2012: the year in superlatives

Posted by · 8:28 am · December 31st, 2012

Awarding the best in Oscar’s categories and ours.

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Roundup: Is authenticity ruining the musical?

Posted by · 4:15 am · December 27th, 2012

Also: Portman named most bankable star, and Hathaway’s Oscar hosting advice

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Nevada critics go for 'Argo,' John Hawkes, Helen Hunt

Posted by · 10:39 am · December 23rd, 2012

The Nevada Film Critics Society has added one more notch to “Argo”‘s tally of Best Picture wins. The group tied Ben Affleck with “Zero Dark Thirty” helmer Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director and went in a relatively unique direction with its Best Actor call, opting for John Hawkes in “The Sessions.”

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Tech Support: International lineup of Best Original Song contenders presents a great opportunity

Posted by · 7:55 am · December 20th, 2012

With the recent reveal of the Academy’s list of Best Original Song qualifiers — all 75 of them — the music branch has a wide swath of popular artists to choose from. Of course, the branch tends to focus on the work itself, not necessarily the talent involved, but it’s worth mentioning that Fiona Apple, Florence + the Machine, Karen O, Christina Aguilera, Adele, Keith Urban, Mumford and Sons, The Bootleggers & Emmylou Harris, Arcade Fire, Dolly Parton, Katy Perry, Paul Williams, Jordin Sparks and Norah Jones are all in the mix. That’s quite the role call.

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'Lincoln' finally wins a critics award for Best Picture, from Dallas-Ft. Worth

Posted by · 7:26 am · December 18th, 2012

After sitting idly by and watching films like “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Argo” reap most of the critics’ Best Picture awards, Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” finally has one of its own, from the Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association. The film won Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress in addition to Best Picture, but fell to Kathryn Bigelow in the Best Director category.

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'Argo' wins big with Florida Film Critics Circle

Posted by · 6:50 am · December 18th, 2012

The Florida Film Critics Circle has joined a recent build for Ben Affleck’s “Argo” in the critics awards circuit, handing the film Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay honors. Daniel Day-Lewis and Jessica Chastain added to their lead actor and actress haul, while Philip Seymour Hoffman and Anne Hathaway were singled out in the supporting ranks.

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'Amour' and 'The Master' lead London Critics' Circle nominations

Posted by · 6:15 am · December 18th, 2012

‘Beasts,’ ‘Pi’ fend off ‘Lincoln,’ ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ in Film of the Year field

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Roundup: The adaptations that filmed the 'unfilmable'

Posted by · 2:20 am · December 18th, 2012

Also: A.O. Scott declares ‘Amour,’ and Jeunet’s ‘Life of Pi’

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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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'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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'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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Tech Support: 'Lincoln,' 'Life of Pi' and 'Anna Karenina' lead the race for Best Original Score

Posted by · 11:58 am · December 13th, 2012

As always, international flavor abounds.

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Golden Globe nominations breathe new life for 'The Master' stars, 'Django'

Posted by · 5:52 am · December 13th, 2012

The first thought that jumped to mind after today’s Golden Globe nominations announcement was, “Not too embarrassing.”

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'Life of Pi' tops with Las Vegas Film Critics

Posted by · 4:09 am · December 13th, 2012

‘Looper’ picks up another screenplay award.

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'Beasts,' 'Flight,' 'Django' lead NAACP Image Award nominees, 'Middle of Nowhere' sidelined

Posted by · 5:12 pm · December 11th, 2012

It’s the only ceremony where you’ll see Tyler Perry competing with Suraj Sharma.

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'Lincoln' leads nominations for the 18th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards

Posted by · 7:40 am · December 11th, 2012

Not that this is something to be particularly proud of, but the Broadcast Film Critics Association has done its annual duty of distilling the Oscar race into what we think it is now.

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'Django Unchained' lands eight St. Louis film critics nods

Posted by · 7:18 am · December 11th, 2012

As we wait for the BFCA news to drop, the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association has tossed its hat into the ring with a list of nominations as well. It’s nice to see that Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” registered so well, landing eight nominations. Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” was also a favorite from the group, as well as fellow indie “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

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