4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Peter Weir Edition

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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!

August 21st is the birthday of the great (and sadly retired) director Peter Weir. It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Peter Weir Films

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975, dir by Peter Weir, DP: Russell Boyd)

The Last Wave (1977, dir by Peter Weir, DP: Russell Boyd)

Witness (1985, dir by Peter Weir, DP: John Seale)

The Truman Show (1998, dir by Peter Weir, DP: Peter Biziou)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Wolfgang Petersen Collection

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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 celebrates German director Wolfgang Petersen. It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Wolfgang Petersen Films

Das Boot (1981, dir by Wolfgang Petersen, DP: Jost Vocano)

The NeverEnding Story (1984, dir by Wolfgang Petersen, DP: Jost Vocano)

In The Line of Fire (1993, dir by Wolfgang Petersen, DP: John Bailey)

The Perfect Storm (2000, dir by Wolfgang Petersen, DP: John Seale)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special George Miller Edition

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films is just what it says it is, 4 (or more) shots from 4 (or more) of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Today the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to one of our favorite people, George Miller! The doctor-turned-director began his cinematic career with 1979’s Mad Max and he’s gone on to become one of the most influential and important filmmakers out there. In honor of George Miller’s birthday, here are….

4 Shots From 4 George Miller Films

Mad Max (1979, dir by George Miller, DP: Dave Eggby)

The Road Warrior (1981, dir by George Miller, DP: Dean Semler)

Babe: Pig In The City (1998, dir by George Miller, DP: Andrew Lesnie)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, dir by George Miller, DP: John Seale)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Sydney Pollack Edition

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

88 years ago today, Sydney Pollack was born in Indiana. Though Pollack got his start as an actor, he soon moved into directing and was one of the key television directors of the 1960s. He eventually branched out into film, making a name for himself as a director of intelligent and sensitive comedies and dramas. Though he only directed 21 films over the course of his career, his films received a total of 48 Oscar nominations and 11 wins. 1982’s Tootsie and 1985’s Out of Africa were both nominated for Best Picture. Out of Africa won.

Pollack also returned to acting in the 90s, making a name for himself as a skilled character actor. I’ll always remember him from Eyes Wide Shut, intimidating Tom Cruise while playing pool.

When he passed away in 2008, Pollack was remembered as one of the best directors of Hollywood’s second golden age.

In honor of Sydney Pollack, here are….

4 Shots From 4 Sydney Pollack Films

Jeremiah Johnson (1972, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Duke Callaghan)

Three Days of Condor (1975, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Owen Roizman)

Out of Africa (1985, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: David Watkin)

The Firm (1993, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: John Seale)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Sydney Pollack Edition

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

87 years ago today, Sydney Pollack was born in Indiana. Though Pollack got his start as an actor, he soon moved into directing and was one of the key television directors of the 1960s. He eventually branched out into film, making a name for himself as a director of intelligent and sensitive comedies and dramas. Though he only directed 21 films over the course of his career, his films received a total of 48 Oscar nominations and 11 wins. 1982’s Tootsie and 1985’s Out of Africa were both nominated for Best Picture. Out of Africa won.

Pollack also returned to acting in the 90s, making a name for himself as a skilled character actor. I’ll always remember him from Eyes Wide Shut, interrogating Tom Cruise while playing pool.

When he passed away in 2008, Pollack was remembered as one of the best directors of Hollywood’s second golden age.

In honor of Sydney Pollack, here are….

4 Shots From 4 Sydney Pollack Films

Jeremiah Johnson (1972, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Duke Callaghan)

The Yakuza (1974, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Duke Callaghan and Kozo Okazaki)

The Electric Horseman (1979, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: Owen Roizman)

The Firm (1993, dir by Sydney Pollack, DP: John Seale)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special George Miller Edition

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 George Miller Films

Mad Max (1979, dir by George Miller, DP: Dave Eggby)

The Witches of Eastwick (1987, dir by George Miller, DP: Vilmos Zsigmond)

Babe: Pig In The City (1998, dir by George Miller, DP: Andrew Lesnie)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, dir by George Miller, DP: John Seale)

The American Society of Cinematographers Has Spoken!

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The American Society of Cinematographers announced their 5 nominees for the best cinematography of 2015 and here they are:

Bridge of Spies – Janusz Kaminski
Carol – Edward Lachman
Mad Max: Fury Road – John Seale
The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario – Roger Deakins

This is Roger Deakins’s 14th ASC nomiantion! If Sicario scores a best picture nomination, I wouldn’t be surprised if Deakins finally picks up an Oscar as a result.

Though a lot of critics don’t want to admit it (for obvious reasons), the guild awards are actually a far better Oscar precursor than the critic awards. If you want to know what films are popular with the people who actually make movies, look to the guild awards.

And looking at the guild awards so far, it really does appear that there are quite a few films that have wide industry support. Interestingly enough, both Sicario and Straight Outta Compton have been making something of a comeback with the guild awards. (Even though Compton was not nominated by ASC, it has been recognized by the PGA, WGA, and SAG.) As well, Bridge of Spies and Trumbo have both received more guild support than either has gotten from the critics.

For that matter, both Mad Max: Fury Road and The Big Short have received more guild support than Spotlight. I know that Sasha Stone and Jeff Wells have pretty much declared Spotlight to be unbeatable but who knows? Things could still get interesting.

(Correction: Over on Gold Derby, Sasha Stone is now predicting victory for The Big Short.)

The Central Ohio Film Critics Have Announced Their Nominations!

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the Central Ohio Film Critics Nominations!

Best Film

-The Big Short
–Ex Machina
–Inside Out
–Mad Max: Fury Road
–The Martian
-The Revenant
-Room
–Sicario
-Spotlight
–Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

Best Director

-Alejandro González Iñárritu, The Revenant
-Todd Haynes, Carol
-Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
-George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
-Ridley Scott, The Martian
-Denis Villeneuve, Sicario

Best Actor

-Matt Damon, The Martian
-Johnny Depp, Black Mass
-Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
-Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
-Jacob Tremblay, Room

Best Actress

-Cate Blanchett, Carol
-Brie Larson, Room
-Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
-Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
-Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Best Supporting Actor

-Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
-Tom Hardy, The Revenant
-Oscar Isaac, Ex Machina
-Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
-Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Best Supporting Actress

-Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
-Rooney Mara, Carol
-Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
-Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
-Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Ensemble

-The Big Short
–Ex Machina
-The Hateful Eight
-Spotlight
–Steve Jobs

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)

-Cate Blanchett (Carol, Cinderella, and Truth)
-Michael Fassbender (Macbeth, Slow West, and Steve Jobs)
-Domhnall Gleeson (Brooklyn, Ex Machina, The Revenant, and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens)
-Tom Hardy (Child 44, Legend, Mad Max: Fury Road, and The Revenant)
-Alicia Vikander (Burnt, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Seventh Son, and Testament of Youth)

Breakthrough Film Artist

-Sean Baker, Tangerine – (for producing, directing, screenwriting, film editing, cinematography, camera operation, and casting)
-Joel Edgerton, The Gift – (for producing, directing, and screenwriting)
-David Robert Mitchell, It Follows – (for producing, directing, and screenwriting)
-Daisy Ridley, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens – (for acting)
-Jacob Tremblay, Room – (for acting)
-Alicia Vikander, Burnt, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Seventh Son, and Testament of Youth – (for acting)

Best Cinematography

-Roger Deakins, Sicario
-Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
-Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight
-John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road
-Dariusz Wolski, The Martian

Best Film Editing

-Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
-Tom McArdle, Spotlight
-Stephen Mirrione, The Revenant
-Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road
-Joe Walker, Sicario

Best Adapted Screenplay

-Emma Donoghue, Room
-Drew Goddard, The Martian
-Nick Hornby, Brooklyn
-Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short
-Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs

Best Original Screenplay

-Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley, Inside Out
-Alex Garland, Ex Machina
-Taylor Sheridan, Sicario
-Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
-Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight

Best Score

-Carter Burwell, Carol
-Michael Giacchino, Inside Out
-Jóhann Jóhannsson, Sicario
-Junkie XL, Mad Max: Fury Road
-Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight

Best Documentary

-Amy
-Best of Enemies
–Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
-The Look of Silence
-The Wolfpack

Best Foreign Language Film

-The Assassin (Nie yin niang)
-Goodnight Mommy (Ich seh, ich sech)
-Phoenix
-The Tribe (Plemya)
-Timbuktu
-Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes)

Best Animated Film

-Anomalisa
-The Good Dinosaur
–Inside Out
-The Peanuts Movie
–Shaun the Sheep Movie

Best Overlooked Film

-The End of the Tour
–The Gift
-Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
-Mistress America
-Slow West
-The Tribe (Plemya)

The National Society Of Film Critics Honors Spotlight!

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Last year, the National Society of Film Critics kept things interesting by naming Goodbye To Language as best picture. This year, they went with Spotlight, just like everyone else. However, Michael B. Jordan did win best actor for Creed so there was at least that.

BEST ACTOR
1. Michael B. Jordan (Creed) 29 points
2. Geza Rohrig (Son of Saul) 18
3. Tom Courtenay (45 Years) 15

BEST ACTRESS
1. Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) 57
2. Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) 30
3. Nina Hoss (Phoenix) 22

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) 56
2. Michael Shannon (99 Homes) 16
3. Sylvester Stallone (Creed) 14

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria) 53
2. Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) 23
3. Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) 17
3. Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy) 17

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Spotlight (Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy) 21
2. Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman) 15
2. The Big Short (Charles Randolph and Adam McKay) 15

CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Carol (Ed Lachman) 25
2. The Assassin (Mark Lee Ping-bin) 22
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale) 12

PICTURE
1. Spotlight (Tom McCarthy) 23
2. Carol (Todd Haynes) 17
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) 13

DIRECTOR
1.Todd Haynes (Carol) 21
2. Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) 21 (because he was on fewer ballots)
3. George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) 20

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako) 22
2. Phoenix (Christian Petzold) 20
3. The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien) 16

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
1. Amy (Asif Kapadia) 23
2. In Jackson Heights (Frederick Wiseman) 18
3. Seymour: An Introduction (Ethan Hawke) 15

The Florida Film Critics Are Mad For Max!

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On Christmas Eve, the Florida Film Critics announced their picks for the best of 2015 and they were mad for Max! Good for them! You can check out their nominations by clicking here and you can see the winners below!

Best Picture
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Spotlight

Best Director
1. George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
2. Todd Haynes (Carol)

Best Actor
1. Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)
2. Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Best Actress
1. Brie Larson (Room)
2. Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)

Best Supporting Actor
1. Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)
2. Michael Shannon (99 Homes)

Best Supporting Actress
1. Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria)
2. Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)

Best Original Screenplay
1. Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight)
2. Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig (Mistress America)

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (The Big Short)
2. Phyllis Nagy (Carol)

Best Cinematography
1. John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road)
2. Edward Lachman (Carol)

Best Art Direction / Production Design
1. Carol
2. Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Visual Effects
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Score
1. Love & Mercy
2. Carol