Tag Archives: movie

An Eric Roberts Holiday Film Review: So This Is Christmas (dir by Richard Foster)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2014’s So This Is Christmas, Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox play a married couple!

That’s really not the plot of the film but it is probably the main reason why most people will watch it.  Roberts and Fox have been frequent co-stars over the past few years, thanks to the “Wrong” films on Lifetime.  In this film, we get to see them as a couple and, while they don’t exactly have the greatest romantic chemistry, we do get to watch as the sing a duet of Mary, Did You Know?

Both Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox get to do more actual acting than they usually do whenever they appear in low budget films like this one.  Roberts is the father of Ashley (Lexi Ainsworth), an alcoholic teenager who leaves the house in sparkly booty shorts and who has a best friend who is supposed to be in high school but who appears to be about 40 years old.  Fox is the mother of Jason (Titus Mankin, Jr.), who has a pregnant girlfriend and a growing cocaine addiction….

That may sound like some fairly heavy stuff for a Christmas movie.  What’s interesting is that the film still largely takes a Hallmark approach, even while the characters are getting drunk, cursing, and nearly getting killed as a result.  Ashley starts to change her ways when a groundskeeper named Mac (Bryan Massey) recruits her to help direct the Christmas show at the local shelter.  Jason learns an important lesson after his girlfriend is put in a coma as a result of his own stupid decisions….

It’s kind of an unpleasant film, to be honest.  Scenes of Ashley earnestly working on the play are mixed with smokey scenes of drug dealers threatening to kill everyone.  It’s a mishmash of styles that doesn’t come together and, at nearly two hours, the film drags considerably.

That said …. Eric Roberts and Vivica A. Fox!  Singing!

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

  1. Paul’s Case (1980)
  2. Star 80 (1983)
  3. Runaway Train (1985)
  4. To Heal A Nation (1988)
  5. Best of the Best (1989)
  6. Blood Red (1989)
  7. The Ambulance (1990)
  8. The Lost Capone (1990)
  9. Best of the Best II (1993)
  10. Love, Cheat, & Steal (1993)
  11. Voyage (1993)
  12. Love Is A Gun (1994)
  13. Sensation (1994)
  14. Dark Angel (1996)
  15. Doctor Who (1996)
  16. Most Wanted (1997)
  17. Mercy Streets (2000)
  18. Raptor (2001)
  19. Rough Air: Danger on Flight 534 (2001)
  20. Strange Frequency (2001)
  21. Wolves of Wall Street (2002)
  22. Border Blues (2004)
  23. Mr. Brightside (2004)
  24. Six: The Mark Unleased (2004)
  25. We Belong Together (2005)
  26. Hey You (2006)
  27. Depth Charge (2008)
  28. Amazing Racer (2009)
  29. The Chaos Experiment (2009)
  30. In The Blink of an Eye (2009)
  31. Bed & Breakfast (2010)
  32. Enemies Among Us (2010)
  33. The Expendables (2010) 
  34. Sharktopus (2010)
  35. Beyond The Trophy (2012)
  36. The Dead Want Women (2012)
  37. Deadline (2012)
  38. The Mark (2012)
  39. Miss Atomic Bomb (2012)
  40. Assault on Wall Street (2013)
  41. Bonnie And Clyde: Justified (2013)
  42. Lovelace (2013)
  43. The Mark: Redemption (2013)
  44. The Perfect Summer (2013)
  45. Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (2013)
  46. Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire (2013)
  47. Self-Storage (2013)
  48. Sink Hole (2013)
  49. A Talking Cat!?! (2013)
  50. This Is Our Time (2013)
  51. Bigfoot vs DB Cooper (2014)
  52. Doc Holliday’s Revenge (2014)
  53. Inherent Vice (2014)
  54. Road to the Open (2014)
  55. Rumors of War (2014)
  56. Amityville Death House (2015)
  57. Deadly Sanctuary (2015)
  58. A Fatal Obsession (2015)
  59. Las Vegas Story (2015)
  60. Sorority Slaughterhouse (2015)
  61. Stalked By My Doctor (2015)
  62. Enemy Within (2016)
  63. Hunting Season (2016)
  64. Joker’s Poltergeist (2016)
  65. Prayer Never Fails (2016)
  66. Stalked By My Doctor: The Return (2016)
  67. The Wrong Roommate (2016)
  68. Dark Image (2017)
  69. The Demonic Dead (2017)
  70. Black Wake (2018)
  71. Frank and Ava (2018)
  72. Stalked By My Doctor: Patient’s Revenge (2018)
  73. Clinton Island (2019)
  74. Monster Island (2019)
  75. The Reliant (2019)
  76. The Savant (2019)
  77. Seven Deadly Sins (2019)
  78. Stalked By My Doctor: A Sleepwalker’s Nightmare (2019)
  79. The Wrong Mommy (2019)
  80. Exodus of a Prodigal Son (2020)
  81. Free Lunch Express (2020)
  82. Her Deadly Groom (2020)
  83. Top Gunner (2020)
  84. Deadly Nightshade (2021)
  85. The Elevator (2021)
  86. Just What The Doctor Ordered (2021)
  87. Killer Advice (2021)
  88. Megaboa (2021)
  89. Night Night (2021)
  90. The Poltergeist Diaries (2021)
  91. The Rebels of PT-218 (2021)
  92. Red Prophecies (2021)
  93. 616 Wilford Lane (2021)
  94. A Town Called Parable (2021)
  95. Bleach (2022)
  96. Dawn (2022)
  97. My Dinner With Eric (2022)
  98. 69 Parts (2022)
  99. The Rideshare Killer (2022)
  100. The Company We Keep (2023)
  101. D.C. Down (2023)
  102. Aftermath (2024)
  103. Bad Substitute (2024)
  104. Devil’s Knight (2024)
  105. Insane Like Me? (2024)
  106. Space Sharks (2024)
  107. The Wrong Life Coach (2024)
  108. Broken Church (2025)
  109. When It Rains In L.A. (2025)

Brad reviews NOTTING HILL (1999), starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Life takes an unexpected turn for the reserved Englishman William Thacker (Hugh Grant) when the hugely popular American movie star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) wanders into his humble little travel book shop in the district of Notting Hill in West London. When the initial meeting is followed up by some coincidentally spilled orange juice and an unexpected kiss, William finds himself completely smitten. After Anna leaves, and still in a state of disbelief, William struggles focusing on his normal life with his eccentrically odd flat mate Spike (Rhys Ifans). When Anna surprisingly reaches back out to him wanting to get back together, the sweet and shy William is ecstatic, but he remembers that he’s already obligated himself to attend his sister Honey’s (Emma Chambers) birthday party that night. Wanting to be part of something normal, Anna goes to the party as William’s date, where she has a wonderful, relaxing evening with Honey and their close-knit group of best friends that includes Max (Tim McInnerny), Bella (Gina McKee) and Bernie (Hugh Bonneville), even if she did give them quite the shock when she walked through the door. Everything seems to be going beautifully, but the life of an international film icon tends to be complicated, and William soon finds himself caught up in a whirlwind that includes her “boyfriend,” the arrogant American actor Jeff King (Alec Baldwin). He’s not really her boyfriend anymore, but that seems of little consequence to the press. And then there’s the sudden emergence of racy pictures of Anna from her past in the British tabloids. As much as William loves Anna, will he ever be able to deal with life in Anna’s superstar spotlight?

NOTTING HILL is part of a trilogy of modern-day love stories that I’m sure to watch every year, with the other two being RETURN TO ME (2000) and HITCH (2005). I’ve noticed that these three movies have plot points in common that I find extremely appealing. First, both NOTTING HILL and RETURN TO ME feature main characters who have a group of loyal family and friends who offer uncompromising love and support. William Thacker’s sister and friends clearly care about him and want what’s best for him. If necessary, they’re willing to prove it by being honest with him when he’s unwilling to be honest with himself. One of the best scenes of the film occurs near the end when William tells his group of friends that he’s turned down Anna’s request to continue their relationship, even after she says the famous lines, “I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” While his friends struggle to find the right words, the flaky Spike, played superbly by Rhys Ifans, rushes into the meeting and when asked his opinion, says these three words to William, “You daft prick!” A memorable song on the movie’s excellent soundtrack reminds us sometimes that “you say it best when you say nothing at all,” but sometimes words need to be spoken, and Spike cares enough to tell William what he needs to hear. I’ve said it before, but I love it when a movie surrounds its characters with the type of people we’d love to have in our corner in real life. Second, both NOTTING HILL and HITCH feature plot lines that show a “star” falling for a sweet nobody. Maybe it’s because I’m a nobody myself, but the idea of the rich and powerful falling in love with regular people like me always strikes a nerve. Sure, it may be a fantasy, but it’s a fantasy I’m perfectly willing to roll with. 

As far as I’m concerned, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant have never been more appealing than they are in NOTTING HILL. Julia is so beautiful, and I fell in love with her myself for the first time when I watched this movie at the theater in 1999. There are scenes where William is watching Anna Scott on the big screen and the small screen, whether it be a love story or a science fiction movie, and he’s clearly in complete awe of her. As a film buff going back to my early teens, I can relate so easily to his character, whether it be my crush on Elizabeth Shue in the 80’s or Salma Hayek in 90’s. Heck, as recently as a couple of years ago, after interviewing the lovely Jan Gan Boyd who starred with Charles Bronson in ASSASSINATION (1987), I can still identify with a man completely smitten with a beautiful actress. And Hugh Grant is so sweet, witty and funny as William Thacker. This was a big film for Grant, as a few years earlier his promising Hollywood career had somewhat stalled due to his arrest on Sunset Strip in Los Angeles for “lewd conduct in a public place” with a prostitute named Divine Brown. With the irony not lost on me, if you’ve seen NOTTING HILL before you’ll understand that my inclusion of this matter of public record proves the character of Anna Scott to be correct when she explains to William just how difficult it can be to live life in the public eye. Regardless of all that, Hugh Grant is great in the film, and with a few years separating the events, it seems the filmgoing public was ready for forgiveness. NOTTING HILL was a runaway box office success, raking in $365 million dollars at the worldwide box office. 

The final thing I want to point out about NOTTING HILL is the incredible talent behind the scenes. Director Roger Michell helmed one of my very favorite Jane Austen adaptations, PERSUASION from 1995, starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. It’s a perfect movie as far as I’m concerned, and I watch it several times every year. Writer Richard Curtis has written the wonderful films FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994), BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY (2001), and LOVE ACTUALLY (2003), and he clearly knows how to push our love buttons. Both Michell and Curtis do the most successful work in their careers here. Now whether or not it’s their very best is a matter of opinion, but it’s definitely great work that I can confidently recommend to anyone. 

Here’s Are The AFI’s Top Ten Films Of 2025

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The American Film Institute has announced its picks for the ten best American films of 2025.  For better or worse, the AFI is usually a pretty good precursor so, in all probability, the Best Picture nominations will look a lot like what’s listed below.  That said, one should keep in mind that Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, and It Was Just An Accident were not eligible for the AFI’s top ten.  If I had to guess, I’d say that Bugonia is probably going to be replaced by Sentimental Value.   

AFI Motion Pictures of the Year

Avatar: Fire and Ash
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wicked: For Good

Holidays On The Lens: The Flight Before Christmas (dir by Peter Sullivan)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, we present to you 2015’s The Flight Before Christmas!

Mayim Bialik and Ryan McPartin are both on the same Christmas Eve flight.  Bialik plays a woman who has given up on romance.  McPartin plays a man who is flying to Boston to ask his girlfriend to marry him, even though it’s obvious that they’re not right for each other.  At first, our two main characters don’t get along but then their flight is temporarily diverted to the most romantic place on Earth …. Bozeman, Montana!

You can guess what happens.  You’ve probably already guessed that it occurs at a quaint Bed & Breakfast.  But did you guess that Brian Doyle-Murray plays a jolly man named Noel Nichols and that …. oh, you did?  Well, good for you.

It’s a cute movie, nonetheless.  If there is a Santa Claus, I hope he’s played by Brian Doyle-Murray.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Jeff Bridges 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 celebrate the birthday of Jeff Bridges!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Jeff Bridges Films

The Last Picture Show (1971, dir by Peter Bogdanovich, DP: Bruce Surtees)

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974, directed by Michael Cimino, DP: Frank Stanley)

Cutter’s Way (1981, dir by Ivan Passer, DP: Jordan Cronenweth)

Starman (1984, dir by John Carpenter. DP: Donald M. Morgan)

 

Who’s going to see KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR (2025) this weekend?

Posted on by Bradley Crain

To answer my own question, “I am!” I was checking my local movie theater listings for this weekend and came across the showtimes for the release of KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR, and I must admit I’m pretty excited about it. My wife is working this weekend so I have all Sunday to myself, and watching this Quentin Tarantino classic in a whole new way sounds like a lot of fun.

Check out the trailer below, and if you’re in the Little Rock area, I just may see you there!

The National Board of Review Honors One Battle After Another

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The National Board of Review has spoken.  *Yawn*

Best Film: One Battle After Another
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Best Actress: Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Best Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Best Supporting Actress: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Best Directorial Debut: Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby
Breakthrough Performance: Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Best Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Best Adapted Screenplay: Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar – Train Dreams
Best Animated Feature: Arco
Best International Film: It Was Just an Accident
Best Documentary: Cover-Up
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk

TOP FILMS (in alphabetical order)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Frankenstein
Jay Kelly
Marty Supreme
Rental Family
Sinners
Train Dreams
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Wicked: For Good

TOP 5 INTERNATIONAL FILMS (in alphabetical order)
Left-Handed Girl
The Love That Remains
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

TOP 5 DOCUMENTARIES (in alphabetical order)
2000 Meters to Andriivka
Come See Me in the Good Light
My Mom Jayne
Natchez
Orwell: 2+2=5

TOP 10 INDEPENDENT FILMS (in alphabetical order)
The Baltimorons
Bring Her Back
Father Mother Sister Brother
Friendship
Good Boy
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
The Mastermind
Rebuilding
Sorry, Baby
Urchin

Here Are The 2025 Spirit Nominations

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Independent Spirit Nominations were announced earlier today.  As always, one should take the Spirit Awards with a grain of salt as a lot of the current Oscar contenders — like One Battle After Another and Hamnet — are not eligible for the Spirit Awards.  That said, Train Dreams is an Oscar contender that is eligible for the Spirit Awards and it had a fairly nice showing today.  I should also note that Peter Hujar’s Day received the most film nominations, with five.

Film Categories

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)

Peter Hujar’s Day
Producers: Jonah Disend, Jordan Drake

The Plague
Producers: Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, Lizzie Shapiro

Sorry, Baby
Producers: Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski

Train Dreams
Producers: Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman

Twinless
Producers: David Permut, James Sweeney

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

Blue Sun Palace
Director: Constance Tsang
Producers: Sally Sujin Oh, Eli Raskin, Tony Yang

Dust Bunny
Director/Producer: Bryan Fuller
Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee

East of Wall
Director/Producer: Kate Beecroft
Producers: Shannon Moss, Melanie Ramsayer, Lila Yacoub

Lurker
Director: Alex Russell
Producers: Galen Core, Archie Madekwe, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Olmo Schnabel, Jack Selby

One of Them Days
Director: Lawrence Lamont
Producers: Deniese Davis, Poppy Hanks, James Lopez, Issa Rae, Sara Rastogi

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer)

The Baltimorons
Director/Writer/Producer: Jay Duplass
Writer/Producer: Michael Strassner
Producers: David Bonnett Jr., Drew Langer

Boys Go to Jupiter
Director/Writer: Julian Glander

Eephus
Director/Writer/Producer: Carson Lund
Writer/Producer: Michael Basta
Writer: Nate Fisher
Producers: David Entin, Tyler Taormina

Esta Isla (This Island)
Directors/Writers/Producers: Cristian Carretero, Lorraine Jones Molina
Writer: Kisha Tikina Burgos

Familiar Touch
Director/Writer/Producer: Sarah Friedland
Producers: Alexandra Byer, Matthew Thurm

BEST DIRECTOR

Clint Bentley
Train Dreams

Mary Bronstein
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Lloyd Lee Choi
Lucky Lu

Ira Sachs
Peter Hujar’s Day

Eva Victor
Sorry, Baby

BEST SCREENPLAY

Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin
Splitsville

Angus MacLachlan
A Little Prayer

James Sweeney
Twinless

Christian Swegal
Sovereign

Eva Victor
Sorry, Baby

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Andrew DeYoung
Friendship

Elena Oxman
Outerlands

Alex Russell
Lurker

Syreeta Singleton
One of Them Days

Constance Tsang
Blue Sun Palace

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Everett Blunck
The Plague

Rose Byrne
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Kathleen Chalfant
Familiar Touch

Chang Chen
Lucky Lu

Joel Edgerton
Train Dreams

Dylan O’Brien
Twinless

Keke Palmer
One of Them Days

Théodore Pellerin
Lurker

Tessa Thompson
Hedda

Ben Whishaw
Peter Hujar’s Day

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Naomi Ackie
Sorry, Baby

Zoey Deutch
Nouvelle Vague

Kirsten Dunst
Roofman

Rebecca Hall
Peter Hujar’s Day

Nina Hoss
Hedda

Jane Levy
A Little Prayer

Archie Madekwe
Lurker

Kali Reis
Rebuilding

Jacob Tremblay
Sovereign

Haipeng Xu
Blue Sun Palace

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Liz Larsen
The Baltimorons

Misha Osherovich
She’s the He

Kayo Martin
The Plague

SZA
One of Them Days

Tabatha Zimiga
East of Wall

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Alex Ashe
Peter Hujar’s Day

Norm Li
Blue Sun Palace

David J. Thompson
Warfare

Adolpho Veloso
Train Dreams

Nicole Hirsch Whitaker
Dust Bunny

BEST EDITING

Ben Leonberg
Good Boy

Carson Lund
Eephus

Fin Oates
Warfare

Sara Shaw
Splitsville

Sofía Subercaseaux
The Testament of Ann Lee

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

The Long Walk
Director: Francis Lawrence
Casting Director: Rich Delia
Ensemble Cast: Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Joshua Odjick, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Garrett Wareing

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Come See Me in the Good Light
Director/Producer: Ryan White
Producers: Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Stef Willen

Endless Cookie
Director: Peter Scriver
Director/Producer: Seth Scriver
Producers: Dan Bekerman, Alex Ordanis, Jason Ryle, Chris Yurkovich

My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow
Director/Producer: Julia Loktev

The Perfect Neighbor
Director/Producer: Geeta Gandbhir
Producers: Sam Bisbee, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne

The Tale of Silyan
Director/Producer: Tamara Kotevska
Producers: Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi, Jordanco Petkovski

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

All That’s Left of You
Palestine, Jordan, Germany, Cyprus
Director: Cherien Dabis

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Zambia, UK, Ireland
Director: Rungano Nyoni

A Poet
Colombia
Director: Simón Mesa Soto

The Secret Agent
Brazil
Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Sirāt
Spain
Director: Oliver Laxe

Emerging Filmmaker Awards

PRODUCERS AWARD – The Producers Award, now in its 29th year, honors an emerging producer who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrates the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Emma Hannaway

Luca Intili

Tony Yang

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 32nd year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Tatti Ribeiro
Director of Valentina

Neo Sora
Director of Happyend

Annapurna Sriram
Director of Fucktoys

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 31st year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. This award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Tony Benna
Director of André is an Idiot

Rajee Samarasinghe
Director of Your Touch Makes Others Invisible

Brittany Shyne
Director of Seeds

One Battle After Another Wins In Atlanta

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I’m getting the feeling this is going to be a boring awards season.  The Atlanta Film Critics Circle has announced its picks for the best of 2025 and One Battle After Another won …. again.  And that’s fine!  It’s just that, from a blogging point of view, I always prefer an unpredictable season to a predictable one.

Anyway, here are the winners in Atlanta!

BEST FILM: One Battle After Another

TOP 10 FILMS (ranked):

  1. One Battle After Another
  2. Sinners
  3. Weapons
  4. Hamnet
  5. Marty Supreme
  6. It Was Just an Accident
  7. No Other Choice
  8. Sentimental Value
  9. Train Dreams
  10. The Secret Agent

BEST LEAD ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

BEST LEAD ACTRESS: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Runner-up: Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Runner-up: Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sinners

BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Ryan Coogler, Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Sinners
Runner-up: Weapons

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Hamnet

BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Perfect Neighbor
Runner-up: The Alabama Solution

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: It Was Just an Accident
Runner-up: No Other Choice

BEST ANIMATED FILM: KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: Arco

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: One Battle After Another
Runner-up: Sinners

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Sinners
Runner-up: One Battle After Another

BEST STUNT WORK: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Runner-up: F1

BEST VOICE PERFORMANCE: Arden Cho, KPop Demon Hunters
Runner-up: Jason Bateman, Zootopia 2

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

BEST FIRST FEATURE: Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

The Holidays On The Lens: Christmas Lodge (dir by Terry Ingram)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2011’s Christmas Lodge, Mary (Erin Karpluk) recovers from a recent break-up by restoring the run-down lodge where she used to spend the holidays with her family.

That’s pretty much the entire film.  When I reviewed the film a few years ago, I admitted that there really wasn’t much conflict to be found in it but I also argued that was a part of the film’s appeal.  It’s a holiday movie and, as such, it’s earnestness and sincerity is its main appeal.