usually the guild nominations because the members of the Academy are also (usually) members of the guilds as well.

With that in mind, here are the 2023 nominations of the Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists Guild.  The winners will be announced on February 18th!

Feature-Length Motion Pictures

Best Contemporary Make-up
“Candy Cane Lane,” Tym Shutchai Buacharern, Michele Lewis, Jennifer Zide-Essex, Yvettra Grantham
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Jane Galli, Personal
“Haunted Mansion,” Kimberly Jones, Dionne Wynn, Bridgit Crider, Carla VanNessa Wallace
“Nyad,” Felicity Bowring, Ann Maree Hurley, Julie Hewett, Mahar Lessner
“Saltburn,” Siân Miller, Laura Allen

Best Period and/or Character Make-up:
“Barbie,” Ivana Primorac, Victoria Down, Maha Mimo,
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Alexei Dmitriew, Nicole Sortillon, Amos Samantha Ward, LuAndra Whitehurs
“Maestro,” Siann Grigg, Jackie Risotto, Elisa Tallerico, Nicky Pattison-Illum
“Oppenheimer,” Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer, Kerrin Jackson, Jamie Loree Hess
“Poor Things,” Nadia Stacey

Best Special Makeup Effects
“Golda,” Karen Thomas, Eva Susanna Johnson Theodosiou
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Alexei Dmitriew, Lindsay MacGowen, Shane Mahan, Scott Stoddard
“Maestro,” Kazu Hiro, Sian Grigg, Duncan Jarman, Mike Mekash
“Poor Things,” Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier
“Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire,” Ozzy Alvarez, Justin Raleigh, Kelsey Berk, Jonathan Shroyer

Best Contemporary Hair Styling
“Candy Cane Lane,” Yvette Shelton, Shian Banks, Stacey Morris, Maisha Oliver
“Joy Ride,” Jeannie Chow, Kim Lee
“Nyad,” Daniel Curet, Vanessa Columbo, Enzo Angileri, Darlene Brumfeld
“Pain Hustlers,” Michelle Johnson, Dennis Bailey
“Saltburn,” Siân Miller, Laura Allen

Best Period Hair Styling and/or Character Hair Styling
“Barbie,” Ivana Primorac, Marie Larkin, Clare Corsick
“Chevalier,” Roo Maurice, Francesco Pegoretti
“The Color Purple,” Lawrence Davis, Andrea Mona Bowman, Tym Wallace
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Cassandra Lyn Russek, Stephanie Fenner, Peter Tothpal, Connie Criswell
“Maestro,” Kay Georgiou, Lori McCoy-Bell, Jameson Eaton, Amanda Duffy-Evans

4 Shots from 4 Films: Special George Pan Cosmatos Edition


4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More 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 lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, we celebrate the birth of director George Pan Cosmatos!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 George Pan Cosmatos Films

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985, dir by George Pan Cosmatos, DP: Jack Cardiff)

Cobra (1986, dir by George Pan Cosmatos, DP: Ric Waite)

Leviathan (1989, dir by George Pan Cosmatos, DP: Alex Thomson)

Tombstone (1993, dir by George Pan Cosmatos, DP: William Fraker)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Sergio Leone Edition


Sergio Leone (1929 — 1989)

4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More 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 lets the visuals do the talking!

95 years ago today, Sergio Leone was born in Rome, Italy.  The son of actor/screenwriter Vincenzo Leone and silent actress Edvige Valcarenghi, Sergio was born into the Italian film industry.  He began his career in the post-war rebuilding period, working as an assistant to Vittorio De Sica and, as an assistant director, for American films that were shot in Italy.  (Albeit uncredited, he worked on two Oscar-nominated Biblical epics, Quo Vadis and Ben-Hur.)

After making his directorial debut with The Colossus of Rhodes, Leone went on to direct the films that would change the face of international cinema.  Though he was hardly the first director of Spaghetti westerns, he was was the first to achieve far-reaching acclaim.  With the Dollars Trilogy, he made Clint Eastwood a star and Eastwood has often said that the majority of what he knows about directing, he learned from working with Leone and later Don Siegel.  Leone went on to direct the brilliant Once Upon A Time In The West and Once Upon A Time in America, two epic visions of American history that, sadly, were not initially treated well by their distributors.

Though Leone is only credited with directing eight films, his influence cannot be underestimated.  As both a visual artist and a cultural and political commentator, his films continue to influence directors to this day.

For that reason, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Sergio Leone Films

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966, dir by Sergio Leone, DP: Tonino Delli Colli)

Once Upon A Time In The West (1968, dir by Sergio Leone, DP: Tonino Delli Colli)

Duck, You Sucker (1971, dir by Sergio Leone, DP: Giuseppe Ruzzolini)

Once Upon A Time In America (1984, dir by Sergio Leone, DP: Tonino Delli Colli)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Todd Haynes Edition


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 lets the visuals do the talking.

Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to director Todd Haynes!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Todd Haynes Films

Safe (1995, dir by Todd Haynes, DP: Alex Nepomniaschy)

I’m Not There (2007, dir by Todd Haynes, DP: Edward Lachman)

Carol (2015, dir by Todd Haynes, DP: Edward Lachman)

Dark Waters (2019, dir by Todd Haynes, DP: Edward Lachman)

6 Things That I Am Looking Forward To In January of 2024


Ah, January.

Traditionally, as far as pop culture goes, January doesn’t get much respect.  If a studio has a film that they knew isn’t going to be a hit with critics or audiences, January is where they usually dump it.  The same can often be said of publishers.  Everyone is so busy getting caught up on what they missed during the last few months of the previous year, chances are that they won’t notice a few bombs dropped on the cultural landscape.  That’s the theory anyways.

But, you know me!  I’m an optimist.  And I remain convinced that, even in January, there are things to which we can look forward,  And here’s six of those things!

(Why six?  Because Lisa doesn’t do odd numbers.)

  1. The Iowa Caucus

That’s right!  It’s an election year!  And the first contest of 2024, the Iowa Presidential Caucus, is just two weeks away!  Remember how much fun we all had in 2020 when the Democrats couldn’t figure out who had actually won their caucus?  Who knows what fun this year has in store for us!  The Iowa Caucus will be held on January 15th.

(Okay, this may seem like a lame thing to look forward to but it’s January and beggars can’t be choosers.)

2. The Sundance Film Festival

While the 2023 race waits to be determined, the 2024 Oscar Race will begin at the Sundance Film Festival!  It seems like, every year, there is at least one Sundance Film that makes it into the Best Picture lineup.  In 2023, Past Lives and Magazine Dreams were huge hits at Sundance and now, it looks like Past Lives has a great chance of being nominated for Best Picture.  As for Magazine Dreams ….. well, yeah.  Which contenders will come out of this year’s festival?  We’ll find out when Sundance opens on January 18th.

3. I.S.S. — This film, about strange happenings on the International Space Station, is set to be released on January 19th.  I always enjoy a good mix of horror and science fiction.  Plus, once this film comes out, maybe YouTube will stop trying to make me watch the trailer.

4. Mean Girls — The Mean Girls musical will be released in theaters on January 12th.  I’m not really sure that we need a new version of the film when the original holds up perfectly well but whatever.  Originally, this was going to go straight to Paramount Plus but it was decided to give the film a theatrical release instead.  Normally, that would be a sign of huge confidence if not for the fact that it was given a January release.

5. The Bricklayer — For those of us wondering whatever happened to Renny Harlin, he’s got a new film set to be released on January 5th.  Hey, that’s this week!

6. The Oscar Nominations — The nominations will be announced on January 23rd and I’ve got a lot of movies that I still need to watch!  So I better get to it!

What are you looking forward to in January?

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special New Year’s Edition


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 lets the visuals do the talking.

Happy New Year’s Day!  Did you have as wonderful a celebration as the characters featured in today’s special edition of 4 Shots From 4 Films?

4 Shots From 4 Films

The Poseidon Adventure (1972, dir by Ronald Neame, DP: Harold E. Stine)

The Godfather Part II (1974, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

New Year’s Evil (1980, dir by Emmett Alston, DP: Edward Thomas)

Strange Days (1995, dir by Kathryn Bigelow, DP: Matthew F. Leonetti)

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For December


Here they are!  These are my final Oscar predictions for 2023.  The critics groups have certainly helped to show us which films are major contenders.  That said, the Guilds are even more important so I can’t wait to see who they nominate and honor in January.

Below are my predictions for December.  Be sure to also check out my predictions for March and April and May and June and July and August and September and October and November!

Best Picture 

American Fiction

Barbie

Godzilla Minus One

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

Oppenheimer

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

(Before anyone gives me a hard time about Godzilla Minus One, I always toss in one critically acclaimed long shot so that I can brag — or perhaps even gloat — if it actually happens.  Plus, everyone knows that having Godzilla at the Oscars would be entertainment gold.)

Best Director

Greta Gerwig for Barbie

Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Alexander Payne for The Holdovers

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Colman Domingo in Rustin

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction

Best Actress

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller in Anatomy of a Fall

Greta Lee in Past Lives

Carey Mulligan in Maestro

Emma Stone in Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey, Jr. in Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling in Barbie

Charles Melton in May/December

Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks in The Color Purple

Jodie Foster in Nyad

Rachel McAdams in Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers