Indiana Film Journalists Association goes its own way, crowns 'Safety Not Guaranteed'

Posted by · 10:27 am · December 17th, 2012

Well if you were looking for someone, anyone, to just go the least bit against the grain, the Iindiana Film Journalists Association is here to save the day. After announcing nominees last week, the group has handed Best Picture honors to Colin Trevorrow’s “Safety Not Guaranteed,” making it just one more film to win such honors in a year that is spreading the love quite a bit.

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'Argo,' Ben Affleck win with St. Louis critics

Posted by · 8:59 am · December 17th, 2012

The St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association has decided on winners and stuck up for Ben Affleck’s “Argo,” which won Best Picture and Best Director. Daniel Day-Lewis and Jessica Chastain won top honors for acting. Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor while Ann Dowd and Helen Hunt tied for Best Supporting Actress.

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From 'A(mour)' to 'Z(ero Dark Thirty)': the best films of 2012

Posted by · 6:56 am · December 17th, 2012

It’s been said here and in the podcast a number of times, but I might as well offer it up once more for good measure: 2012 was a pretty good year for movies.

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'Zero Dark Thirty,' 'The Master' win big with Chicago film critics

Posted by · 6:27 am · December 17th, 2012

Another swift turnaround from nominations, as the Chicaco Film Critics Association has joined the chorus of “Zero Dark Thirty” supporters. The film won five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress. “The Master,” meanwhile, won four, for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Score.

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Off the Carpet: Ballots are out

Posted by · 6:00 am · December 17th, 2012

Normally this column would begin with something like, “Ballots have been mailed to Oscar voters today,” but that begs reminding that for the first time ever, the Academy has adopted an electronic voting system in addition to paper ballots (for those who request them). How will that change the course of the season? Is chatter about glitches and lack of understanding just a facile talking point blown out of proportion? Maybe. But what is tangible in all of this is the landscape as a result of the first major nominations announcements of the season.

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'Silver Linings Playbook' rules the Satellite Awards

Posted by · 4:39 am · December 17th, 2012

Five awards for the comedy, including Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress

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Roundup: Richard Gere joins the Palm Springs honoree list

Posted by · 4:07 am · December 17th, 2012

Also: Composing ‘Skyfall,’ and should we know the Oscar voting tallies?

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'The Master,' Bigelow, Phoenix, Riva win San Francisco Film Critics Circle awards

Posted by · 7:16 pm · December 16th, 2012

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle has joined the game, and the bandwagon for Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” handing the film Best Picture and Best Actor honors. Kathryn Bigelow won Best Director for “Zero Dark Thirty” while Emmanuelle Riva won Best Actress for “Amour.”

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Stephen Frears, Jean-Paul Gaultier and others honor Pedro Almodóvar at Academy tribute

Posted by · 6:20 pm · December 16th, 2012

The two-time Oscar winner was toasted by AMPAS on Thursday in London.

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'The Master,' 'Ang Lee' win with Kansas City Film Critics Circle

Posted by · 3:24 pm · December 16th, 2012

The second-oldest critics group in the country (behind the NYFCC), the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, has announced its slate of 2012 winners. “The Master” took Best Picture while “Life of Pi” helmer Ang Lee won Best Director. Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence won top acting honors for “Lincoln” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” respectively.

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African-American Film Critics hail 'Zero Dark Thirty,' 'Middle of Nowhere'

Posted by · 1:44 pm · December 16th, 2012

Ben Affleck takes Best Director, while Denzel Washington is Best Actor.

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'Lincoln' leads Houston Film Critics nods

Posted by · 11:10 am · December 16th, 2012

‘Anna Karenina’ nabs a nomination… as the year’s worst

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Exclusive: 'Les Mis,' 'Django,' 'Beasts,' 'Amour' among 2012 scripts not eligible for WGA

Posted by · 5:05 pm · December 15th, 2012

Every year it’s worth noting that a number of the original and adapted screenplays in the hunt for Oscar consideration won’t get the extra bump of a nomination from the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Reasons for failing to qualify include the writer of the script not being a guild member or not retroactively handling the requisite process, among other things.

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'Cloud Atlas' fails to make the finalists for Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Posted by · 1:14 pm · December 15th, 2012

The Academy has announced its shortlist of seven Best Makeup and Hairstyling contenders. The films will proceed to the “bake-off” stage, where reels of the work put into the makeup and hairstyling effects will be screened for the branch and three nominees will be chosen, revealed alongside the rest of the Oscar nominations on January 10.

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Indiana Film Journalists Association announces longlists of nominees, 'The Master' leads the way

Posted by · 9:27 am · December 15th, 2012

The Indiana Film Journalists Association has, for the first time this year, elected to publicly acknowledge its full list of nominees for superlatives to be announced on Monday. It’s a massive list including, apparently, every film mentioned in each category by the group’s respective members.

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Tell us what you thought of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

Posted by · 5:28 pm · December 14th, 2012

Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth opens today.

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'Holy Motors' tops Film Comment's list of the year's best

Posted by · 12:23 pm · December 14th, 2012

The FIlm Society of Lincoln Center’s annual survey of film critics, journalists and editors left Leos Carax’s “Holy Motors” at the top of an auteur heavy list of films from fimmakers such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Wes Anderson, among others.

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'The Master' leads with 10 Chicago critics' nods

Posted by · 9:25 am · December 14th, 2012

‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ also gets a boost.

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