Here Are The Nominations Of The Las Vegas Film Critics Society


The Las Vegas Film Critics Society announced its nominees for the best of 2024 today!  The winners will be announced on December 14h.

Best Picture
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Wicked

Best Actor
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothee Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Hugh Grant – Heretic

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofia Gascon – Emilia Perez
Angelina Jolie – Maria
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance

Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin – Sing Sing
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

Best Supporting Actress
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Elle Fanning – A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Zoe Saldana – Emilia Perez

Best Director
Edward Berger – Conclave
Jon M. Chu – Wicked
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

Best Screenplay Original
Anora
The Brutalist
His Three Daughters
A Real Pain
Saturday Night

Best Screenplay – Adapted
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
Sing Sing

Best Cinematography
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu

Film Editing
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys

Best Score
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
The Wild Robot

Best Song
El Mal – Emilia Perez
Mi Camino – Emilia Perez
Beautiful That Way – The Last Showgirl
Like a Bird – Sing Sing
Kiss the Sky – The Wild Robot

Best Documentary
Daughters
Music by John Williams
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Best Animated Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

Best International
Emilia Perez
Flow
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Costume Design
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked

Best Art Direction
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked

Best Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked

Best Action Movie
Deadpool & Wolverine
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II

Best Comedy
Deadpool & Wolverine
The Fall Guy
Hit Man
My Old Ass
Saturday Night

Best Horror/Sci-Fi
Late Night with the Devil
Heretic
Nosferatu
Strange Darling
The Substance

Best Family Film
Inside Out 2
My Penguin Friend
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Wicked
The Wild Robot

Best Animal Performance
Ukai – Arthur the King
Peggy – Deadpool & Wolverine
Dindim – My Penguin Friend
Rat Cast – Nosferatu
Frodo the Cat – A Quiet Place: Day One

Best Ensemble
Anora
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
Wicked

Best Action Stunts
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

Breakout Performance (Director)
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Anna Kendrick – Woman of the Hour
J.T. Mollner – Strange Darling
Dev Patel – Monkey Man
Sean Wang – Didi

Best Youth Performance – Male (under 21)
Kit Connor – The Wild Robot
Ian Foreman – I Saw the TV Glow
Elliott Heffernan – Blitz
Cooper Hoffman – Saturday Night
Izaac Wang – Didi

Best Youth Performance – Female (under 21)
Cailey Fleming – If
Maisy Stella – My Old Ass
Ingrid Torelli – Late Night with the Devil
Alisha Weir – Abigail
Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet

William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award
Steve Martin
Demi Moore
Claire Simpson
Isabella Rossellini
Hans Zimmer

Here Are The 2024 Golden Globe Nominations


I’ll show a pair of Golden Globes!

The Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning.  Pamela Anderson picked up a nomination for Best Actress in a Drama, which I appreciated because a Pamela Anderson Oscar nomination would, at the very least, add some surprise to the year.  Edward Norton picked up a Supporting Actor nomination for playing Pete Seeger in A Complete Unknown, which is interesting because I really hadn’t heard Norton’s name mentioned as a contender before yesterday.  The nominations for The Apprentice‘s Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong felt like they were sent here from an alternate universe where everyone isn’t bored with political movies.

Here are the nominations!  The winners will be announced on January 5th.

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
September 5

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Anora
Challengers
Emilia Pérez
A Real Pain
The Substance
Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker – Anora
Edward Berger – Conclave
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Payal Kapadia – All We Imagine As Light

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Pamela Anderson – The Last Showgirl
Angelina Jolie – Maria
Nicole Kidman – Babygirl
Tilda Swinton – The Room Next Door
Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Kate Winslet – Lee

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Amy Adams – Nightbitch
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Zendaya – Challengers

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Selena Gomez – Emilia Pérez
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL, OR COMEDY
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Hugh Grant – Heretic
Gabriel LaBelle – Saturday Night
Jesse Plemons – Kinds of Kindness
Glen Powell – Hit Man
Sebastian Stan – A Different Man

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SCREENPLAY, MOTION PICTURE
Anora
The Brutalist
Conclave
A Real Pain
Emilia Pérez
The Substance

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, MOTION PICTURE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
The Wild Robot

BEST ORIGINAL SONG, MOTION PICTURE
“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl
“Compress/Repress” – Challengers
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
“Forbidden Road” – Better Man
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot
“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez

BEST MOTION PICTURE, ANIMATED
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Moana 2
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

BEST MOTION PICTURE, FOREIGN LANGUAGE
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez
The Girl With the Needle
I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Vermiglio

GOLDEN GLOBE FOR CINEMATIC & BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENT
Alien: Romulus
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Deadpool & Wolverine
Gladiator II
Inside Out 2
Twisters
Wicked
The Wild Robot

 

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For May


We’re nearly halfway through the year and so far, we have two films that seem like they might still be in the Oscar conversation at the end of the year, Dune 2 and Civil War.  With the Cannes Film Festival coming up this month, we should soon have some more contenders to consider.

My predictions below are a bit heavy on sequels.  In fact, if the predictions below came true, it would a record year for sequels at the Oscars.  Of course, it’s early and it’s totally probable that the majority of the films listed below will not be nominated.  Right now, it’s pretty much a guessing game.  The production delays caused by last year’s strikes have opened the door for a lot of sequels to receive consideration that they might not receive in other years.

What will happen when the nominations are announced in 2025?  Who knows?  For now, let’s just have fun guessing.  You can check out my predictions for April by clicking here.

Best Picture

The Apprentice

The Bikeriders

Blitz

Civil War

Dune, Part II

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Gladiator 2

Inside Out 2

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

SNL: 1975

Best Director

Ali Abassi for The Apprentice

Alex Garland for Civil War

Steve McQueen for Blitz

George Miller for Furiousa: A Mad Max Saga

Ridley Scott for Gladiator 2

Best Actor

Austin Butler in The Bikeriders

Daniel Craig in Queer

Richard Gere in Oh, Canada

Paul Mescal in Gladiator 2

Glen Powell in Hit Man

Best Actress

Jodie Comer in The Bikeriders

Ryan Destiny in The Fire Inside

Noemie Merlant in Emmanuelle

Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa

Zendaya in Challengers

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain

Tom Hardy in The Bikeriders

Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson

Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice

Denzel Washington in Gladiator 2

Best Supporting Actress

Joan Chen in Didi

Danielle Deadwyler in The Piano Lesson

Connie Nielsen in Gladiator 2

Saoirse Ronan in Blitz

Rachel Sennot in SNL: 1975

6 Things That I’m Looking Forward To In May


Welcome to the wonderful month of May!

1) Cannes Film Festival — This is the big one.  This is the main thing that I’m looking forward to in May.  I don’t care if anything else happens in May, as long as the Cannes Film Festival takes place.  I won’t be at Cannes this year but, like most of you, I’ll be following all of the reports, dispatches, and rumors from the Festival.

Cannes is going to finally give reviewers a first look at some of the most anticipated films of 2024.  The Apprentice, Bird, Kinds of Kindness, Oh Canada, and Parthenope are all going to be in the competition, along with Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.  Oh, Megalopolis.  After all the rumors and all the speculation about Coppola’s latest film, it will finally be presented to the world at Cannes.  Megalopolis has been getting a mixed reaction among the studio folk, with many describing the film as being Coppola’s latest folly.  Of course, the execs of the 70s said the same thing about Apocalypse Now before it was released.  It was at the 79 Cannes Film Festival that Apocalypse Now was first honored.  We’re all waiting to see if history will repeat itself.

(And let us not forget that films like Furiosa and the first of Kevin Costner’s Horizon films will be premiering out of competition.)

Victory at Cannes does not necessarily guarantee success at the Oscars but it doesn’t hurt.  With this year’s Sundance Film Festival being an unexpectedly low-key affair, it appears that Cannes will be the true start of this year’s Oscar season.

2) The Fall Guy — Hey, this looks fun!  Seriously, we need more fun films.  Starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, The Fall Guy will be be in theaters at the end of this week.

3) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes — I have mixed feelings about the idea of continuing the current line of Planet of the Apes films.  I think the filmmakers may be underestimating just how important Andy Serkis was to the success of the previous three films.  That said, I’m still interested in seeing the latest installment for myself.  I hope it’s a success.  I also hope that people will go back and watch the original Planet of the Apes films as well.  Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is a film that feels more relevant with each passing years.

4) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga — Like Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, I get the feeling that the filmmakers may be underestimating how important Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy were to the success of Mad Max: Fury Road.  That said, I’m still very much looking forward to seeing Furiosa for myself.  Following its Cannes premiere, Furiosa is scheduled to open on May 24th.

5) Hit Man — The latest from Richard Linklater also opens on May24th.  After several months of hearing positive things about this film, I can’t wait to finally watch it.

6) 1992 — Ray Liotta’s final film will open, in limited release, on May 31st.

What are you looking forward to in May?

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For April


Now that the 2023 Oscars are over with, it’s time to move on to the 2024 Oscars!

Needless to say, there’s probably nothing more pointless than trying to guess which films are going to be nominated a year from now.  I can’t even guarantee that all of the films listed below are even going to be released this year.  And, even if they are released this year, I can’t guarantee that they’ll actually be any good or that the Academy will show any interest in them.  Sundance was a bit low-key this year.  Dune Part II seems like a contender but will it be remembered 9 months from now?  Whereas last year started out with everyone waiting for Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon, this year feels far different as Hollywood, still recovering from last year’s strikes, tries to catch up.  As many will say over the months to come, no one knows anything.  As much as I hate quoting William Goldman (because, seriously, quoting Goldman on a film site is such a cliché at this point), Goldman was right.

In other words, there’s no real science to these predictions.  It’s too early in the year to do anything but guess.  And for now, these are my guesses.  A year from now, they’ll be good for either bragging rights or a laugh.  Hopefully, they’ll be good for both.

Best Picture

The Apprentice

The Bikeriders

Blitz

Didi

Dune, Part II

Emmanuelle

The Fire Inside

Here

Hit Man

SNL: 1975

Best Director

Ali Abassi for The Apprentice

Richard Linklater for Hit Man

Steve McQueen for Blitz

Rachel Morrison for The Fire Inside

Denis Villeneuve for Dune Part II

Best Actor

Austin Butler in The Bikeriders

Daniel Craig in Queer

Richard Gere in Oh, Canada

Andre Holland in The Actor

Glen Powell in Hit Man

Best Actress

Adria Arjona in Hit Man

Jodie Comer in The Bikeriders

Ryan Destiny in The Fire Inside

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked

Jessica Lange in Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain

Tom Hardy in The Bikeriders

Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson

Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice

Anthony Wong in Emmanuelle

Best Supporting Actress

Joan Chen in Didi

Danielle Deadwyler in The Piano Lesson

Saoirse Ronan in Blitz

Rachel Sennot in SNL: 1975

Naomi Watts in Emmanuelle

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For November


With the announcements of both the Gotham and the NYFCC winners, awards season is finally here!  Over the next 30 days, the Oscar race will become very, very clear.  As of right now, it truly does appear to be a Oppenheimer vs. Killers of the Flower Moon contest with perhaps Poor Things and Barbie overperforming when the nominations are finally announced.

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

Best Picture 

American Fiction

Barbie

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

May/December

Oppenheimer

Passages

Past Lives

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Best Director

Bradley Cooper for Maestro

Greta Gerwig for Barbie

Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper in Maestro

Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Franz Rogowski in Passages

Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction

Best Actress

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller in Anatomy of a Fall

Carey Mulligan in Maestro

Margot Robbie in Barbie

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

Sandra Huller in Zone of Interest

Julianne Moore in May December

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For October


Well, it’s that time of the month again!  Here are my Oscar predictions for October!  To be honest, I’ve been so busy with Horrorthon that I haven’t given the Oscar race as much thought as usual.  As of right now, it still appears to be a Killers Of The Flower Moon vs. Oppenheimer vs. Barbie race.

The Bikeriders, which seemed like a strong contender, seems to be in limbo right now.  It was scheduled to be released on December 1st but it was taken off the schedule until the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved.  (The studio wants the actors to be able to promote the film, which is understandable given the subject matter.)  So, for now, I’m moving The Bikeriders off of my list of predictions.

I’m also pretty confident that The Color Purple will not be the major Oscar contender that many expected, if just because of Alice Walker’s long history of anti-Semitic rhetoric.  (Seriously, Alice Walker is a huge supporter of David Icke, the conspiracy theorist who claims that the world is controlled by a group of shape-shifting aliens and Zionists.)

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

Best Picture 

Air

American Fiction

Barbie

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Maestro

May/December

Oppenheimer

Poor Things

The Zone of Interest

Best Director

Greta Gerwig for Barbie

Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest

Cord Jefferson for American Fiction

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon

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

Natalie Portman in May December

Margot Robbie in Barbie

Emma Stone in Poor Things

Kate Winslet in Lee

Best Supporting Actor

Willem DaFoe in Poor Things

Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey, Jr. in Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling in Barbie

Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer

Sandra Huller in Zone of Interest

Julianne Moore in May December

Cara Jade Myers in Killers of the Flower Moon

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Lisa Marie’s Oscar Predictions For September


Well, it’s that time of the month again!  Here are my Oscar predictions for September!  The festival season has brought along a host of new contenders.

For instance, American Fiction made a splash at the Toronto International Film Festival and it looks like both it and Jeffrey Wright are going to emerge as legitimate contenders come awards season.  In the past, a film like Dream Scenario would probably be considered too strange for the Academy but, after A24’s success with Everything Everywhere All At Once, it seems like anything’s possible.  If nothing else, A24 knows how to sell a film.

Personally, I’d love it if Richard Linklater’s Hit Man picked up a few nominations, even though I haven’t seen it yet and I’m not even sure when Netflix is going to release it.  (Linklater is the patron saint of Texas filmmaking, so I’ll always hope the best for anything he’s involved with.)

There’s still quite a ways to go until the year ends and the race is very much in flux but we are finally at the point where we can look at a few films and say, with more than a little confidence, “That’s going to be nominated.”

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

Best Picture 

Air

American Fiction

Barbie

The Bikeriders

The Holdovers

Killers of the Flower Moon

Oppenheimer

Poor Things

Rustin

The Zone of Interest

Best Director

Greta Gerwig for Barbie

Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest

Cord Jefferson for American Fiction

Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon

Colman Domingo in Rustin

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction

Best Actress

Jodie Comer in The Bikeriders

Natalie Portman in May December

Margot Robbie in Barbie

Cailee Spaeny in Priscilla

Kate Winslet in Lee

Best Supporting Actor

Willem DaFoe in Poor Things

Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon

Robert Downey, Jr. in Oppenheimer

Ryan Gosling in Barbie

Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers

Best Supporting Actress

Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer

Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Sandra Huller in Zone of Interest

Julianne Moore in May December

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers