Tag Archives: Lisa Marie Bowman

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Columbus Film Critics Association

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the 2025 nominations of the Columbus Film Critics Association.

Best Film
Bugonia
Frankenstein
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man
Weapons

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

Best Lead Performance
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Jesse Plemons, Bugonia
Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value
Emma Stone, Bugonia

Best Supporting Performance
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler, Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Best Ensemble
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man

Actor of the Year (For an Exemplary Body of Work)
Josh Brolin, The Running Man, Wake Up Dead Man, and Weapons
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another and The Phoenician Scheme
Josh O’Connor, The History of Sound, The Mastermind, Rebuilding, and Wake Up Dead Man
Amanda Seyfried, The Housemaid and The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone, Bugonia and Eddington

Breakthrough Film Artist
Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme (Acting)
Miles Caton, Sinners (Acting)
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another (Acting)
Carson Lund, Eephus (Directing and Screenwriting)
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby (Acting, Directing, and Screenwriting)

Best Cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners
Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another
Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein
Claudio Miranda, F1
Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams
Łukasz Żal, Hamnet

Best Film Editing
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another
Stephen Mirrione, F1
Joe Murphy, Weapons
Michael P. Shawver, Sinners

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, Train Dreams
Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein
Park Chan-Wook, Lee Kyoung-Mi, Don McKellar, and Jahye Lee, No Other Choice
Will Tracy, Bugonia
Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet

Best Original Screenplay
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Zach Cregger, Weapons
Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an Accident
Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, Marty Supreme
Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Best Score
Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
Ludwig Göransson, Sinners
Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another
Daniel Lopatin, Marty Supreme
Max Richter, Hamnet

Best Documentary
Cover-Up
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators
Seeds

Best Foreign Language Film
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirât

Best Animated Film
Arco
The Bad Guys 2
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Predator: Killer of Killers
Zootopia 2

Frank Gabrenya Award for Best Comedy
The Baltimorons
Friendship
The Naked Gun
One of Them Days
Splitsville

Best Overlooked Film
The Ballad of Wallis Island
The Baltimorons
The Mastermind
Peter Hujar’s Day
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
Warfare

Scenes That I Love: Rambo Rages In Rambo: First Blood Part II

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s scene that I love comes from the 1985 film, Rambo: First Blood Part II.  In this scene, Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo — having survived being abandoned yet again in Vietnam — let’s the CIA knew exactly what he thinks about their operation.  As directed by George Pan Cosmatos and performed by Stallone, this scene is pure 80s action.

If you ever meet James Cameron, remind him that he wrote the script for this film and see how he reacts.

Here’s a scene that I love:

4 Shots from 4 Films: Special George Pan Cosmatos Edition

Posted on 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!

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

4 Shots From 4 George Pan Cosmatos Films

The Cassandra Crossing (1976, dir by George Pan Cosmatos, DP: Ennio Guarnieri)

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

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

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

January Positivity: Tapestry (dir by Ken Kushner)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Oh, how I have struggled with Tapestry.

Seriously, I have lost track of the number of times that I’ve tried to watch 2019’s Tapestry, just to give up on it as I realized that it was next to impossible to actually follow the film’s story.  Earlier today, I tried to watch it again and I finally made it all the way to the end.

It’s the story of a family.  Ryan (Stephen Baldwin) is an executive who loses his job but doesn’t tell his wife about it.  She doesn’t find out until his former place of employment calls the house.  “He’s at work,” she says.  “Oh, he got another job already?” is the response.  Awkward!  What’s even more awkward is that Ryan is eventually hired back at his company but now he’s just a lowly salesman, with a boss who is several years younger than him.

Throughout this, we hear narration from his mother (Tina Louise) and the first part of the film is so haphazardly edited that I have to admit that I was frequently confused as to whether or not his mother was dead or alive.  Having now watched the entire film, I now know that his mother was alive but dying for the majority of the film, though her narration was still coming from beyond the grave.  Ryan’s father was played by Burt Young and I’ll say right now that I am a Burt Young fan.  I’ve seen the Rocky movies.  Burt Young’s performance as the always-drunk Paulie was always spot on, even if Paulie himself wasn’t always the most likable character.  That said, I also spent the first part of the movie confused as to whether or not the father was meant to be alive or not.  The film is so weirdly edited that it’s hard to keep track of who anyone is or where they are at any particular moment.

As Ryan, Stephen Baldwin mopes through the film, which I guess is understandable considering that his parents may or may not have been dead.  I mean, if it was confusing to me as a viewer, I can only imagine what it was like for him as a child.  It’s hard to really get a handle on who Ryan is supposed to be as a person or how we’re supposed to feel about him.  In many ways, he seems as depressed when his life is going well as he is when his life is falling apart.  Baldwin seems to be disconnected from the film, which is a polite way to say that he doesn’t really seem to be making much of an effort.

And that’s a shame because Stephen Baldwin is actually not a bad actor.  Back in the day, when he was actually invested in a role and making an effort, he was a consistently good actor, even if he did have a tendency to appear in terrible movies.  Like Alec, he could do both comedy and drama but he didn’t have Alec’s tendency to overact.  With this film, Stephen just glumly goes through the motions.  It’s a bit boring to watch.

That said, I will say that, now that I’ve actually seen it, the end of the film is effective.  Maybe it’s because I’ve lost both my parents but I did find the film’s final thought — that Ryan’s mother was heading to a better place even as she kept an eye on her family — to be a comforting one.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/28/25 — 1/3/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Bar Rescue (Fave TV, weeknights and weekends)

I watched two episodes on Friday night.  One took place at a champagne bar in Philadelphia.  The other was at a Detroit jazz club.  I’m never surprised to learn that most of these places ended up closing, even after Jon Taffer’s makeover.  Would you want to eat or drink at a place that was featured as being incredibly dirty and vermin-infested on television?

On Saturday, I watched an episode in which Jon Taffer helped out a surly sports bar owner.  Why are the owners of sports bars always so surly?  I then watched another episode featuring a bar that was home to a wild racoon.  After that episode, I then discovered that Fave TV was doing a Bar Rescue marathon and I ended up watching several episodes that followed.  As I watched, I was reminded that I would be both a terrible bartender and a terrible waitress.  It’s a good thing that I decided to spend my life watching movies instead.

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making The Team (Fave TV, weeknights)

After Erin and I finished watching one of the Perry Mason movies on Friday, we watched an episode of this reality show on Fave TV.  Everyone was very smiley.  I was just happy because it was filmed in Dallas so I could spend the whole show going, “Hey, I was right outside that building earlier today!”

The Danny Thomas Show (MeTV+, Weekend Afternoons)

I watched an episode of this show on Saturday, largely because I was trying out the new remote control for the TV in my home office.  Danny Thomas was about to go on tour in Europe so comedian Jack Carter agreed to cover Danny’s nightclub show in the states.  Danny got jealous when he saw how much the audience loved Jack.  It made me laugh.

Dirty Pair Flash (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, I watched an episode of this often baffling anime.  The episode was about the pair playing beach volleyball.  I’m not sure why.  There was a lot of yelling involved.

Murder, She Wrote (Start TV, Weekend Mornings)

I woke up on Saturday and watched two episodes of this old show.  The first episode featured Elliott Gould arresting the wrong person and Angela Lansbury setting him straight.  The second episode featured Angela Lansbury speaking straight to the camera and telling us about some other detective, who was played by Ken Howard and who solved a murder involving a former football player.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations (Everywhere, Wednesday Night)

At my BFF Evelyn’s New Year’s Eve party, we flipped through and past many different televised celebrations.  We stopped to watch Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper get drunk on CNN.  For the most part, though, we didn’t stick with anything for very long.  We had celebrating of our own to do!

Rose Bowl Parade (NBC, Thursday Morning)

I watched a bit of the Rose Bowl parade.  Watching a parade on television is never as much fun as watching it in person.

Saved By The Bell: The New Class (Prime)

Seriously, this show is perfect for my insomnia.  It lulls me to sleep.

The National Society of Film Critics Honors One Battle After Another

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The National Society of Film Critics have announced their picks for the best of 2025.  And here they are:

Best Picture
Winner: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (57 points)
Runners-up: SINNERS (29 points) & THE SECRET AGENT (27 points)

Best Director
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (54 points)
Runners-up: Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (48 points) & Richard Linklater, BLUE MOON and NOUVELLE VAGUE (39 points)

Best Actress
Winner: Kathleen Chalfant, FAMILIAR TOUCH (45 points)
Runners-up: Rose Byrne, IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU (39 points) & Renate Reinsve, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (37 points)

Best Actor
Winner: Ethan Hawke, BLUE MOON (57 points)
Runners-up: Wagner Moura, THE SECRET AGENT (43 points) & Michael B. Jordan, SINNERS (36 points)

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Teyana Taylor, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (56 points)
Runners-up: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (47 points) & Wunmi Mosaku, SINNERS (41 points)

Best Supporting Actor
​Winner: Benicio del Toro, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (54 points)
Runners-up: Delroy Lindo, SINNERS (37 points) & Stellan Skarsgård, SENTIMENTAL VALUE (30 points)

Best Screenplay
Winner: Jafar Panahi, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (53 points)
Runners-up: Robert Kaplow, BLUE MOON (50 points) & Kleber Mendonça Filho, THE SECRET AGENT (40 points)

Best Cinematography
Winner: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, SINNERS (50 points)
Runners-up: Adolpho Veloso, TRAIN DREAMS (36 points) & Michael Bauman, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (29 points)

Best Nonfiction Film
Winner: MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I — LAST AIR IN MOSCOW (56 points)
Runners-up: THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (22 points) & ORWELL: 2+2=5 (18 points)

Best Film Not In The English Language
Winner: THE SECRET AGENT (58 points)
Runners-up: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (57 points) & SENTIMENTAL VALUE (38 points)

Best Experimental Film: MORNING CIRCLE (Basma al-Sharif)

Film Heritage Award: The late Ken and Flo Jacobs, an irreplaceable, gravitational center of the American avant-garde, with a shared artistic sensibility that helped define experimental cinema.

Film Heritage Award: The Film Desk, for releasing key movies from all over the world, in 35mm prints and on home video, and publishing books that have enriched the public’s knowledge of cinema.

Film Heritage Award: Cinema Tropical, for its tireless efforts to distribute, program and promote Latin American cinema in the U.S.

Special Citation for a Film Awaiting U.S. Distribution: LANDMARKS (Lucrecia Martel)

Scenes That I Love: Once Upon A Time In America

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

(SPOILERS BELOW)

The final moments of Sergio Leone’s epic 1984 gangster film, Once Upon A Time in America, are filled with questions and mysteries.

The final moments of Sergio Leone’s epic 1984 gangster film, Once Upon A Time in America, are filed with questions and mysteries.

In 1968, who did Noodles (played by Robert De Niro) see standing outside of Max’s mansion?  When the garbage truck pulled up, did the mysterious man get in the truck or was he thrown in by some unseen force?

Why, in 1968, did Noodles see a car from the 1920s, one that was full of people who appeared to be celebrating the end of prohibition?  Was the car really there, in 1968, or was it an element of Noodles’s past as a gangster suddenly popping into his mind?

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

When we then see a young Noodles in an opium den, are we flashing back to the 1920s?  Is Noodles remembering the past or is it possible that we’ve been in the 20s the whole time and all of the scenes set in 1968 were actually only a drug-induced dream?

Why, with men looking to kill him and all of his friends apparently dead, does Noodles suddenly smile at the end of the film?  Is that sudden smile a result of the drugs or is there something else going on?

Once Upon A Time In America was Sergio Leone’s final film.  It’s one that he spent decades trying to get made and, once it was finally produced, it was butchered and re-edited by a studio hacks who demanded that the film tell its story in a linear style.  Leone was reportedly heart-broken by how his film was treated.  Some have speculated that his disappointment may have even contributed to the heart attack that eventually killed him.  It was only after Leone passed that his version of Once Upon A Time In America became widely available in the U.S.  This enigmatic epic continues to spark debate.  One thing that can’t be denied is that it’s a brilliant film.

As today is Leone’s birthday, it only seems appropriate to share a pair of scenes that I love, from the ending of Once Upon A Time In America.