Here Are The 2024 Nominations Of The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On the 13th, the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle announced their nominations for the best of 2024! The winners will be announced tomorrow.

Best Film
Anora
The Brutalist
Hard Truths
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing

Best Director
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet
Hard Truths – Mike Leigh
Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

Best Actress
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Angelina Jolie – Maria
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance

Best Actor
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Best Supporting Actress
Joan Chen – Dìdi (弟弟)
Carol Kane – Between the Temples
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Zoe Saldana – Emilia Pérez

Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice

Best International Feature Film
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Kneecap
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Documentary Feature
Daughters
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Best Animated Feature
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir Of A Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

Best Original Screenplay
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
Hard Truths – Mike Leigh
A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

Best Adapted Screenplay
Conclave – Peter Straughan
Dune: Part Two – Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts
Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard
Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes
Sing Sing – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield

Best Cinematography
The Brutalist – Lol Crawley
Conclave – Stéphane Fontaine
Dune: Part Two – Greig Fraser
Nickel Boys – Jomo Fray
Nosferatu – Jarin Blaschke

Best Editing
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Dávid Jancsó
Challengers – Marco Costa
Conclave – Nick Emerson
September 5 – Hansjörg Weißbrich

Best Original Score
The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg
Challengers – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Conclave – Volker Bertelmann
Emilia Pérez – Clément Ducol, Camille
The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers

Best Production Design
The Brutalist – Judy Becker
Conclave – Suzie Davies, Roberta Federico
Dune: Part Two – Zsuzsanna Sipos, Shane Vieau, Patrice Vermette
Nosferatu – Craig Lathrop
Wicked – Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales

Special Citation for Independent Cinema
Exhibiting Forgiveness
Rumours
The Secret Art of Taking Flight

Sing Sing Wins In San Diego

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yesterday, the San Diego Film Critics Society named Sing Sing the best film of 2024! All of the winners and nominees can be found below!

Best Picture
ANORA (1st RUNNER UP)
CHALLENGERS
CONCLAVE (2nd RUNNER UP)
DUNE: PART TWO
SING SING (WINNER)

Best Director
Brady Corbet – THE BRUTALIST
Coralie Fargeat – THE SUBSTANCE
Denis Villeneuve – DUNE: PART TWO (WINNER)
Edward Berger – CONCLAVE
Greg Kwedar – SING SING (RUNNER UP)

Best Actor
Adrien Brody – THE BRUTALIST (1st RUNNER UP)
Colman Domingo – SING SING (WINNER)
Daniel Craig – QUEER (2nd RUNNER UP)
Ralph Fiennes – CONCLAVE
Timothée Chalamet – A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Best Actress
Amy Adams – NIGHTBITCH (RUNNER UP)
Cynthia Erivo – WICKED
Demi Moore – THE SUBSTANCE
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – HARD TRUTHS (WINNER)
Mikey Madison – ANORA

Best Supporting Actor
Clarence Maclin – SING SING
Denzel Washington – GLADIATOR II (RUNNER UP)
Guy Pearce – THE BRUTALIST
Kieran Culkin – A REAL PAIN (WINNER)
Stanley Tucci – CONCLAVE

Best Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande-Butera – WICKED (WINNER)
Danielle Deadwyler – THE PIANO LESSON
Jessie Buckley – WICKED LITTLE LETTERS
Joan Chen – DÌDI (RUNNER UP)
Natasha Lyonne – HIS THREE DAUGHTERS

Best Comedic Performance
Aubrey Plaza – MY OLD ASS
Channing Tatum – DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
June Squibb – THELMA (WINNER)
Michael Keaton – BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (RUNNER UP)
Ryan Gosling – THE FALL GUY

Best Youth Performance (For a performer under the age of 18)
Alisha Weir – ABIGAIL
Alix West Lefler – SPEAK NO EVIL (RUNNER UP)
Elliott Heffernan – BLITZ
Izaac Wang – DÌDI (WINNER)
Katherine Mallen Kupferer – GHOSTLIGHT

Best Original Screenplay
Coralie Fargeat – THE SUBSTANCE
Jesse Eisenberg – A REAL PAIN
Justin Kuritzkes – CHALLENGERS (RUNNER UP)
Rose Glass and Weronika Tofilska – LOVE LIES BLEEDING
Sean Baker – ANORA (WINNER)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Chris Sanders – THE WILD ROBOT
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar – SING SING (WINNER)
Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts – DUNE: PART TWO (RUNNER UP)
Malcolm Washington, Virgil Williams – THE PIANO LESSON
Peter Straughan – CONCLAVE

Best First Feature (Director)
Anna Kendrick – WOMAN OF THE HOUR
Dev Patel – MONKEY MAN
Rachel Morrison – THE FIRE INSIDE
Sean Wang – DÌDI (RUNNER UP)
Zoë Kravitz – BLINK TWICE (WINNER)

Best Documentary
DAUGHTERS (RUNNER UP)
MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS
SUGARCANE
SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY (WINNER)
WILL & HARPER

Best Animated Film
FLOW (WINNER)
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
TRANSFORMERS ONE
WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL
THE WILD ROBOT (RUNNER UP)

Best Foreign Language Film
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT (WINNER)
THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE
NO OTHER LAND
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
VERMIGLIO

Best Editing
Hansjörg Weißbrich – SEPTEMBER 5 (WINNER)
Joe Walker – DUNE: PART TWO
Kathryn J. Schubert – BLINK TWICE
Marco Costa – CHALLENGERS (RUNNER UP)
Sean Baker – ANORA

Best Cinematography
Alice Brooks – WICKED
Greig Fraser – DUNE: PART TWO
Jarin Blaschke – NOSFERATU (WINNER)
Pat Scola – SING SING
Stéphane Fontaine – CONCLAVE (RUNNER UP)

Best Production Design
Craig Lathrop, Beatrice Brentnerova – NOSFERATU (1st RUNNER UP)
Judy Becker – THE BRUTALIST
Nathan Crowley – WICKED (WINNER)
Patrice Vermette – DUNE: PART TWO (2nd RUNNER UP)
Suzie Davies – CONCLAVE

Best Visual Effects
ALIEN: ROMULUS
DUNE: PART TWO (1st RUNNER UP)
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2nd RUNNER UP)
NOSFERATU
THE SUBSTANCE (WINNER)

Best Costume Design
Colleen Atwood – BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Jacqueline Getty, Rainy Jacobs – THE LAST SHOWGIRL (RUNNER UP)
Jacqueline West – DUNE: PART TWO
Lisy Christl – CONCLAVE
Paul Tazewell – WICKED (WINNER)

Best Sound Design
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE
ALIEN: ROMULUS
CIVIL WAR (RUNNER UP)
DUNE: PART TWO (WINNER)
WICKED

Best Use of Music
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (WINNER)
CHALLENGERS (RUNNER UP)
DUNE: PART TWO
SING SING
WICKED

Best Stunt Choreography
ALIEN: ROMULUS
DUNE: PART TWO
THE FALL GUY (WINNER)
GLADIATOR II
MONKEY MAN (RUNNER UP)

Best Ensemble
CONCLAVE (RUNNER UP)
DUNE: PART TWO
SEPTEMBER 5 (WINNER)
SING SING
WICKED

Breakthrough Performance
Mikey Madison – ANORA (WINNER)
Nell Tiger Free – THE FIRST OMEN (RUNNER UP)

Special Award for Body of Work
Nicholas Hoult – JUROR #2, NOSFERATU, THE ORDER, THE GARFIELD MOVIE

The Seattle Film Critics Society Announced Their Nominees For The Best of 2024

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Seattle Film Critics Society has announced their nominations for the best of 2024! The winners will be announced on December 16th!

BEST PICTURE
Anora – Sean Baker
The Beast – Bertrand Bonello
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet
Challengers – Luca Guadagnino
Conclave – Edward Berger
Dune: Part Two – Denis Villeneuve
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – George Miller
I Saw the TV Glow – Jane Schoenbrun
Sing Sing – Greg Kwedar
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

DIRECTOR
Sean Baker – Anora
Bertrand Bonello – The Beast
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

LEAD ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Keith Kupferer – Ghostlight
George MacKay – The Beast

LEAD ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Léa Seydoux – The Beast

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Chris Hemsworth – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Josh O’Connor – Challengers
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Joan Chen – Dìdi (弟弟)
Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

ENSEMBLE
Anora – Sean Baker
Conclave – Nina Gold and Martin Ware
Dune: Part Two – Dixie Chassay and Francine Maisler
His Three Daughters – Nicole Arbusto
Sing Sing – Greg Kwedar

PACIFIC NORTHWEST FILM
All We Carry – Cady Voge
Fish War – Jeff Ostenson, Charles Atkinson, and Skylar Wagner
Gasoline Rainbow – Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross
Rainier: A Beer Odyssey – Isaac Olsen
Strange Darling – J.T. Mollner

INTERNATIONAL FILM
The Beast – Bertrand Bonello
Evil Does Not Exist – Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Flow – Gints Zilbalodis
Red Rooms – Pascal Plante
The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Mohammad Rasoulof

DOCUMENTARY FILM
Dahomey – Mati Diop
No Other Land – Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor
Sugarcane – Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui
Will & Harper – Josh Greenbaum

ANIMATED FILM
Flow – Gints Zilbalodis
Inside Out 2 – Kelsey Mann
Transformers One – Josh Cooley
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Merlin Crossingham and Nick Park
The Wild Robot – Chris Sanders

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Brutalist – Lol Crawley
Dune: Part Two – Greig Fraser
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Simon Duggan
Nickel Boys – Jomo Fray
Nosferatu – Jarin Blaschke

EDITING
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Dávid Jancsó
Dune: Part Two – Joe Walker
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Eliot Knapman and Margaret Sixel
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, and Valentin Feron

SCREENPLAY
Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
Conclave – Peter Straughan
A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist – Judy Becker (Production Design)
Conclave – Suzie Davies (Production Design) | Cynthia Sleiter (Set Decoration)
Dune: Part Two – Patrice Vermette (Production Design) | Shane Vieau (Set Decoration)
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Colin Gibson (Production Design) | Katie Sharrock (Set Decoration)
Wicked – Nathan Crowley (Production Design) | Lee Sandales (Set Decoration)

COSTUME DESIGN
Conclave – Lisy Christl
Dune: Part Two – Jacqueline West
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Jenny Beavan
Nosferatu – Linda Muir
Wicked – Paul Tazewell

ORIGINAL SCORE
The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg
Challengers – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Conclave – Volker Bertelmann
Evil Does Not Exist – Eiko Ishibashi
The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers

ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY
Dune: Part Two – Lee Morrison (Stunt Coordinator) | Roger Yuan (Fight Choreographer)
The Fall Guy – Chris O’Hara and Keir Beck (Stunt Coordinator) | Jonathan Eusebio (Fight Choreographer)
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Tim Wong (Stunt Coordinator) | Richard Norton (Fight Choreographer)
Monkey Man – Udeh Nans (Stunt Coordinator) | Brahim Achabbakhe (Fight Choreographer)
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In – Kenji Tanigaki (Stunt Coordinator)

VISUAL EFFECTS
Dune: Part Two – Paul Lambert, Stephen James, and Rhys Salcombe
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – Andrew Jackson and Dan Bethell
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Erik Winquist and Sean Noel Walker
The Substance – Bryan Jones and Guillaume Le Gouez
Wicked – Anthony Smith, Jonathan Fawkner, Pablo Helman, and Robert Weaver

YOUTH PERFORMANCE
Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Katherine Mallen Kupferer – Ghostlight
Izaac Wang – Dìdi (弟弟)
Alisha Weir – Abigail
Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet

VILLAIN OF THE YEAR
Count Orlok – Nosferatu (as portrayed by Bill Skarsgård)
Dementus – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth)
Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – Dune: Part Two (as portrayed by Austin Butler)
Longlegs – Longlegs (as portrayed by Nicolas Cage)
Macrinus – Gladiator II (as portrayed by Denzel Washington)

Here Are The Independent Spirit Nominations!

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, most awards watchers will be devoting most of their attention to the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. That said, the Independent Spirit nominations were still announced earlier today and Anora had a strong showing. Meanwhile, The Brutalist, which did so well with the New York Film Critics Circle, picked up a nomination for Best Director but not Best Picture.

Here are the Spirit Nominations. While looking at the nominations, keep in mind that a lot of potential Oscar nominees were not eligible for a nomination. As a result, the Spirit nominations aren’t exactly the strongest predictive tool when it comes to guessing what will eventually be nominated by the Academy.

Still, it never hurts to be mentioned!

Best Feature

Anora
Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan

I Saw the TV Glow
Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys
Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing
Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

The Substance
Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner

Best First Feature

Dìdi
Director/Producer: Sean Wang
Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters

In the Summers

Director: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
Producers: Janek Ambros, Lynette Coll, Alexander Dinelaris, Cynthia Fernandez De La Cruz, Cristóbal Güell, Sergio Alberto Lira, Rob Quadrino, Jan Suter, Daniel Tantalean, Nando Vila, Slava Vladimirov, Stephanie Yankwitt

Janet Planet
Director/Producer: Annie Baker
Producers: Andrew Goldman, Dan Janvey, Derrick Tseng

The Piano Lesson
Director: Malcolm Washington
Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington

Problemista
Director/Producer: Julio Torres
Producers: Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone

John Cassavetes Award

Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000

Big Boys
Writer/Director/Producer: Corey Sherman
Producer: Allison Tate

Ghostlight
Writer/Director: Kelly O’Sullivan
Director/Producer: Alex Thompson
Producers: Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Chelsea Krant, Eddie Linker, Alex Wilson

Girls Will Be Girls
Writer/Director/Producer: Shuchi Talati
Producers: Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne

Jazzy
Writer/Director/Producer: Morrisa Maltz
Writer/Producer: Lainey Shangreaux
Writers: Andrew Hajek, Vanara Taing
Producers: Miranda Bailey, Tommy Heitkamp, John Way, Natalie Whalen, Elliott Whitton

The People’s Joker
Writer/Director: Vera Drew
Writer: Bri LeRose
Producer: Joey Lyons

BEST DIRECTOR

Ali Abbasi
The Apprentice

Sean Baker
Anora

Brady Corbet
The Brutalist

Alonso Ruizpalacios
La Cocina

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow

BEST SCREENPLAY

Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Heretic

Jesse Eisenberg
A Real Pain

Megan Park
My Old Ass

Aaron Schimberg
A Different Man

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joanna Arnow
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Annie Baker
Janet Planet

India Donaldson
Good One

Julio Torres
Problemista

Sean Wang
Dìdi

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Amy Adams
Nightbitch

Ryan Destiny
The Fire Inside

Colman Domingo
Sing Sing

Keith Kupferer
Ghostlight

Mikey Madison
Anora

Demi Moore
The Substance

Hunter Schafer
Cuckoo

Justice Smith
I Saw the TV Glow

June Squibb
Thelma

Sebastian Stan
The Apprentice

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Yura Borisov
Anora

Joan Chen
Dìdi

Kieran Culkin
A Real Pain

Danielle Deadwyler
The Piano Lesson

Carol Kane
Between the Temples

Karren Karagulian
Anora

Kani Kusruti
Girls Will Be Girls

Brigette Lundy-Paine
I Saw the TV Glow

Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin
Sing Sing

Adam Pearson
A Different Man

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Isaac Krasner
Big Boys

Katy O’Brian
Love Lies Bleeding

Mason Alexander Park
National Anthem

René Pérez Joglar
In the Summers

Maisy Stella
My Old Ass

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Dinh Duy Hung
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Jomo Fray
Nickel Boys

Maria von Hausswolff
Janet Planet

Juan Pablo Ramírez
La Cocina

Rina Yang
The Fire Inside

 BEST EDITING

Laura Colwell, Vanara Taing
Jazzy

Olivier Bugge Coutté, Olivia Neergaard-Holm
The Apprentice

Anne McCabe
Nightbitch

Hansjörg Weissbrich
September 5

Arielle Zakowski
Dìdi

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast

His Three Daughters
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Casting Director: Nicole Arbusto
Ensemble Cast: Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr., Jay O. Sanders

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Gaucho Gaucho
Directors/Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Producers: Christos Konstantakopoulos, Cameron O’Reilly, Matthew Perniciaro

Hummingbirds
Directors: Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
Co-Directors/Producers: Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Jillian Schlesinger
Producers: Leslie Benavides, Rivkah Beth Medow

No Other Land
Directors/Producers: Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
Producers: Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning

Patrice: The Movie
Director: Ted Passon
Producers: Kyla Harris, Innbo Shim, Emily Spivack

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Director: Johan Grimonprez
Producers: Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius

 BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

All We Imagine as Light
France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Director: Payal Kapadia

Black Dog
China
Director: Guan Hu

Flow
Latvia, France, Belgium
Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Green Border
Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium
Director: Agnieszka Holland

Hard Truths
United Kingdom
Director: Mike Leigh

PRODUCERS AWARD  presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey – The Producers Award, now in its 28th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Alex Coco

Sarah Winshall

Zoë Worth

 SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD  – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 31st year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Nicholas Colia
Director of Griffin in Summer

Sarah Friedland
Director of Familiar Touch

Pham Thien An
Director of Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 30th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
Directors of Sugarcane

Carla Gutiérrez
Director of Frida

Rachel Elizabeth Seed
Director of A Photographic Memory

Here Are The 2024 AARP Movies For Grown-Ups Nominations

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The awards precursor season is getting started …. kinda.

The AARP Movies For Grown-Ups Nominations were announced last week, on the 20th. I’m only now getting around to sharing them because I’m not a member of AARP and therefore, I had no idea these nominations had even been announced. It seems a bit earlier than usual, for them. Then again, you know how retired folks are about getting up early.

How influential are the AARP nominations? Not very. These nominations were not made being film critics or people who work in the industry. They were made by the editors of AARP’s magazine. That said, it’s always good to get mentioned somewhere. If nothing else, this list might indicate which films are resonating with the over-5o set.

Or maybe I just like long lists.

Anyway, here are the nominations! The winners will be announced on January 11th, during the Denny’s breakfast special.

Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Gladiator II
September 5

Best Actress
Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths)
Nicole Kidman (Babygirl)
Demi Moore (The Substance)
June Squibb (Thelma)

Best Actor
Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
Daniel Craig (Queer)
Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
Jude Law (The Order)

Best Supporting Actress
Joan Chen (Didi)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys)
Lesley Manville (Queer)
Connie Nielsen (Gladiator II)
Isabella Rossellini (Conclave)

Best Supporting Actor
Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing)
Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
Peter Sarsgaard (September 5)
Stanley Tucci (Conclave)
Denzel Washington (Gladiator II)

Best Director
Pedro Almodóvar (The Room Next Door)
Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez)
Edward Berger (Conclave)
James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)
Ridley Scott (Gladiator II)

Best Screenwriter
Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, Nicolas Livecchi (Emilia Pérez)
Jay Cocks and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown)
Winnie Holzman (Wicked)
Peter Straughan (Conclave)
Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts (Dune: Part Two)

Best Ensemble
A Complete Unknown
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
His Three Daughters
September 5
Sing Sing

Best Actress (TV)
Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)
Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country)
Jean Smart (Hacks)
Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building)
Sofia Vergara (Griselda)

Best Actor (TV)
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
Idris Elba (Hijack)
Jon Hamm (Fargo)
Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)
Hiroyuki Sanada (Shōgun)

Best TV Series or Limited Series
The Crown
Hacks
Palm Royale
Shōgun
Slow Horses

Best Intergenerational Film
Didi
Here
His Three Daughters
The Piano Lesson
Thelma

Best Time Capsule
A Complete Unknown
The Brutalist
Here
Maria
September 5

Best Documentary
I Am: Celine Dion
Luther: Never Too Much
Piece by Piece
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Lisa Marie’s Early Oscar Predictions For August!

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

You can check out my predictions for April by clicking here. And then check out my predictions for May! And June as well! And July!

Best Picture

Anora

Blitz

Didi

Dune Part 2

Emilia Perez

Gladiator II

Maria

A Real Pain

Sing Sing

The Substance

Best Director

Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez

Sean Baker for Anora

Pablo Larrain for Maria

Steve McQueen for Blitz

Denis Villeneuve for Dune Part 2

Best Actor

Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain

Andre Holland in The Actor

Daniel Craig in Queer

Barry Keoghan in Bird

Jesse Plemons in Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress

Ryan Destiny in The Fire Inside

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked

Angelina Jolie in Maria

Mikey Madison in Anora

Demi Moore In The Substance

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain

Brian Tyree Henry in The Fire Inside

Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson

Paul Raci in Sing Sing

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II

Best Supporting Actress

Joan Chen in Didi

Toni Collette in Juror #2

Julianne Moore in The Room Next Door

Saoirse Ronan in Blitz

Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For July

Posted on July 28, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

You can check out my predictions for April by clicking here. And then check out my predictions for May! And June as well!

Best Picture

Anora

Blitz

Didi

Dune Part 2

Emilia Perez

The Fire Inside

Gladiator II

Inside Out 2

A Real Pain

Sing Sing

Best Director

Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez

Sean Baker for Anora

Steve McQueen for Blitz

Rachel Morrison for The Fire Inside

Denis Villeneuve for Dune Part 2

Best Actor

Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain

Andre Holland in The Actor

Daniel Craig in Queer

Barry Keoghan in Bird

Jesse Plemons in Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress

Ryan Destiny in The Fire Inside

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked

Angelina Jolie in Maria

Mikey Madison in Anora

Demi Moore In The Substance

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain

Brian Tyree Henry in The Fire Inside

Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson

Paul Raci in Sing Sing

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II

Best Supporting Actress

Joan Chen in Didi

Toni Collette in Juror #2

Julianne Moore in The Room Next Door

Saoirse Ronan in Blitz

Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For June

Posted on June 30, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This has not been an easy month and I’ve fallen behind in my movie-watching and also my news-reading. So, take the predictions below with many grains of salt. That said, it is the end of the month and it’s time for my monthly Oscar predictions!

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. And then check out my predictions for May!

Best Picture

Anora

Blitz

Didi

Dune Part 2

Emilia Perez

The Fire Inside

Gladiator II

Inside Out 2

A Real Pain

Sing Sing

Best Director

Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez

Sean Baker for Anora

Steve McQueen for Blitz

Rachel Morrison for The Fire Inside

Denis Villeneuve for Dune Part 2

Best Actor

Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain

Andre Holland in The Actor

Daniel Craig in Queer

Barry Keoghan in Bird

Jesse Plemons in Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress

Ryan Destiny in The Fire Inside

Cynthia Erivo in Wicked

Angelina Jolie in Maria

Mikey Madison in Anora

Demi Moore In The Substance

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain

Brian Tyree Henry in The Fire Inside

Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson

Paul Raci in Sing Sing

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II

Best Supporting Actress

Joan Chen in Didi

Toni Collette in Juror #2

Julianne Moore in The Room Next Door

Saoirse Ronan in Blitz

Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For May

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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

Lisa Marie’s Way Too Early Oscar Predictions For April

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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