Tag Archives: Lisa Marie Bowman

One Battle After Another Wins In Austin

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Austin Film Critics Association has announced their picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are in bold.

Best Picture
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
The Testament of Ann Lee
Train Dreams
Weapons

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein
Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Best Actress
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Jennifer Lawrence, Die My Love
Amanda Seyfried, The Testament of Ann Lee
Emma Stone, Bugonia

Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Best Supporting Actress
Odessa A’zion, Marty Supreme
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan, Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein
David Jonsson, The Long Walk
Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler, Jay Kelly

Best Ensemble
The Long Walk
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Best Original Screenplay
Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Zach Cregger, Weapons
Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent
Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson, Thomas Pynchon, One Battle After Another
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Denis Johnson, Train Dreams
Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, Don McKellar, Donald E. Westlake, No Other Choice
Guillermo del Toro, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Will Tracy, Jang Joon-hwan, Bugonia

Best Cinematography
Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another
Autumn Durald, Sinners
Darius Khondji, Marty Supreme
Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein
Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams

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

Best Original Score
Daniel Blumberg, The Testament of Ann Lee
Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein
Ludwig Göransson, Sinners
Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (NiN), Tron: Ares

Best International Film
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

Best Documentary
Come See Me In The Good Light
Orwell: 2+2=5
The Librarians
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators

Best Animated Film
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amelie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

Best Voice Acting/Animated/Digital Performance
Oona Chaplin, Avatar: Fire & Ash
Arden Cho, Audrey Nuna, KPop Demon Hunters
Will Patton, Train Dreams
Stephen Lang, Avatar: Fire & Ash
Zoe Saldaña, Avatar: Fire & Ash

Best Stunt Work
Ballerina
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners

Best Visual Effects
Avatar: Fire & Ash
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Sinners
Superman

Best Remake/Franchise Film
Avatar: Fire & Ash
Frankenstein
Superman
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
28 Years Later

Best First Film
Andrew DeYoung, Friendship
Carson Lund, Eephus
Charlie Polinger, The Plague
Kristen Stewart, The Chronology of Water
Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

Holidays on the Lens: A Christmas Wish (dir by Emily Moss Wilson)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

It’s Christmas in Louisiana!

The 2019 film, A Christmas Wish, takes place in a small Louisiana town where people leave their Christmas wishes in a wooden box.  Faith (Hilarie Burton) is encouraged by her sister, Maddy (Megan Park), to wish for true love.  Myself, I wished for a Christmas movie featuring not only several actors from One Tree Hill but also Pam Grier!  And, with this film, my wish came true.

6 Shots From 6 Films: Special Steven Spielberg Edition

Posted on 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 is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

Today, we wish a happy birthday to director Steven Spielberg!  It’s time for….

6 Shots From 6 Films

Duel (1971, dir by Steven Speilberg, DP: Jack Marta)

Jaws (1975, dir. by Steven Spielberg, DP: Bill Butler)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Vilmos Zsigmond)

1941 (directed by Steven Spielberg, DP: William Fraker)

Schindler’s List (1993, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Janusz Kamiński)

Saving Private Ryan (1998, dir by Steven Spielberg, DP: Janusz Kamiński)

 

The Oscars Are Moving To YouTube….

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

….in 2029!

To be honest, I’m not really surprised by this move.  It’s been a long time since the Oscar ceremony brought in monster ratings.  Movies themselves have moved from being something that bring people together to instead becoming something of a niche interest.  The movies that win awards are now often very different from the movies that people are paying to see.  As well, we’re now in a culture where we see celebrities almost 24 hours a day.  The enigmatic glamour that once went along with celebrity culture is gone and with it, the excitement that made the Oscars a television mainstay.

So, it makes sense.  Moving the Oscars to YouTube will mean no longer having to deal with ABC demanding that the Academy give out awards like Oscar Cheers Moment or that Best Popular Film Oscar that they tried to get the Academy to include a few years ago.  One presumes the Academy will now control the show, though apparently commercials will still air during the broadcast.

That said, I don’t think this movie is going to make the Oscars relevant again.  It’s too late for that.  The Oscars will be 101 years old by the time they move to YouTube and the ceremony is still going to face the task of holding viewer’s attention for 3+ hours.  The Academy will no longer have to go through the humiliating post-show ritual of trying to make the bad ratings look good.  But they will have to deal with the trolls in the comments.

My prediction is that the other awards shows will also be exclusively streaming by 2029.  The Oscars are opening the dam.  Why would a network waste money broadcasting the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards if the Oscars aren’t even going to be on ABC?  Eventually, everyone will have a different awards show to choose from.  The sequel to Sound of Freedom will win Best Picture at one ceremony while the prequel to One Battle After Another wins at another and, at another ceremony, the latest Marvel film will compete with the latest DC film.

The Oscars had a good run as an American institution.

But nothing lasts forever.

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of The Online Association of Female Film Critics

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the nominations of the Online Association of Female Film Critics.

BEST FILM
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
Akinola Davies Jr. – “My Father’s Shadow”
Harris Dickinson – “Urchin”
Harry Lighton – “Pillion”
Kristen Stewart – “The Chronology of Water”
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby“

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Miles Caton – “Sinners”
Chase Infiniti – “One Battle After Another”
Jacobi Jupe – “Hamnet”
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – “Sentimental Value”
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby”

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson – “One Battle After Another”
Ryan Coogler – “Sinners”
Jafar Panahi – “It Was Just an Accident”
Joachim Trier – “Sentimental Value”
Chloé Zhao – “Hamnet“

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Jessie Buckley – “Hamnet“
Rose Byrne – “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You“
Renate Reinsve – “Sentimental Value“
Chase Infiniti – “One Battle After Another“
Eva Victor – “Sorry, Baby“

BEST MALE LEAD
Leonardo DiCaprio – “One Battle After Another“
Joel Edgerton – “Train Dreams“
Ethan Hawke – “Blue Moon“
Michael B. Jordan – “Sinners“
Wagner Moura – “The Secret Agent“

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Elle Fanning – “Sentimental Value“
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – “Sentimental Value“
Amy Madigan – “Weapons“
Wunmi Mosaku – “Sinners“
Teyana Taylor – “One Battle After Another“

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Benicio del Toro – “One Battle After Another“
Jacob Elordi – “Frankenstein“
Paul Mescal – “Hamnet“
Sean Penn – “One Battle After Another“
Stellan Skarsgård – “Sentimental Value“

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another

BEST STUNTS
Ballerina
F1: The Movie
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1: The Movie
Frankenstein
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Sinners

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Hedda
Sinners
Wicked: For Good

BEST EDITING
F1: The Movie
Marty Supreme
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Sinners

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – “Sinners“
Michael Bauman – “One Battle After Another“
Dan Laustsen – “Frankenstein“
Adolpho Veloso – “Train Dreams“
Łukasz Żal – “Hamnet“

BEST DOCUMENTARY
2000 Meters to Andriivka
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
The Perfect Neighbor
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
The Voice of Hind Rajab

THE ROSIE
The OAFFC’s signature award celebrates the film that “best promotes women, their voices, and the female experience through cinema.”
Die My Love
Hamnet
Hedda
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Sorry, Baby

Here Are The 2025 Nominations of the Society of Composers and Lyricists

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are the 2025 film nominations from the Society of Composers and Lyricists.  The winners will be announced on February 6th.

Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – Sinners
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – Frankenstein
JONNY GREENWOOD – One Battle After Another
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & JOHN POWELL – Wicked: For Good
MAX RICHTER – Hamnet
JERSKIN FENDRIX – Bugonia

Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film
DARA TAYLOR – Straw
BRYCE DESSNER – Train Dreams
DAVID FLEMING – Eternity
FABRIZIO MANCINELLI – Out of the Nest
JÓNSI & ALEX SOMMERS – Rental Family

SARA BARONE & FOREST CHRISTENSON – To Kill a Wolf

Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production
DIANE WARREN – “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
ALICE SMITH, MILES CATON & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners
RAPHAEL SAADIQ & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON – “I Lied to You” from Sinners
SARA BAREILLES – “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light
NIKHIL KOPARKAR & RAMMY PARK – “The Hills of Tanchico” from The Wheel of Time
ED SHEERAN, BLAKE SLATKIN & JOHN MAYER – “Drive” from F1

Outstanding Original Song for a Comedy or Musical Visual Media Production
EJAE & MARK SONNENBLICK – “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good
STEPHEN SCHWARTZ – “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good
JACK BLACK & JARED HESS – “Steve’s Lava Chicken” from A Minecraft Movie
MARK RONSON, ANDREW WYATT & JACK BLACK – “I Feel Alive” from A Minecraft Movie
BLAKE SLATKIN, SHAKIRA & ED SHEERAN – “Zoo” from Zootopia 2

One Battle After Another Wins In Dallas

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Reunion Tower (picture by Erin Nicole)

The Dallas Fort Worth Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025.  And here they are:

BEST PICTURE
Winner: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: SINNERS (2); MARTY SUPREME (3); HAMNET (4); SENTIMENTAL VALUE (5); TRAIN DREAMS (6); FRANKENSTEIN (7); JAY KELLY (8); BUGONIA (9); IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (10)

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: Timothée Chalamet – MARTY SUPREME (2); Michael B. Jordan – SINNERS (3); Ethan Hawke – BLUE MOON (4); Joel Edgerton – TRAIN DREAMS (5)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Rose Byrne – IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
Runners-up: Jessie Buckley – HAMNET (2); Renate Reinsve – SENTIMENTAL VALUE (3); Emma Stone – BUGONIA (4); Chase Infiniti – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Stellan Skarsgård – SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Runners-up: Benicio del Toro – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2); Sean Penn – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (3); Paul Mescal – HAMNET (4); Adam Sandler – JAY KELLY (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Teyana Taylor – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: Amy Madigan – WEAPONS (2); Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – SENTIMENTAL VALUE (3); Odessa A’zion – MARTY SUPREME (4); Wunmi Mosaku – SINNERS (5)

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runners-up: Ryan Coogler – SINNERS (2); Chloé Zhao – HAMNET (3); Josh Safdie – MARTY SUPREME (4); Guillermo del Toro – FRANKENSTEIN (5)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Runners-up: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (2); THE SECRET AGENT (3); NO OTHER CHOICE (4); SIRÂT (5)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
Runners-up: 2000 METERS TO ANDRIIVKA (2); ORWELL: 2+2=5 (3); COVER-UP (4); COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT (5)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner: KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
Runner-up: ARCO

BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-up: Ryan Coogler – SINNERS

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Autumn Durald Arkapaw – SINNERS
Runner-up: Adolpho Veloso – TRAIN DREAMS

BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Winner: Ludwig Göransson – SINNERS
Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat – FRANKENSTEIN

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (Best Low-Budget or Cutting-Edge Independent Film)
Winner: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT

Holidays on the Lens: A Christmas In Tennessee (dir by Gary Yates)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

2018’s A Christmas In Tennessee tells a story that’s as old as time.

In a snowy Tennessee town, Allison (Rachel Boston) and her mother (Patricia Richardson) run a bakery.  When a developer named Matthew (Andrew W. Walker) shows up in town, he seems charming enough.  Except … oh no!  He’s planning on buying the town and turning it into a ski resort!

Can love save Christmas?  Only in Tennessee!

Oh, stop being cynical!  It’s a cute movie that takes place in a nice small town and everything works out for the best in the end.  It’s simple and it’s cozy and it’s just right for the holidays.