Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to actor Steve Carell. This scene that I love is from Foxcatcher and it features Carell cast against type, as the sociopathic John du Pont. (Carell received his first and — to date — last Oscar nomination for his performance as Du Pont.) In this scene, Du Pont corrupts a young wrestler played by Channing Tatum.
Tag Archives: Foxcatcher
Lisa Tries To Predict The Oscars!
Well, it’s almost here!
Tomorrow night, the Oscars will be handed out! Now, I have to admit that, despite all of the time that I spent keeping up with all of the guild awards and the critics award and all the other precursors, I kinda lost interest in the Oscar race after the actual nominations were announced. I took one look at Jeff Wells claiming to be solely responsible for the success of Birdman and Sasha Stone going on and on about Selma and Ryan Adams doing whatever the Hell it is that he supposedly does over at Awards Daily and I just found myself saying, “Fuck it, who cares?”
Seriously, 2015 will be remembered as the year that Oscar punditry jumped the shark. Hopefully, within the next few years, new voices will emerge and we’ll be spared from having to deal with Jeff Wells, Sasha Stone, and all the rest.
The Oscar commentary this year has been so negative and so toxic and so predictably strident and so tediously bitter that I did get a little bit burned out. It just hasn’t been as much fun this year. When, earlier this week, I was reminded that the Oscars were this Sunday, I have to admit that I was taken a little bit by surprise. For some reason, I had gotten into my head that the Oscars were next week.
But anyway, they’re not next week. They’re tomorrow and that means that it is now time for me to try to predict who and what will win tomorrow night. A lot of people are saying that this is the closest Oscar race in years. But you know what? They say that every year.
Remember how there were going to be a lot of upsets last year?
And, in the end, exactly what everyone thought would win did win.
I imagine the same thing will happen this year.
Here are my predictions! I will be listing both what I think will win and what I think should win.

Need to kill some time? Look through all the posts since November and count up how many times this picture has appeared on the site!
Best Picture:
Will Win: Birdman
Should Win: Boyhood
Best Director:
Will Win: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman
Should Win: Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Best Actor
Will Win: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
Should Win: Michael Keaton for Birdman
Best Actress
Will Win: Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Should Win: Reese Witherspoon for Wild
Best Supporting Actor
Will and Should Win: J.K. Simmons for Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress
Will and Should Win: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
Best Original Screenplay
Will Win: Birdman
Should Win: Boyhood
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will and Should Win: Whiplash
Best Animated Feature:
Will Win: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Should Win: Big Hero 6
Best Foreign Language Film
Will Win: Leviathan
Should Win: Ida
Best Documentary Feature
Will Win: CitizenFour
Should Win: Finding Vivian Maier
Best Documentary Short Subject:
Will Win (random guess): Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Should Win: ???
Best Live Action Short Film:
Will Win (random guess): The Phone Call
Should Win: ???
Best Animated Short Film:
Will and Should Win: My Moulton
Best Original Score:
Will and Should Win: The Theory of Everything
Best Original Song:
Will Win: “Glory” from Selma
Should Win: “Hooray for Everything” from The Lego Movie
Best Sound Editing
Will and Should Win: American Sniper
Best Sound Mixing
Will Win: American Sniper
Should Win: Whiplash
Best Production Design
Will and Should Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Cinematography
Will Win: Unbroken
Should Win: Ida
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Will Win: Foxcatcher
Should Win: Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Costume Design
Will Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: Inherent Vice
Best Film Editing
Will and Should Win: Boyhood
Best Visual Effects
Will Win: Interstellar
Should Win: Guardians of the Galaxy
Well, those are my predictions! Will I be right or will I be wrong? We’ll find out tomorrow!
Here Are The Oscar Nominations!
The Oscar nominations were announced this morning and, judging from the overdramatic reactions on twitter, some people are apparently taking all of this way too seriously. Listen, I wish The LEGO Movie had been nominated. I wish Jake Gyllenhaal had been nominated. I haven’t seen Selma yet but it does seem strange that it was only nominated for one other Oscar. And, for that matter, how did Foxcatcher get nominated for director, screenplay, actor, and supporting actor without getting a nomination for best picture.
And yes, I do wish that more women had been nominated but, then again, I also wish that more women were being given the opportunity to write and direct films. If the Oscars are male-dominated, that’s because so is the industry.
AND WHERE’S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY!?
AND WHAT ABOUT JODOROWSKY’S DUNE!?
*ahem*
But, honestly, I think people are overestimating the importance of the Oscars. Great films will survive, regardless of awards won and lost. Believe me, there were a lot of nominations that I did not agree with but I’m not going to have a Sasha Stone-style freak out over it because, ultimately, the Oscars are what they are and if you think they’re anything more than an event, you really need to calm down and get some perspective.
I’m just happy that it was a good morning for Texas filmmaking. Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson were both nominated for best director. Boyhood, a Texas film if there ever was on, is the front runner for best picture. Texas actor Ethan Hawke was nominated for best supporting actor. Bradley Cooper may not be a Texan but he played one and, judging from the trailer and commercials for American Sniper, he actually got the accent right.
So, I’m happy!
(And, by the way, let’s give this talk about how Laura Dern stole Jessica Chastain’s nomination a rest. If anything, Meryl Streep stole Chastain’s spot.)
Here are the nominees!
BEST PICTURE
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”
BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”
BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days One Night”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Laura Dern, “Wild”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“Foxcatcher”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Nightcrawler”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“American Sniper”
“The Imitation Game”
“Inherent Vice”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Ida”
“Mr. Turner”
“Unbroken”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Inherent Vice”
“Into the Woods”
“Maleficent”
“Mr. Turner”
BEST EDITING
“American Sniper”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Whiplash”
BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING
“Foxcatcher”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
“Mr. Turner”
BEST SCORE
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
“Mr. Turner”
“The Theory of Everything”
BEST SONG
“Everything Is Awesome from “The Lego Movie”
“Glory” from “Selma”
“Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights”
“I’m Not Going to Miss You” from “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”
BEST SOUND EDITING
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
“Interstellar”
“Unbroken”
BEST SOUND MIXING
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”
“Interstellar”
“Unbroken”
“Whiplash”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
“Interstellar”
“X-Men: Days of Future Past”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Big Hero 6”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Citizenfour”
“Finding Vivian Maier”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Virunga”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
“Timbuktu”
“Wild Tales”
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
“The Bigger Picture”
“The Dam Keeper”
“Feast”
“Me and My Moulton”
“A Single Life”
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”
“Joanna”
“Our Curse”
“The Reaper”
“White Earth”
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
“Aya”
“Boogaloo and Graham”
“Butter Lamp”
“Parvaneh”
“The Phone Call”
What if Lisa Marie Picked The Oscar Nominees!
With the Oscar nominations due to be announced tomorrow, now is the time that the Shattered Lens indulges in a little something called, “What if Lisa had all the power.” Listed below are my personal Oscar nominations. Please note that these are not the films that I necessarily think will be nominated. The fact of the matter is that the many of them will not. Instead, these are the films that would be nominated if I was solely responsible for deciding the nominees this year. Winners are listed in bold.
(You’ll also note that I’ve added four categories, all of which I believe the Academy should adopt — Best Voice-Over Performance, Best Casting, Best Stunt Work, and Best Overall Use Of Music In A Film.)
(Click on the links to see my nominations for 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010!)
Best Picture
Best Director
Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler
Jonathan Glazer for Under the Skin
James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy
*Richard Linklater for Boyhood*
Jean-Marc Vallee for Wild
Best Actor
Macon Blair in Blue Ruin
Nicholas Cage in Joe
Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel
*Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler*
Tom Hardy in Locke
Michael Keaton in Birdman
Best Actress
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin
Angelina Jolie in Maleficent
Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
Emmanuelle Seigner in Venus In Fur
Shailene Woodley in The Fault In Our Stars
*Reese Witherspoon in Wild*
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin in Inherent Vice
Steve Carell in Foxcatcher
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
*Gary Poulter in Joe*
Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress
Patrica Arquette in Boyhood
Laura Dern in Wild
Emma Roberts in Palo Alto
Rene Russo in Nightcrawler
Emma Stone in Birdman
*Mia Wasikowska in Only Lovers Left Alive*
Best Voice Over Performance
Scott Adsit in Big Hero 6
Bradley Cooper in Guardians of the Galaxy
Kate del Castillo in The Book of Life
*Vin Diesel in Guardians of the Galaxy*
Morgan Freeman in The LEGO Movie
Chris Pratt in The LEGO Movie
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Animated Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Casting
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One
Best Editing
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
“Lost Stars” from Begin Again
“The Apology Song” from The Book of Life
“Split the Difference” from Boyhood
“Yellow Flicker Beats” from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One
*”Everything is Awesome” from The LEGO Movie*
“Sister Rust” from Lucy
“Mercy” from Noah
“Hal” from Only Lovers Left Alive
“Rock Star” from Palo Alto
“Summer Nights” from Under the Electric Sky
Best Overall Use Of Music
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Fury*
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Best Sound Mixing
*Captain America: The Winter Soldier*
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Best Stunt Work
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Dawn of the Planet of the Apes*
Best Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Number of Nominations by Film
14 Nominations — Guardians of the Galaxy
9 Nominations — Boyhood
8 Nominations — Nightcrawler
7 Nominations — Wild
6 Nominations — Foxcatcher, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Lego Movie, Under the Skin
5 Nominations — A Field in England, Palo Alto
4 Nominations — X-Men: Days of Future Past
3 Nominations — Birdman, The Book of Life, Capt. America: The Winter Soldier, The Fault In Our Stars, Gone Girl, Inherent Vice, Into the Woods, Joe, Only Lovers Left Alive, Venus in Fur
2 Nominations — Begin Again, Big Hero 6, California Scheming, Dawn of the Planet of Apes, Fury, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, Maleficent, Snowpiercer, Under the Electric Sky, Whiplash
1 Nomination — Art and Craft, Blue Ruin, Borgman, The Box Trolls, Chef, Divergent, Edge of Tomorrow, Godzilla, How To Train Your Dragon 2, Ida, If I Stay, Illiterate, In Secret, In the Blood, Interstellar, Jodorowsky’s Dune, The Last Patrol, Life Itself, Locke, Lucy, Noah, The One I Love, Pompeii, Private Violence, The Raid 2, Raze, We Are The Best!, Winter’s Tale
Numbers of Oscars By Film
5 Oscars — Guardians of the Galaxy
3 Oscars — Boyhood
2 Oscars — The LEGO Movie, Under the Skin, Wild
1 Oscar — Capt. America: The Winter Soldier, Dawn of the Plaent of the Apes, Jodorowsky’s Dune, Fury, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Into the Woods, Joe, Nightcrawler, Only Lovers Left Alive, Palo Alto, Venus In Fur
Here They Are! Lisa’s Final 2014 Oscar Predictions!
Well, it’s been a long and tortured road since I first started this monthly series of Oscar predictions way back in March. Some contenders have faded. Some have come out of nowhere. And some — like Boyhood and J.K. Simmons in Whiplash — have remained consistently strong for the entire year.
Here are my final 2014 Oscar predictions. The actual Oscar predictions will be announced on Thursday.
(You can check out my predictions of March, April, May, June, July, August, October, November, and December by clicking on the links in this sentence!)
Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Nightcrawler
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper in American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton in Birdman
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything
(Where’s David Oyelowo? Originally, I did list him but I don’t know. With the guild awards, it seems like Selma is losing momentum and American Sniper is gaining it. I know that a lot of watchers are saying this is due to the Selma screeners being sent out late and that could well be true. Hopefully, I’ll get to see both Selma and American Sniper this weekend but, until then, I can’t offer an opinion on whether either one deserves to be nominated. But it’s hard not to feel as if Selma is not shaping up to be quite the Oscar powerhouse that a lot of us were expecting it to be. We’ll see.)
Best Actress
Jennifer Aniston in Cake
Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon in Wild
Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall in The Judge
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
Edward Norton in Birdman
Mark Ruffalo in Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash
(I still have a hard time believe that Robert Duvall is going to be nominated for The Judge because Duvall was good but not great and the movie kind of sucked. But, honestly, who else are they going to nominate? Josh Brolin deserves the spot for Inherent Vice but the film is probably a little bit too odd for a lot of voters. Maybe if Unbroken‘s Miyavi or Gone Girl‘s Tyler Perry had a little more screen time, they could make a case. But ultimately, that fifth spot does seem to be Duvall’s.)
Best Supporting Actress
Patrica Arquette in Boyhood
Jessica Chastain in A Most Violent Year
Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game
Emma Stone in Birdman
Naomi Watts in St. Vincent
(I’m going to go out on a limb and predict Watts over Meryl Streep. Why not? There always seems to be at least one surprise acting nominee.)
Best Director
Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Clint Eastwood for American Sniper
Alejandro G. Inarritu for Birdman
Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game
So there they are! My final “for real” predictions. Tomorrow, I’ll be posting my annual “If Lisa Had All The Power” post, which will be my personal nominations, the films and performances that I would nominate if I had all the power. And then, on Thursday, the Oscar nominations will be announced!
Here Are the Gay and Lesbian Critic Association Nominees!
Here are the nominees for the GALECA Dorian Awards!
Film of the Year
Birdman – Fox Searchlight
Boyhood – Sundance Selects/IFC
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Fox Searchlight
The Imitation Game – The Weinstein Company
Pride – CBS Films
Film Performance of the Year – Actor
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher – Sony Pictures Classics
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game – The Weinstein Company
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler – Open Road
Michael Keaton, Birdman – Fox Searchlight
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything – Universal
Film Performance of the Year – Actress
Essie Davis, The Babadook – Sundance Selects/IFC
Anne Dorval, Mommy – Roadside Attractions
Julianne Moore, Still Alice – Sony Pictures Classics
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl – 20th Century Fox
Reese Witherspoon, Wild – Fox Searchlight
Film Director of the Year
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel – Fox Searchlight
Ava DuVernay, Selma – Paramount
David Fincher, Gone Girl – 20th Century Fox
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman – Fox Searchight
Richard Linklater, Boyhood – Sundance Selects/IFC
LGBTQ Film of the Year
The Imitation Game – The Weinstein Company
Love is Strange – Sony Pictures Classics
Pride – CBS Films
Stranger by the Lake – Strand Releasing
The Way He Looks – Strand Releasing
Foreign Language Film of the Year
Force Majeure – Magnolia Pictures
Ida – Music Box Films
Mommy – Roadside Attractions
Stranger by the Lake – Strand Releasing
Two Days, One Night – Sundance Selects/IFC
Unsung Film of the Year
Obvious Child – A24
Love is Strange – Sony Pictures Classics
Pride – CBS Films
The Skeleton Twins – Roadside Attractions
Snowpiercer – Radius/TWC
Documentary of the Year
(theatrical release, TV airing or DVD release)
The Case Against 8 – HBO
CitizenFour – Radius/TWC
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me – Sundance Selects
Life Itself – Magnolia Pictures
Regarding Susan Sontag – HBO
Visually Striking Film of the Year
(honoring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)
Birdman – Fox Searchlight
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Fox Searchlight
Interstellar – Paramount
Snowpiercer – Radius/TWC
Under the Skin – A24
Campy Flick of the Year
Annie
Gone Girl
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Tammy
Here’s The Latest In Precursor News: The USC Scripter and the Makeup and Hairstyling Guild Nominations!
Awards season continues! The Makeup and Hairstyling Guild announced their nominees for the best of 2014 today!
FEATURE LENGTH MOTION PICTURE (FEATURE FILMS)
BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKE-UP
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Gone Girl
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Nightcrawler
FEATURE LENGTH MOTION PICTURE (FEATURE FILMS)
BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKE-UP
Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Into the Woods
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken
FEATURE LENGTH MOTION PICTURE (FEATURE FILMS)
BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS
Foxcatcher
Guardians of the Galaxy
Into the Woods
Maleficent
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
FEATURE LENGTH MOTION PICTURE (FEATURE FILMS)
BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING
Birdman
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
St. Vincent
Winter’s Tale
FEATURE LENGTH MOTION PICTURE (FEATURE FILMS)
BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIR STYLING
Get on Up
Into the Woods
Selma
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Theory of Everything
And here are the nominees for the 27th Annual USC Scripter Awards! The Scripter Award specifically recognizes screenplays that were adapted from other works.
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Wild
2014 in Review: Lisa Marie’s 26 Favorite Films of 2014
Well, here we are! This is my favorite part of the TSL’s look back at the previous year! Below, you’ll find my picks for the 26 best films of 2014!
(Why 26? Because Lisa doesn’t do odd numbers.)
Before looking at the list, there are two things that I would ask you to keep in mind. First off, these are my picks and my picks alone. There are 12 writers here at the TSL and we are all very opinionated individuals. Needless to say, we don’t always agree. Just because I love a film doesn’t mean that Arleigh, Leonard, Ryan, or anybody else here agree or disagrees. (Even my own sister occasionally disagrees with me…) When the other writers get around to posting their picks, I imagine that some of the films below will appear on those lists. And some of them most definitely will not. Vive la difference!
Also, it should be understood that, unlike some film critics, I only list movies that I’ve actually seen. Unfortunately, since I live in the middle of the country, that means that there are a few 2014 films that have yet to be released in my part of the world. Over the upcoming two weeks, I plan to see Inherent Vice, Selma, American Sniper, A Most Violent Year, and The Imitation Game. Any one of these films could potentially end up in my top 26, in which case I will update this post to reflect that.
(1/10/15 Update — I have updated the list to include Inherent Vice. And, since I don’t do odd numbers, I also added Blue Ruin so that the list is currently an even 28 films.)
As for my list, as I look over it, I have to admit that I’m a little bit surprised by some of the films that made the biggest impression on me this year. Whereas in previous years, my favorite films were far outside of the mainstream, my favorite film of 2014 was the epitome of blockbuster entertainment. The list is an interesting combination of spectacle and existential dread, featuring everything from the latest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a few neglected masterpieces of ennui.
(If you’d like to see my picks for 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, click on the links!)
And without further ado, here’s the list!
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Wild
- Boyhood
- Under the Skin
- The LEGO Movie
- Nightcrawler
- The Fault In Our Stars
- Foxcatcher
- Palo Alto
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Joe
- Birdman
- Venus in Fur
- A Field in England
- California Scheming
- Gone Girl
- Chef
- Snowpiercer
- Cold In July
- Jodorowsky’s Dune
- Whiplash
- Inherent Vice
- Begin Again
- The Purge: Anarchy
- Devil’s Due
- Only Lovers Left Alive
- Blue Ruin
Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below!
Previous Entries In TSL’s Look Back At 2014
- 2014 In Review: Things Dork Geekus Dug In 2014 Off The Top Of His Head
- 2014 In Review: The Best Of Lifetime and SyFy
- 2014 In Review: Lisa’s Picks For The 16 Worst Films Of 2014
- 2014 In Review: 14 Of Lisa’s Favorite Songs Of 2014
- 2014 In Review: Necromoonyeti’s Top 10 Metal Albums of 2014
- 2014 In Review: 20 Good Things Lisa Saw On TV In 2014
- 2014 In Review: Pantsukudasai56’s Pick For The Best Anime of 2014
- 2014 in Reivew: Lisa’s 20 Favorite Novels of 2014
- 2014 In Review: Lisa’s Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2014
Here’s The Latest From The Guilds: WGA, CDG, and ASC
Here’s the latest news from Awards Season! Today, three more guilds announced their nominees for the best of 2014.
First off, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) nominated the following five films:
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Mr. Turner
Unbroken
And then, the Costume Designers Guild (CDG) nominated the following fifteen films:
Excellence in Contemporary Film
Birdman – Albert Wolsky
Boyhood – Kari Perkins
Gone Girl – Trish Summerville
Interstellar – Mary Zophres
Wild – Melissa Bruning
Excellence in Period Film
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
The Imitation Game – Sammy Sheldon Differ
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
Selma – Ruth E. Carter
The Theory of Everything – Steven Noble
Excellence in Fantasy Film
Guardians of the Galaxy – Alexandra Byrne
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Bob Buck, Lesley Burkes-Harding, Ann Maskrey
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – Kurt and Bart
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard, Jane Clive
(Is anybody else surprised to learn that Interstellar is apparently a contemporary film?)
And finally, here are the Writer’s Guild (WGA) nominations! As always, the WGA nominations should be taken with a grain of salt as several Oscar front runners — Birdman, Selma, The Theory of Everything, and Mr. Turner, had been ruled ineligible for a WGA nomination. Over the years, many films that were ineligible for a WGA nomination have gone on to win Oscars for original and adapted screenplay.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Boyhood, Written by Richard Linklater; IFC Films
Foxcatcher, Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman; Sony Pictures Classics
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness; Fox Searchlight
Nightcrawler, Written by Dan Gilroy; Open Road Films
Whiplash, Written by Damien Chazelle; Sony Pictures Classics
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Sniper, Written by Jason Hall; Based on the book by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice; Warner Bros.
Gone Girl, Screenplay by Gillian Flynn; Based on her novel; 20th Century Fox
Guardians of the Galaxy, Written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman; Based on the Marvel comic by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The Imitation Game, Written by Graham Moore; Based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges; The Weinstein Company
Wild, Screenplay by Nick Hornby; Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed; Fox Searchlight
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Finding Vivian Maier, Written by John Maloof & Charlie Siskel; Sundance Selects
The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, Written by Brian Knappenberger; FilmBuff
Last Days in Vietnam, Written by Mark Bailey & Kevin McAlester; American Experience Films
Red Army, Written by Gabe Polsky; Sony Pictures Classics
Here Are The Central Ohio Film Critics Nominees!
Yesterday, the Central Ohio Film Critics announced their nominees for the best of 2014 and they really liked Birdman! I wonder if the Central Ohio Film Critics ever have fights with the Southwestern Ohio Film Critics or the Ohio/Kentucky Border Critics…
Here are the nominees!
Best Film
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Boyhood
- Gone Girl
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- The Imitation Game
- A Most Violent Year
- Nightcrawler
- Selma
- Snowpiercer
- Whiplash
Best Director
- Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
- Ava DuVernay – Selma
- Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Best Actor
- Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
- Michael Keaton – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- David Oyelowo – Selma
- Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Best Actress
- Essie Davis, The Babadook
- Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin
- Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
- Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
- Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Best Supporting Actor
- Josh Brolin – Inherent Vice
- Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
- Edward Norton – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
- J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress
- Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
- Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
- Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
- Emma Stone – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer
Best Ensemble
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Foxcatcher
- Gone Girl
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Guardians of the Galaxy
Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)
- Jessica Chastain (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Interstellar, Miss Julie, and A Most Violent Year)
- Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and The Imitation Game)
- Jake Gyllenhaal (Enemy and Nightcrawler)
- Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy and The LEGO Movie)
- Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Only Lovers Left Alive, Snowpiercer, and The Zero Theorem)
Breakthrough Film Artist
- Damien Chazelle – Whiplash – (for directing and screenwriting)
- Ava DuVernay – Selma – (for directing)
- Jennifer Kent – The Babadook – (for directing and screenwriting)
- Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle and Beyond the Lights – (for acting)
- Justin Simien – Dear White People – (for directing and screenwriting)
Best Cinematography
- Benoît Delhomme – The Theory of Everything
- Hoyte Van Hoytema – Interstellar
- Daniel Landin – Under the Skin
- Emmanuel Lubezki – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Robert Yeoman – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Film Editing
- Sandra Adair – Boyhood
- Spencer Averick – Selma
- Kirk Baxter – Gone Girl
- Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Tom Cross – Whiplash
Best Adapted Screenplay
- Paul Thomas Anderson – Inherent Vice
- Bong Joon-ho and Kelly Masterson – Snowpiercer
- Gillian Flynn – Gone Girl
- Nick Hornby – Wild
- Graham Moore – The Imitation Game
Best Original Screenplay
- Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
- J.C. Chandor – A Most Violent Year
- Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
- Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Paul Webb – Selma
Best Score
- Alexandre Desplat – The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Jóhann Jóhannsson – The Theory of Everything
- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Gone Girl
- Antonio Sanchez – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Hans Zimmer – Interstellar
Best Documentary
- Citizenfour
- Dinosaur 13
- Finding Vivian Maier
- Jodorowsky’s Dune
- Life Itself
Best Foreign Language Film
- Force Majeure (Turist)
- A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
- Ida
- Two Days, One Night (Deux jours, une nuit)
- We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!)
Best Animated Film
- Big Hero 6
- The Book of Life
- The Boxtrolls
- How to Train Your Dragon 2
- The LEGO Movie
Best Overlooked Film
- The Babadook
- Blue Ruin
- Edge of Tomorrow
- Enemy
- Locke








































