It’s all about Hollywood as The Artist, Hugo and Meryl dominate the Oscars

It was a clear message heard round the Kodak (what will they change the name to?) theatre in Hollywood tonight as Hollywood honored the movies at the Oscars:  if it was about movie-making or starred our very own movie queen, it won. The Artist and Hugo, both films that are essentially love letters to movie-making, each won 5 awards while Meryl Streep, the most lauded and iconic actress of our time finally won her 3rd Oscar for her amazing work in The Iron Lady. Yes, she only has three! Despite 17 nominations, she hadn’t won since Sophie’s Choice 29 years ago, and she was arguably the most deserving winner of the night. (No disrespect to the tremendously lovely Viola Davis by the way. I swear you will get your Oscar one day!)… Speaking of deserving winners, Christopher Plummer and Ocatvia Spencer finished their dominated awards season runs picking up the Supporting Actor honors for Beginners and The Help. WIth his win, Plummer became the oldest acting winner in history at the tender age of 82!… Best Actor went to Jean Dujardin (over heavily favored George Clooney) whose film The Artist also picked up Best Picture, Director, Costume Design and Score. Hugo’s 5 wins were in the technical categories while one big surprise was the Best Editing win for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. For more on all the winners and the delightful if a bit subdued broadcast hosted by Billy Crystal, head here. (Big props to the ladies of Bridesmaids and Tina Fey for bringing us the funniest moments by the way). And check out all the winners below… And let me just say I am so incredibly happy for Streep! She gave the best, classiest speech of the night and I’m just thrilled she finally won. Congrats Meryl!!!!

2012 Academy Award Winners:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Best Cinematography: Hugo
Best Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Art Direction: Hugo
Best Costume Design: The Artist
Best Makeup: The Iron Lady
Best Original Score: The Artist     
Best Original Song: “Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets)
Best Sound Editing: Hugo
Best Sound Mixing: Hugo
Best Visual Effects: Hugo

Best Documentary: Undefeated
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Animated Film: Rango
Best Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Best Live Action Short Film: The Shore
Best Documentary Short Subject: Saving Face

Most Wins~
The Artist: 5
Hugo: 5
The Iron Lady: 2

The Artist and Michelle Williams have the Independent Spirit

Oscar front-runner The Artist continued to dominate this awards season as it picked up four awards at today’s Independent Spirit Awards honoring the best in independent cinema. The films all had to be made and financed in the U.S. with a budget under $20 million to be eligible (hence, Hugo, War Horse and The Help, etc were not in contention… nor was British funded The Iron Lady). Along with Best Feature, The Artist took home Best Director, Cinematography and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin (who I think will nab tomorrow’s Oscar). In the other acting fields, Michelle Williams followed up her Golden Globe win for My Week with Marilyn in the Lead Actress category while Christopher Plummer won Supporting Actor for Beginners as he has done pretty much everywhere this season. Oscar snubbed Shailene Woodley won Supporting Actress for The Descendants which also took home the screenplay prize. For more on all the winners, head to the Indie Spirit site here and check out all the winners below.

2012 Independent Spirit Award Winners:

Best Feature Film: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Actress: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Best Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Cinematography: The Artist
Best International Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: The Interrupters
Best First Feature: Margin Call
Best First Screenplay: 50/50
John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature (under $500,000 budget): Pariah
Robert Altman Award (given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast): Margin Call

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions

Ok, enough with the Grammys, Globes and SAG Awards, the grand daddy of them all is here: the Academy Awards. This Sunday is the big day with the supreme Oscar host Billy Crystal returning to preside over the big day. With Crystal in command, we know the show will be hilarious, but will there be any surprises? Well, the top two acting races are just that, races between two deserving candidates. So, we could have upsets and some serious excitement. With that said, can anyone stop The Artist from sweeping? Well, take a look at my big bold Oscar winner predictions below and see.

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions:

Best Picture:
The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist
spoiler: Hugo
~ my sentimental fave: The Help

Best Director:
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Michael Hazanvicius (The Artist), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Will & Should win: Michael Hazanavicius
~spoiler: Martin Scorsese

Best Actor:
Demian Bichir (A Better Life), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will & Should win: Jean Dujardin
~spoiler: George Clooney
* This is a super tight race and it will be close between Clooney and Dujardin. How neat would it be if the wonderful and truly deserving Bichir pulled a surprise upset here? It’s not gonna happen, but it would be lovely to see.

Best Actress:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
~spoiler: Viola Davis
* ok, I’m going out on a big limb here. Conventional wisdom and smart money is on Davis (who was wonderful and would be a deserving winner). However, if you’ve seen The Iron Lady, you can’t deny Streep should win. She also hasn’t won in 30 years. Hello people!

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
~spoiler: Max Von Sydow

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
~spoiler: Melissa McCarthy

Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist, Bridesmaids, Margin Call, Midnight in Paris, A Separation
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: Bridesmaids
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants, Hugo, The Ides of March, Moneyball, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: Moneyball
~spoiler: The Descendants
* This one will be close. I feel like they may throw a bone to The Descendants here, but I’m keeping my money on the better screenplay for Moneyball. Plus it has more overall nominations indicating wider support within the academy.

Best Cinematography:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will win: The Tree of Life
Should win: War Horse (yes, I loved the movie, what of it?)
~spoiler: The Artist (they love some black and white)

Best Editing:
The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
~Spoiler: Hugo

Best Animated Film:
A Cat in Paris, Chico and Rita, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango
Will & Should win: Rango

Best Foreign Film:
Bullhead, Footnote, In Darkness, Monsieur Lahzar, A Separation
Will & Should win: A Separation
~spoiler: In Darkness

Best Original Score:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Artist, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist

Best Original Song:
“Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets), “Real in Rio” (Rio)
Will & Should win: “Man or a Muppet” (this would be the first ever win for a Muppet movie!)
* PS- this category is a disaster. Due to their strict rules, a ton of great and deserving songs by Mary J. Blige (The Help), Elton John (Gnomeo & Juliet), Madonna (W.E.), Pink (Happy Feet 2) and more didn’t make the cut. Blargh!

Best Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Costume Design:
Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E.
Will win: The Artist
Should win: W.E.
~spoiler: W.E.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady
Will & Should win: The Iron Lady
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Sound Editing:
Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Sound Mixing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: War Horse
~spoiler: Transformers

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Real Steel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Will win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (hello the Harry Potter franchise has never won an Oscar!)
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Documentary:
Hell and Back Again, If a Tree Falls, Paradise Lost 3, Pina, Undefeated
Will win: Undefeated
Should win: Pina
~spoiler: Paradise Lost 3
* this one is a super tight race… My first instinct is for Pina to win (and it’s the most interesting, but also the most experimental). Then, I was thinking Undefeated plays into the emotions of the academy and has a bigger profile, so it may win. It’s a real tossup with the well-known Paradise Lost series in the mix as well.

* for the shorts, shoot me an email.

Beginners, Albert Nobbs, Modern Family and Glee are among the GLAAD Media Award Nominees

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced the nominees for their 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards this morning and we saw some familiar faces. Previous TV winners, Glee and Modern Family were in the mix, along with previous nominees Grey’s Anatomy and Dancing with the Stars. In the Best Film (Wide release category), you have Oscar contenders Albert Nobbs, Beginners and J. Edgar duking it out while Best Film (Limited release) includes standout pictures Circumstance, Pariah, Tomboy, Gun Hill Road and my pic for the winner, Weekend. Take a look at several of the nominees below which feature some of my faves like Hot in Cleveland, The Glee Project and The Big C and for all the contenders and more info, head to the GLAAD site here…. The awards will be given out in 3 ceremonies over the next few months in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Stay tuned for the winners.

2012 GLAAD Media Award Nominees:

Outstanding Film Wide Release:
Albert Nobbs
Beginners
J. Edgar

Outstanding Film- Limited Release:
Circumstance
Gun Hill Road
Pariah
Tomboy
Weekend

Outstanding Drama Series

Degrassi
TeenNick
Grey’s Anatomy
ABC
Pretty Little Liars
ABC Family
Shameless
Showtime
Torchwood: Miracle Day
Starz

Outstanding Comedy Series

Exes and Ohs
Logo
Glee
Fox
Happy Endings
ABC
Modern Family
ABC
The Big C
Showtime

Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBT character)

“Acceptance” Man Up!
ABC
“Beards” Hot in Cleveland
TV Land
“Prom” Drop Dead Diva
Lifetime
“Recruited” NCIS
CBS
“The Boy Has Style” Are We There Yet?
TBS

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series

Cinema Verite
HBO

Outstanding Documentary

Becoming Chaz
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
The Strange History of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
HBO
The World’s Worst Place to be Gay?
Logo
Two Spirits
PBS
We Were Here
Red Flag Releasing

Outstanding Reality Program

Dancing with the Stars
ABC
Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys
Sundance Channel
The Glee Project
Oxygen
The Real L Word
Showtime
The Voice
NBC

Outstanding Talk Show Episode

“Chaz Bono” Late Show with David Letterman
CBS
“Children & Teens Caught in the Wrong Bodies” Anderson
syndicated
“Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests” The Oprah Winfrey Show
syndicated
“The Wedding of Scott Cronick & David Gorshein” Conan
TBS
“Zach Wahls” The Ellen DeGeneres Show
syndicated

Outstanding Daily Drama

All My Children
ABC
Days of Our Lives
NBC

Outstanding Music Artist

Beverly McClellan, Fear Nothing
Oarfin Records
Girl in a Coma, Exits & All the Rest
Blackheart Records
Hunx and His Punx, Too Young to Be in Love
Hardly Art
Lady Gaga, Born This Way
Interscope Records
MEN, Talk About Body
IAMSOUND Records

Outstanding Los Angeles Theater

Bonded
by Donald Jolly
House of the Rising Son
by Tom Jacobson
Killer Queen: The Story of Paco the Pink Pounder
by Peter Griggs
No Word in Guyanese for Me
by Wendy Graf
Who’s Your Daddy?
by Johnny O’Callaghan

Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway and Off-Broadway

Maple & Vine
by Jordan Harrison
Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical
by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott
Sons of the Prophet
by Stephen Karam
The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures
by Tony Kushner
Unnatural Acts: Harvard’s Secret Court of 1920
conceived by Tony Speciale

Outstanding New York Theater: Off-Off Broadway

She Kills Monsters
by Qui Nguyen
Southern Comfort
book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis
The Dog and Pony Show (Bring Your Own Pony)
by Holly Hughes
The Escape Artist
book by John Kelly, songs by John Kelly & Carol Lipnik
The Momentum
by Boo Killebrew, Geoffrey Decas O’Donnell & Jordan Seavey

The Artist, The Descendants, Meryl and Madonna win Big at the Golden Globes

Well, Madonna sure did piss off Elton John at tonight’s Golden Globe Awards… No, not because of anything she said, but because she won the award for Best Original song for her gorgeous track from W.E.,”Masterpiece”. It beat Elton’s track from Gnomeo and Juliet and boy, did he have a disgruntled face if I’ve ever seen one. That was just one fun highlight from a night that saw few surprises, but was rather entertaining as a whole. Ricky Gervais returned as host and was quite funny but not as controversial as last year and was only bleeped once I think. Heck, Meryl Streep was bleeped too! Speaking of Streep, she won her 8th Globe for Lead Actress in a Drama for The Iron Lady while Michelle Williams won for Lead Actress in a Musical or Comedy. These wins, along with Viola Davis’s win at the Critics Choice Awards on Thursday, are making it a real horse race for the Best Actress race… Best Actor could be tight between tonight’s two winners as well, George Clooney for Drama and Jean Dujardin for Musical or Comedy. Both of their films won as well with The Descendants taking Drama and The Artist nabbing the trophy for Musical or Comedy. The latter film won the most awards with a third for Best Score…. Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer continued their winning runs in the supporting category while Martin Scorsese pulled out a surprise win for Director for Hugo.

On the TV front, Modern Family and Homeland won the series awards while Downton Abbey won TV Movie/Miniseries. There were several acting surprises though, both good (Matt LeBlanc) and bad (Kelsey Grammar~ no offense to his work, but how on Earth did he beat Bryan Cranston and Damian Lewis, argh!!!) Also, Laura Dern pulled out a little bit of a shocker for Lead actress in a Comedy over front runners Zooey Deschanel, Amy Poehler and last year’s winner Laura Linney. For more on the show, head to the Globes site here and take a look at all the winners below.

 

2012 Golden Globe Winners:
Best Picture (Drama): The Descendants
Best Actor in a Movie (Drama): George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Picture (Comedy or Musical): The Artist
Best Actress in a Movie (Drama): Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Actor in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Jean Dujardin, The Artist
 Best TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Modern Family
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Supporting Actress in a Movie: Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Actor in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Best Actress in a TV Series (Drama): Claire Danes, Homeland
Best Foreign Language Movie: A Separation (Iran)
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Best Screenplay: Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Best Animated Movie: The Adventures of Tintin
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Best Actress in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Idris Elba, Luther
Best Original Song: “Masterpiece,” W.E.
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best TV Series (Drama): Homeland
Best Actor in a TV Series (Drama): Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Best Miniseries or TV Movie: Downton Abbey
Best Actress in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Laura Dern, Enlightened
Best Supporting Actor in a Movie: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

And here’s the song that made Elton so mad. (Mary J. Blige didn’t look too happy either when she lost the category as well by the way)… Madonna’s “Masterpiece” from W.E.

My Big Bold Critics Choice Movie Award Winner Predictions

The first big awards show of the year is here. No, I’m not talking about the People’s Choice Awards. Seriously, those are pretty ridiculous… I’m speaking of the 17th Annual Critics Choice Awards. The kudosfest honors the best in film as voted on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and is a great forecaster of the Oscars. It doesn’t have the flash of the Golden Globes (which air Sunday), but it does help us figure out just who is in front for the big Academy Award. So, who will win? I, as usual, have done my predictions and I have them for you below. Remember, these are critics, so sometimes their tastes are a little different from the Guild groups (i.e.: SAG, DGA). Watch the show Thursday night on VH1 at 8pm hosted by comedians Paul Shceer and Rob Huebel and see if I am right.

Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Extremely Loud & incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Help
spoiler: The Descendants

Best Actor:
George Clooney (The Descendants), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Ryan Gosling (Drive), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will win: George Clooney
Should win: Jean Dujardin
Spoiler: Brad Pitt

Best Actress:
Viola Davis (The Help), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk about Kevin), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
spoiler: Michelle Williams

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Albert Brooks (Drive), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
spoiler: Albert Brooks

Best Supporting Actress:
Bernice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Carey Mulligan (Shame), Octavia Spencer (The Help), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
spoiler: Jessica Chastain

Best Younger Actor/Actress:
Asa Butterfield (Hugo), Elle Fanning (Super 8), Thomas Horn (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Saorsie Ronan (Hanna), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Will win: Shailene Woodley
Should win: Thomas Horn
spoiler: Elle Fanning

Best Ensemble:
The Artist, Bridesmaids, The Descendants, The Help, The Ides of March
Will & Should win: The Help
spoiler: The Artist

Best Director:
Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), Martin Scorsese (Hugo), Steven Speilberg (War Horse)
Will win: Alexander Payne
Should win: Michael Hazanavicius
spoiler: Martin Scorsese

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Moneyball
Will win: The Descendants
Should win: Moneyball
spoiler: Moneyball

Best Original Screenplay:
50/50, The Artist, Midnight in Paris, Win Win, Young Adult
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: 50/50
spoiler: The Artist

Best Cinematography:
The Artist, Drive, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will win: The Tree of Life
Should win: The Artist
spoiler: War Horse

Best Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: Hugo
spoiler: The Artist

Best Editing:
The Artist, Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, War Horse
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
spoiler: Hugo

Best Costume Design:
The Artist, The Help, Hugo, Jane Eyre, My Week with Marilyn
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Help
spoiler: My Week with Marilyn

Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady, J. Edgar, My Week with Marilyn
Will & Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
spoiler: The Iron Lady

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Super 8, The Tree of Life
Will win: Hugo
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
spoiler: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Sound:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Super 8, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: War Horse
spoiler: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

Animated Feature:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, Arthur Christmas, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango
Will & Should win: Rango
spoiler: The Adventures of Tin Tin

Action Film:
Drive, Fast Five, Hanna, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Super 8
Will & Should win: Drive
spoiler: Super 8

Comedy Film:
Bridesmaids, Crazy Stupid Love, Horrible Bosses, Midnight in Paris, The Muppets
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: Bridesmaids
spoiler: Bridesmaids

Foreign Language Film:
In Darkness, Le Havre, A Separation, The Skin I Live In, Where Do We Go Now
Will & Should win: A Separation

Best Song:
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet), “Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets), “The Living Proof” (The Help), “Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets), “Pictures in my Head” (The Muppets)
Will win: “Life’s a Happy Song”
Should win: “The Living Proof”
spoiler: “Hello Hello”

Best Score:
The Artist, Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, War Horse
Will win: The Aritst
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Spoiler: War Horse

Woody Allen marks his 20th Bid with the Writers Guild Nominations

Woody Allen is a writing machine. The iconic filmmaker grabbed his 20th nomination this morning for this year’s Writers Guild Awards. His nod for Midnight in Paris could be his 5th win. However, he’ll have to fight off those plucky Bridesmaids, a man fighting cancer (50/50), down on his luck coach (Win Win), and an alcoholic mean girl (Young Adult). Missing from the list are presumed Oscar front runners The Artist and Beginners who were inelligible to compete due to strict WGA rules about scripts being written under Guild guidelines…. In the Adapted Screenplay race, front runners Moneyball, The Help and The Descendants will face off against Hugo and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… Among the big films that were snubbed despite being eligible were J. Edgar, War Horse, The Tree of Life and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Take a look at all the nominees below.

2012 Writers Guild Film Award Nominees:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“50/50,” Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment
“Bridesmaids,” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Studios
“Midnight in Paris,” Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics
“Win Win,” Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight
“Young Adult,” Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“The Descendants,” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures
“The Help,” Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures
“Hugo,” Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures
“Moneyball,” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
“Better This World,” Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,” Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures
“Nostalgia for the Light,” Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films
“Pina,” Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects
“Position Among the Stars,” Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Films
“Senna,” Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency

My Top 20 Movies of 2011

With box office grosses down and a ton of lackluster films in the marketplace, you’d think it might be hard to find 20 good movies from the past year. But I did. In fact, there were a lot of good movies released in 2011. They just tended to be smaller indie films like Martha Marcy May Marlene or Beginners. However, there were some big studio films that were hits with critics, audiences and me like The Help and the final Harry Potter. So, just what made my end of the year list? … Take a look below.

* First, I have to say there are a few that I haven’t seen yet. I know, bad me… Those films are:  Shame, Rango and We need to Talk About Kevin…
now, the list…

My Top 20 Movies of 2011:
1. The Help
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. War Horse
4. 50/50
5. The Artist

6. Drive
7. Beginners
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
10. Bridesmaids
11. Crazy Stupid Love
12. Martha Marcy May Marlene
13. Albert Nobbs
14. The Iron Lady
15. The Muppets
16. My Week with Marilyn
17. We Were Here
18. Super 8
19. The Ides of March
20 TIE:  Margin Call  & Midnight in Paris

Honorable Mention: The Whistleblower, Jane Eyre, Gun Hill Road, Warrior, Moneyball

Best Acting Performance of 2011: Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Best Movie that I saw at Festival: The Green
Best Comedy: Bridesmaids
Best Family Film: The Muppets
Best Super Hero Movie: Thor

Worst 5 Movies I saw:
1. Paul
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
3. Cowboys & Aliens
4. Limitless
5. Larry Crowne

There is my list. I may be changing it as I catch up with a few more Oscar contenders, but heck it’s January 3rd. I had to post it already. What are your thoughts? What are your faves? Sound off below.

Hugo and The Descendants lead the National Board of Review Winners

The latest awards group to chime in on this season’s films, the National Board of Review, announced their winners today and there were a couple of shockers. Taking the Best Picture and Director prize were Martin Scorcesse’s critically lauded Hugo. Many pundits figured it might be playing in the awards derby, but with these honors, it picks up some serious heat. Another surprise came in the Best Actress category where Tilda Swinton won for We Need to Talk About Kevin where she plays a confused and conflicted grieving mother. If you’ve seen the film, you know she deserves serious attention, but thus far, she has been overshadowed in the race by big names like Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams… One presumed Oscar front-runner, The Descendants, landed three nods for Actor (George Clooney), Supporting Actress (Shailene Woodley) and Screenplay while Christopher Plummer grabs another award for Supporting Actor for Beginners following his Indie Spirit nod and his NYFCC win. For more on the National Board of Review, head here and check out all the winners below.

National Board of Review Winners~
Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Ensemble: The Help
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime
NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film

Top Films
 (in alphabetical order)
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Ides of March
J. Edgar
Tree of Life
War Horse

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (In Alphabetical Order)
13 Assassins
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Footnote
Le Havre
Point Blank

Top 5 Documentaries (In Alphabetical Order)
Born to be Wild
Buck
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim
Senna

Top 10 Independent Films (In Alphabetical Order)
50/50
Another Earth
Beginners
A Better Life
Cedar Rapids
Margin Call
Shame
Take Shelter
We Need To Talk About Kevin
Win Win

The Artist and Take Shelter face off at the Independent Spirit Awards

The award races are coming fast and furious today as the Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced this morning (after last night’s Gotham Awards and this afternoon’s NYC Critic’s Choice winners announcement). Leading the way are the big Oscar contender The Artist and the little dramatic film Take Shelter with 5 nominations apiece. Just behind with 4 bids are Drive, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Beginners and The Descendants. Interestingly, the star of The Descendants and supposed Oscar front-runner George Clooney was snubbed as were other likely contenders Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) and Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris). Take a look at all the nominees below and head to the Indie Spirit website here for more info on the show which honors the best in independent cinema (and films made in America for less than $20 million~ hence The Tree of Life was not eligible). Watch for the trophies to be handed out in early February the day before the Oscars.

2012 Independent Spirit Award Nominees:

Best Feature
The Artist
Beginners
The Descendants
Drive
50/50
Take Shelter

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me
Rachael Harris, Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Male Lead
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston, 50/50
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks, Drive
John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist 
Mike Mills, Beginners
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive

Best Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Mike Mills, Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants
Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Tom McCarthy, Win Win

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth
Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser, 50/50
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Patrick deWitt, Terri

Best First Feature
Another Earth
In the Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection

John Cassavetes Award (for features under $500,000)
Bellflower
Circumstance
The Dynamiter
Hello Lonesome
Pariah

Best Documentary
An African Election
Bill Cunningham New York
The Interrupters
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
We Were Here

Best Cinematography
The Artist
Bellflower
The Dynamiter
Midnight in Paris
The Off Hours

Best International Film
The Kid With A Bike
Melancholia
A Separation
Shame
Tyrannosaur

Robert Altman Award (for ensemble cast): Margin Call

Piaget Producers Award
Chad Burris, Mosquita y Mari
Sophia Lin, Take Shelter
Josh Mond, Martha Marcy May Marlene

~And now a list of the big names that were snubbed by today’s nominees….

Indie Spirit Snubs~
Best Actor race: George Clooney (The Descendants), Joseph Gordon Levitt (50/50)
Best Actress: Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Felicity Jones (Like Crazy)… the last two films may have been inelligible~ I’ll have to check
Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branaugh (My Week with Marilyn)
Supporting Actress: Bernice Bejo (The Artist), Kim Wayans (Pariah), Robin Wright (Rampart)
Screenplay: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Director: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Picture: Midnight in Paris