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The 8th Annual Edgy Award Nominations
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The time when I get to educate everyone on what this year’s Oscar nominations should have looked like.
To review how these work, while there may only be 7 previous editions of the Edgys available online, the awards are cataloged by yours truly going all the way back to 1940. The recipients’ nomination and win counts are grouped according to each category, with the exception of the two music categories and the four acting categories being linked. So while Martin Scorsese may be getting only his 3rd nomination for producing, that certainly does not include the wealth of nominations he’s accumulated for directing.
Without further ado, here are my nominations for the best craftsmanship and talent on display in 2017:
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BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Mighty River“
featured in “Mudbound”
Music and Lyrics by Mary J. Blige (3rd nom), Raphael Saadiq (1st nom) and Taura Stinson (1st nom)
“Mystery of Love”
featured in “Call Me By Your Name”
Music and Lyrics by Sufjan Stevens (2nd nom)
“The Pure and the Damned”
featured in “Good Time”
Music by Daniel Lopatin (1st nom), Lyrics by Iggy Pop (1st nom)
“Visions of Gideon”
featured in “Call Me By Your Name”
Music and Lyrics by Sufjan Stevens (2nd nom)
“World Gone Mad”
featured in “Bright”
Music and Lyrics by Dan Smith (1st nom)
__________
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“Blade Runner: 2049”
Benjamin Wallfisch (1st nom) and Hans Zimmer (10th nom, 4 wins – “12 Years a Slave,” “Gladiator,” “The Thin Red Line” and “Rain Man”)
“Phantom Thread”
Jonny Greenwood (4th nom, 2 wins – “The Master” and “Exit Music (for a Film)” from “Romeo and Juliet”
“The Shape of Water”
Alexander Desplat (5th nom)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
John Williams (29th nom, 10 wins – “Munich,” “Amistad,” “Schindler’s List,” “Empire of the Sun,” “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Star Wars: A New Hope,” “Jaws”)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Carter Burwell (5th nom, 2 wins – “Fargo” and “Barton Fink)
__________
BEST MAKE-UP and HAIRSTYLING
“Bright”
Alessandro Bertolazzi (2nd nom, 1 win – “Suicide Squad”) and Christopher Alan Nelson (2nd nom, 1 win – “Suicide Squad”)
“Darkest Hour”
Kazuhiro Tsuji (1st nom), David Malinowski (1st nom) and Lucy Sibbick (1st nom)
“The Disaster Artist”
Thomas Floutz (1st nom), Andy Clement (1st nom) and Molly Tissavary (1st nom)
“I, Tonya”
Deborah La Mia Denaver (2nd nom) and Adruitha Lee (3rd nom, 1 win – “12 Years a Slave”)
“The Shape of Water”
Jeff Derushie (1st nom), Jordan Samuel (1st nom) and Michael J. Walsh (2nd nom)
__________
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Alien: Covenant”
Neil Corbould (5th nom, 2 wins – “Gravity” and “Gladiator”), Charley Henley (2nd nom) and Christian Kaestner (2nd nom)
“Blade Runner: 2049”
John Nelson (4th nom, 1 win – “Gladiator”), Gerd Nefzer (1st nom), Paul Lambert (1st nom) and Richard R. Hoover (3rd nom)
“The Shape of Water”
Dennis Berardi (1st nom), Trey Harrell (1st nom), and Atilla Ceylan (1st nom)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Ben Morris (1st nom), Michael Mulholland (1st nom), Neal Scanlan (3rd nom, 2 wins – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Babe”) and Chris Corbould (6th nom, 2 wins – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Inception”)
“War for the Planet of the Apes”
Daniel Barrett (3rd nom, 1 win – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), Dan Lemmon (4th nom, 2 wins – “The Jungle Book” and “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), Joe Letteri (9th nom, 5 wins – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Avatar,” “LOTR: The Return of the King,” and “LOTR: The Two Towers”) and Joel Whist (1st nom)
__________
BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
“Alien: Covenant”
Michael Fentum (1st nom) and Oliver Tarney (4th nom, 1 win – “United 93”)
“Blade Runner: 2049”
Mark Mangini (5th nom) and Theo Green (1st nom)
“Dunkirk”
Richard King (8th nom, 4 wins – “Inception,” “The Dark Knight,” “War of the Worlds” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”)
“Mother!”
Paula Fairfield (1st nom) and Jill Purdy (1st nom)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Ren Klyce (6th nom, 1 win “The Social Network”) and Matthew Wood (9th nom, 1 win – “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”)
__________
BEST SOUND EFFECTS MIXING
“Baby Driver”
Tim Cavagin (1st nom), Mary H. Ellis (1st nom) and Julian Slater (1st nom)
“Blade Runner: 2049”
Ron Bartlett (1st nom), Doug Hemphill (6th nom) and Mac Ruth (1st nom)
“Dunkirk”
Gregg Landaker (8th nom, 4 wins – “Interstellar,” “Twister,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Gary Rizzo (6th nom, 2 wins – “Interstellar” and “Inception”) and Mark Weingarten (4th nom, 2 wins – “Interstellar” and “The Social Network”)
“Logan”
David Giammarco (4th nom, 1 win – “3:10 to Yuma”), Paul Ledford (1st nom) and Paul Massey (6th nom, 1 win – “3:10 to Yuma”)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Ren Klyce (6th nom, 1 win “The Social Network”), David Parker (8th nom, 1 win – “The Social Network”), Michael Semanick (9th nom, 2 wins – “The Social Network” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”) and Stuart Wilson (4th nom)
__________
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Beguiled”
Stacy Battat (1st nom)
“I, Tonya”
Jennifer Johnson (1st nom)
“The Lost City of Z”
Sonia Grande (1st nom)
“Phantom Thread”
Mark Bridges (5th nom, 1 win – “The Artist”)
“Victoria and Abdul”
Consolata Boyle (2nd nom)
__________
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Blade Runner: 2049”
Dennis Gassner (5th nom) and Alessandra Querzola (1st nom)
“Mother!”
Larry Dias (2nd nom, 1 win – “Inception”), Martine Kazemirchuk (1st nom) and Philip Messina (1st nom)
“The Post”
Rick Carter (6th nom, 1 win – “Lincoln”) and Rena DeAngelo (1st nom)
“The Shape of Water”
Paul Austerberry (1st nom), Jeffrey Melvin (2nd nom) and Shane Vieau (2nd nom)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Rick Heinrichs (2nd nom, 1 win – “Sleepy Hollow”) and Richard Roberts (1st nom)
__________
BEST EDITING
“Dunkirk”
Lee Smith (6th nom, 1 win – “The Dark Knight”)
“Get Out”
Gregory Plotkin (1st nom)
“I, Tonya”
Tatiana Riegel (1st nom)
“Mother!”
Andrew Weisblum (1st nom)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Jon Gregory (2nd nom)
__________
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Blade Runner: 2049”
Roger Deakins (15th nom, 5 wins – “Sicario,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” “Fargo,” “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Barton Fink”)
“Call Me By Your Name”
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (1st nom)
“Dunkirk”
Hoyt Van Hoytema (2nd nom)
“It Comes at Night”
Drew Daniels (1st nom)
“The Shape of Water”
Dan Laustsen (1st nom)
__________
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“City of Ghosts”
Matthew Heineman (2nd nom)
“Icarus”
Dan Cogan (1st nom) and Bryan Fogel (1st nom)
“One of Us”
Heidi Ewing (2nd nom, 1 win – “Jesus Camp”) and Rachel Grady (2nd nom, 1 win – “Jesus Camp”)
“Strong Island”
Joslyn Barnes (1st nom) and Yance Ford (1st nom)
“Whose Streets?”
Damon Davis (1st nom) and Sabaah Folayan (1st nom)
__________
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Call Me By Your Name”
James Ivory (1st nom)
“The Disaster Artist”
Scott Neustadter (2nd nom, 1 win – “500 Days of Summer”) and Michael H. Weber (2nd nom, 1 win – “500 Days of Summer”)
“Molly’s Game”
Aaron Sorkin (6th nom, 3 wins – “Moneyball,” “The Social Network” and “A Few Good Men”)
“Mudbound”
Dee Rees (1st nom) and Virgil Williams (1st nom)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Rian Johnson (3rd nom, 2 wins – “Looper” and “Brick”)
__________
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Get Out”
Jordan Peele (1st nom)
“Lady Bird”
Greta Gerwig (1st nom)
“Phantom Thread”
Paul Thomas Anderson (5th nom, 1 win – “Boogie Nights”)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Martin McDonagh (2nd nom, 1 win – “In Bruge”)
“Wind River”
Taylor Sheridan (3rd nom)
__________
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST PERFORMANCE
“Call Me By Your Name”
Vanda Capriolo, Amira Casar, Timothee Chalamet, Victoire Du Bois, Esther Garrel, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg
“It”
Steven Bogaert, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, Chosen Jacobs, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, Jackson Robert Scott, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Bill Skarsgaard, Logan Thompson, Finn Wolfhard
“Mudbound”
Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Kerry Cahill, Jason Clarke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan
“The Post”
Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tom Hanks, Pat Healy, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Meryl Streep, Bradley Whitford, Zach Woods
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Kerry Condon, Abbie Cornish, Peter Dinklage, Woody Harrelson, John Hawkes, Lucas Hedges, Zeljko Ivanek, Caleb Landry Jones, Sandy Martin, Frances McDormand, Kathryn Newton, Sam Rockwell
__________
BEST ACTRESS in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Allison Janney – “I, Tonya”
1st nom
Lesley Manville – “Phantom Thread”
2nd nom, 1 win – “Another Year”
Tatiana Maslany – “Stronger”
1st nom
Laurie Metcalf – “Lady Bird”
1st nom
Michelle Pfeiffer – “Mother!”
3rd nom
__________
BEST ACTOR in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Willem Dafoe – “The Florida Project”
4th nom
Jason Mitchell – “Mudbound”
1st nom
Sam Rockwell – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
2nd nom
Patrick Stewart – “Logan”
1st nom
Michael Stuhlbarg – “Call Me By Your Name”
1st nom
__________
BEST ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE
Sally Hawkins – “The Shape of Water”
3rd nom, 1 win – “Happy Go Lucky”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Mother!”
4th nom
Frances McDormand – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
5th nom, 2 wins – “Fargo” and “Mississippi Burning”
Margot Robbie – “I, Tonya”
1st nom
Saoirse Ronan – “Lady Bird”
2nd nom
__________
BEST ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE
Timothee Chalamet – “Call Me By Your Name”
1st nom
Daniel Kaluuya – “Get Out”
1st nom
Gary Oldman – “Darkest Hour”
6th nom, 2 wins – “The Contender” and “Sid and Nancy”
Robert Pattinson – “Good Time”
1st nom
Jeremy Renner – “Wind River”
2nd nom
__________
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky – “Mother!”
2nd nom
Martin McDonagh – “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
1st nom
Christopher Nolan – “Dunkirk”
5th nom, 1 win – “The Dark Knight”
Trey Edward Schults – “It Comes at Night”
1st nom
Denis Villeneuve – “Blade Runner: 2049”
4th nom, 1 win – “Arrival”
__________
BEST MOTION PICTURE of the YEAR
“Blade Runner: 2049”
Broderick Johnson (2nd nom) and Andrew Kosgrove (2nd nom)
“Call Me By Your Name”
Emilie Georges (1st nom), Luca Guadagnino (1st nom), Marco Morabito (1st nom) and Peter Spears (1st nom)
“Dunkirk”
Christopher Nolan (4th nom, 1 win – “The Dark Knight”) and Emma Thomas (4th nom, 1 win – “The Dark Knight”)
“Get Out”
Jason Blum (2nd nom), Edward Hamm Jr. (1st nom), Sean McKittrick (1st nom) and Jordan Peele (1st nom)
“It Comes at Night”
David Kaplan (1st nom) and Andrew Roa (1st nom)
“Phantom Thread”
Paul Thomas Anderson (6th nom, 1 win – “There Will Be Blood”), Megan Ellison (5th nom), Daniel Lupi (4th nom, 1 win – “There Will Be Blood”) and JoAnne Sellar (6th nom, 1 win – “There Will Be Blood”)
“The Shape of Water”
J. Miles Dale (1st nom) and Guillermo Del Toro (2nd nom)
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Ram Bergman (3rd nom) and Kathleen Kennedy (10th nom)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Graham Broadbent (2nd nom), Peter Czernin (2nd nom) and Martin McDonagh (1st nom)
“Wind River”
Elizabeth A. Bell (1st nom), Peter Berg (1st nom) and Wayne L. Rogers (1st nom)
__________
NOMINATION TALLY
Films with multiple nominations a piece:
Blade Runner: 2049 – 8
Call Me By Your Name – 8
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – 8
The Shape of Water – 7
Star Wars: The Last Jedi – 7
Dunkirk – 6
Mother! – 6
I, Tonya – 5
Phantom Thread – 5
Get Out – 4
Mudbound – 4
It Comes at Night – 3
Lady Bird – 3
Wind River – 3
Alien: Covenant – 2
Bright – 2
Darkest Hour – 2
The Disaster Artist – 2
Good Time – 2
Logan – 2
The Post – 2
The 4th Annual Edgy Award Nominations
That’s right, I’ve returned again from the ashes to shower all of you with my cinematic opinions. For what reason? I suppose that’s ultimately up for you all to decide. For me, the cinematic process exists on three levels: people make films, people watch films and, finally, people discuss films. I’m here to plant my flag in the discussion, for that’s the only way that a film lives beyond the first two steps.
With the announcement of this year’s Academy Award nominations, I am compelled to throw my hat in the ring and let you all know of where they went wrong and, occasionally, strike gold. But most of all, I can’t help but get a metaphysical high from this; taking all of my cinematic conquests that I’ve spent my hard-earned money seeing, and lining them up in neat, organized columns. Maybe as a child, I spent too much time organizing my action figures and baseball cards, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. And given that I made my first “Top 100 Films” list when I was 11, I don’t think it could have turned out differently.
Now, as much as I can’t wait to dig into 2014, and all of its brightest points, I’ve still got a lot to see in the next 4 weeks. Meanwhile, due to a few too many unfortunate stints by my wife’s side in the hospital last winter (she’s fine, now, don’t worry), the 4th Annual Edgy Awards never had a chance to come to pass. Since you can’t have a 5th without the 4th, I’ll spend a bit more time covering my bases for this year and will offer a up a little blast from the past. We’ll get back to 2014 by the time the Oscars roll through, but for now, the year that was lost can now be found.
To remind everyone, while these are the “4th” Edgy Awards, I keep records going back to the 1940s. So while nominees’ records might not be published, they exist, nonetheless. Meanwhile, their nomination and win counts are restricted to the category they are nominated in (with the exception of all acting and music awards).
Here are the 2013 Nominations for the 4th Annual Edgy Awards:
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BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Amen“
featured in “All is Lost”
Music and Lyrics by Alex Ebert (1st nom)
“The Moon Song“
featured in “Her”
Music and Lyrics by Karen O (1st nom)
“Please Please Mr. Kennedy“
featured in “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Music and Lyrics by T Bone Burnett (3rd nom, 1 win – “The Weary Kind” in “Crazy Heart”), George Cromarty (1st nom), Ed Rush (1st nom) and Justin Timberlake (1st nom)
“Silhouettes“
featured in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
Music and Lyrics by Of Monsters and Men (1st nom)
“Young and Beautiful“
featured in “The Great Gatsby”
Music and Lana Del Ray (1st nom)
__________
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“12 Years a Slave“
Hans Zimmer (8th nom, 3 wins – “Gladiator,” “The Thin Red Line” and “Rain Man”)
“Gravity”
Steven Price (1st nom)
“Her“
Arcade Fire (2nd nom)
“The Place Beyond the Pines”
Mike Patton (1st nom)
“Stoker“
Clint Mansell (3rd nom, 1 win – “Moon)
__________
BEST MAKEUP and HAIRSTYLING
“12 Years a Slave“
Nikki I. Brown (2nd nom) and Nick London (1st nom)
“American Hustle“
Lori McCoy-Bell (1st nom) and Evelyn Noraz (1st nom)
“Dallas Buyers Club“
Melanie Deforrest (1st nom) and Robin Mathews (2nd nom)
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire“
Ve Neill (10th nom, 3 wins – “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Batman Returns” and “Beetlejuice”)
“Prisoners“
Donald Mowat (1st nom)
__________
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“All is Lost“
Colin Davies (1st nom) and Bob Munroe (2nd nom)
“Gravity“
Neil Corbould (5th nom, 1 win – “Inception”), Chris Lawrence (1st nom) David Shirk (1st nom) and Timothy Webber (4th nom)
“Oblivion“
Eric Barba (4th nom, 1 win – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Bjorn Mayer (1st nom)
“Pacific Rim“
Lindy DeQuattro (1st nom), Hal T. Hickell (4th nom, 1 win – “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”), John Knoll (8th nom, 2 wins – “Avatar” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”)
“Star Trek: Into Darkness“
Burt Dalton (4th nom, 1 win – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Ben Grossman (3rd nom), Robert Guyett (6th nom), Paul Tubach (1st nom)
__________
BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
“Captain Phillips”
Oliver Tarney (2nd nom, 1 win – “United 93”)
“Gravity”
Glenn Freemantle (1st nom)
“Oblivion“
Al Nelson (1st nom)
“Star Trek: Into Darkness”
Ben Burtt (11th nom, 6 wins – “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” and “Star Wars: A New Hope”) and Matthew Wood (6th nom)
“World War Z“
Nigel Stone (1st nom) and Ethan van der Ryn (7th nom, 2 wins – “LOTR: The Two Towers” and “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”)
__________
BEST SOUND MIXING
“Captain Phillips“
Chris Burdon (3rd nom), Chris Munro (5th nom, 1 win – “Black Hawk Down”), Mike Prestwood Smith (3rd nom) and Mark Taylor (1st nom)
“Gravity“
Niv Adiri (1st nom), Christopher Benstead (1st nom), Skip Lievsay (3rd nom) and Chris Munro (5th nom, 1 win – “Black Hawk Down”)
“Inside Llewyn Davis“
Peter F. Kurland (3rd nom), Skip Lievsay (3rd nom) Greg Orloff (3rd nom)
“Star Trek: Into Darkness”
Peter J. Devlin (5th nom), Will Files (3rd nom, 1 win – “Cloverfield”) and Andy Nelson (22nd nom, 5 wins – “Les Miserables,” “Cloverfield,” “Munich,” “Saving Private Ryan” and L.A. Confidential”)
“Stoker”
James Bolt (1st nom), Chuck Michael (1st nom) and John Morris (1st nom)
__________
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“12 Years a Slave“
Patricia Norris (6th nom, 3 wins – “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “The Elephant Man” and “Days of Heaven”)
“42”
Caroline Harris (1st nom)
“American Hustle”
Michael Wilkinson (1st nom)
“The Great Gatsby”
Catherine Martin (2nd nom, 1 win – “Moulin Rouge”)
“Oz: The Great and Powerful“
Gary Jones (2nd nom)
__________
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“12 Years a Slave”
Alice Baker (1st nom) and Adam Stockhausen (2nd nom)
“The Conjuring”
Julie Berghoff (1st nom) and Sophie Neudorfer (1st nom)
“Gravity“
Andy Nicholson (1st nom), Rosie Goodwin (2nd nom) and Joanne Woollard (2nd nom)
“The Great Gatsby“
Catherine Martin (3rd nom, 2 wins – “Moulin Rouge” and “Romeo and Juliet”) and Beverley Dunn (1st nom)
“Her”
K.K. Barrett (2nd Nom) and Gene Serdana (1st nom)
__________
BEST EDITING
“12 Years a Slave“
Joe Walker (2nd nom)
“Captain Phillips”
Christopher Rouse (3rd nom, 1 win – “United 93”)
“Gravity”
Alfonso Cuaron (2nd nom) and Mark Sanger (1st nom)
“Inside Llewyn Davis“
Joel and Ethan Coen (3rd nom, 1 win – “Fargo”)
“The Place Beyond the Pines”
Jim Helton (1st nom) and Ron Patane (1st nom)
__________
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“12 Years a Slave“
Sean Bobbitt (3rd nom)
“Gravity”
Emmanuel Lubezki (4th nom, 2 wins – “The Tree of Life” and “Children of Men”)
“Inside Llewyn Davis“
Bruno Delbonnel (4th nom, 1 win – “A Very Long Engagement”)
“The Place Beyond the Pines”
Sean Bobbitt (3rd nom)
“Prisoners“
Roger Deakins (13th nom, 4 wins – “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” “Fargo,” “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Barton Fink”)
___________
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“20 Feet from Stardom“
Gil Friesen (1st nom), Morgan Neville (1st nom), Caitrin Rogers (1st nom)
“The Act of Killing”
Joshua Oppenheimer (1st nom)
“Blackfish“
Gabriela Cowperthwaite (1st nom)
“Room 237“
Rodney Ascher (1st nom)
“Stories We Tell“
Sarah Polley (1st nom)
__________
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“12 Years a Slave“
John Ridley (2nd nom)
“Before Midnight“
Julie Delpy (1st nom), Ethan Hawke (1st nom) and Richard Linklater (4th nom)
“Captain Phillips”
Billy Ray (1st nom)
“Philomena“
Steve Coogan (1st nom) and Jeff Pope (1st nom)
“The Wolf of Wall Street“
Terrence Winter (1st nom)
__________
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Her”
Spike Jonze (1st nom)
“Inside Llewyn Davis“
Joel and Ethan Coen (8th nom, 3 wins – “No Country for Old Men,” “Fargo” and “Barton Fink”)
“Mud“
Jeff Nichols (1st nom)
“The Place Beyond the Pines“
Derek Cianfrance (2nd nom) Ben Coccio (1st nom) and Darius Marder (1st nom)
“Short Term 12“
Destin Daniel Cretton (1st nom)
__________
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
“12 Years a Slave”
Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Chiwetel Ejiofer, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, Alfre Woodard
“American Hustle”
Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Louis C.K., Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Alessandro Nivola, Michael Pena, Jeremy Renner, Said Taghmaoui, Shea Whigham
“August: Osage County“
Abigail Breslin, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margo Martindale, Ewan McGregor, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholoson, Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard, Meryl Streep, Misty Upham
“The Place Beyond the Pines“
Rose Byrne, Emory Cohen, Bradley Cooper, Dane DeHaan, Ryan Gosling, Bruce Greenwood, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, Eva Mendes,
“Prisoners”
Maria Bello, Paul Dano, David Dastmalchian, Viola Davis, Wayne Duvall, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Hugh Jackman, Melissa Leo, Dylan Minette
__________
BEST ACTRESS in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Sally Hawkins – “Blue Jasmine”
(2nd nom, 1 win – “Happy-Go-Lucky”)
Jennifer Lawrence – “American Hustle”
(3rd nom)
Lupita Nyong’0 – “12 Years a Slave”
(1st nom)
Julia Roberts – “August: Osage County”
(3rd nom)
June Squibb – “Nebraska”
(1st nom)
__________
BEST ACTOR in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Barkhad Abdi – “Captain Phillips”
(1st nom)
Bradley Cooper – “American Hustle”
(1st nom)
Michael Fassbender – “12 Years a Slave”
(2nd nom)
James Franco – “Spring Breakers”
(2nd nom)
Jared Leto – “Dallas Buyers Club”
(1st nom)
__________
BEST ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett – “Blue Jasmine”
(5th nom, 2 win – “I’m Not There” and “Elizabeth”)
Sandra Bullock – “Gravity”
(1st nom)
Julie Delpy – “Before Midnight”
(3rd nom)
Brie Larson – “Short Term 12”
(1st nom)
Meryl Streep – “August: Osage County”
(14th nom – 6 wins – “Adaptation,” “A Cry in the Dark,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” “Kramer vs. Kramer” and “The Deer Hunter”)
__________
BEST ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE
Leonardo DiCaprio – “The Wolf of Wall Street”
(7th nom, 1 win – “The Aviator”)
Chiwetel Ejiofer – “12 Years a Slave”
(1st nom)
Tom Hanks – “Captain Phillips”
(8th nom – 1 win – “Cast Away”)
Oscar Isaac – “Inside Llewyn Davis”
(1st nom)
Michael Shannon – “The Iceman”
(3rd nom)
__________
BEST DIRECTOR
Joel and Ethan Coen – “Inside Llewyn Davis”
(6th nom, 1 win – “Fargo”)
Alfonso Cuaron – “Gravity”
(3rd nom)
Paul Greengrass – “Captain Phillips”
(3rd nom, 1 win – “United 93”)
Steve McQueen – “12 Years a Slave”
(2nd nom)
Denis Villeneuve – “Prisoners”
(1st nom)
__________
BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR
“12 Years a Slave”
Dede Gardner (2nd nomination), Jeremy Kleiner (1st nom), Steve McQueen (1st nom) and Brad Pitt (4th nom, 1 win – “Moneyball”)
“The Act of Killing”
Jeremy Oppenheimer (1st nom) and Signe Byrne Sorenson (1st nom)
“Captain Phillips”
Dana Brunetti (2nd nom, 1 win – “The Social Network”), Michael De Luca (3rd nom, 2nd win – “Moneyball” and “The Social Network”) and Scott Rudin (11th nom, 1 win – “The Social Network”)
“Gravity“
Alfonso Cuaron (3rd nom) and David Heyman (2nd nom)
“Her“
Megan Ellison (3rd nom), Spike Jonze (1st nom) and Vincent Landay (2nd nom, 1 win – “Adaptation”)
“Inside Llewyn Davis“
Joel and Ethan Coen (3rd nom) and Scott Rudin (11th nom, 1 win – “The Social Network”)
“The Place Beyond the Pines”
Lynette Howell (3rd nom), Sidney Kimmel (1st nom), Alex Orlovsky (3rd nom) and James Patricof (3rd nom)
“Prisoners“
Kira Davis (1st nom), Broderick Johnson (1st nom) and Andrew Kosove (1st nom)
“Short Term 12“
Joshua Astrachan (1st nom), Ron Najor (1st nom) and Maren Olson (1st nom)
“The Wolf of Wall Street“
Leonardo DiCaprio (1st nom), Emma Tillinger Koskoff (1st nom), Joey McFarland (1st nom) and Martin Scorsese (1st nom)
__________
NOMINATION LEADERS
“12 Years a Slave” – 13 nominations
“Gravity” – 10 nominations
“Captain Phillips” – 8 nominations
“Inside Llewyn Davis” – 8 nominations
“The Place Beyond the Pines” – 6 nominations
“American Hustle” – 5 nominations
“Her” – 5 nominations
“Prisoners” – 5 nominations
“August: Osage County” – 3 nominations
“The Great Gatsby” – 3 nominations
“Short Term 12” – 3 nominations
“Star Trek: Into Darkness” – 3 nominations
“The Wolf of Wall Street” – 3 nominations
The 3rd Annual Edgy Award Winners
These are undoubtedly a little late, but better late than never. After some deliberation, here are the winners of this year’s Edgy Awards, along with the runners-up in each category. If you missed the nomination announcement, you can check all of them out here.
Enjoy:
____________
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Skyfall” featured in “Skyfall”
Music and Lyrics by Adele
Runner-Up: “Song of the Lonely Mountain” featured in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
____________
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“The Master”
Jonny Greenwood
Runner-Up: “Life of Pi”
____________
BEST MAKEUP EFFECTS
“Les Miserables”
Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell
Runner-Up: “Lincoln”
____________
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
David Clayton, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon and R. Christopher White
Runner-Up: “Life of Pi”
____________
BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
“Looper”
Jeremy Peirson and Thomas Jones
Runner-Up: “The Dark Knight Rises”
____________
BEST SOUND EFFECTS MIXING
“Les Miserables”
Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson and Mark Paterson
Runner-Up: “The Dark Knight Rises”
____________
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Mirror Mirror”
Eiko Ishioka
Runner-Up: “Les Miserables”
____________
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Lincoln”
Rick Carter and Jim Erickson
Runner-Up: “Les Miserables”
____________
BEST EDITING
“Zero Dark Thirty”
William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor
Runner-Up: “Argo”
____________
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Master”
Mihai Malaimare Jr.
Runner-Up: “Skyfall”
____________
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“The Imposter”
Bart Layton
Runner-Up: “The Invisible War”
____________
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Lincoln”
Tony Kushner
Runner-Up: “Silver-Linings Playbook”
____________
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Looper”
Rian Johnson
Runner-Up: “The Master”
____________
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST PERFORMANCE
“Lincoln”
Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jackie Earle Haley, John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, Gloria Reuben, James Spader, David Strathairn, Michael Stuhlberg
Runner-Up: “Silver Linings Playbook”
____________
BEST ACTRESS in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Anne Hathaway – “Les Miserables”
Runner-Up: Sally Field – “Lincoln”
____________
BEST ACTOR in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Tommy Lee Jones – “Lincoln”
Runner-Up: Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
____________
BEST ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE
Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Runner-Up: Emmanuelle Riva – “Amour”
____________
BEST ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE
Joaquin Phoenix – “The Master”
Runner-Up: Daniel Day-Lewis – “Lincoln”
____________
BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow – “Zero Dark Thirty”
Runner-Up: Steven Spielberg – “Lincoln”
____________
BEST PICTURE
“Lincoln”
Runner-Up: “Zero Dark Thirty”
____________
Well, that’s all for 2012, folks. I felt as though I could not focus on the the current year without first putting the finishing touches on the year before. We’ll see what comes of it. Stay tuned…
Oscar Winner Predictions: The Impossibility of Reason
I’ve taken somewhat of a backseat to much of this year’s Oscars and how they’ve unfolded. Maybe I don’t have as much time on my hands anymore, or perhaps I’m getting a little bit lazy. However, there’s also the immutable fact that this is, without a doubt, the weirdest Oscars I’ve ever bore witness to. Pundits like myself have bitched and moaned for years about the Oscar race becoming a predictable formality. Now, we’ve had so many wrenches thrown into the works that all of the precedents, reason and logic have just gone clear out the window. 2012 is the ultimate crapshoot.
Perhaps it’s a good thing, overall. Because while this year’s awards season has spiraled into an enormous whirlwind of indecision and confusion, I believe we can all find a consensus in the overwhelming class and quality that was on display in filmmaking during the past year. I can’t have enough good things to say about 2012 and I believe it will go down as shining star in the chronology of cinematic history, up there with the likes of 2001, 1980, 1976, 1960 and, of course, 1939. I also believe that, in some way, the less focus on awards and accolades, we can foresee that it’s ultimately the movies that we’ll remember decades from now, while fiasco over the gold will simply be an afterthought.
Nevertheless, at it’s roots, this is an awards site and it’s time to get down to business. Bottom line, the award for Best Picture (and more than a few others) was completely thrown for a loop the morning that the nominations were announced, when two of the year’s biggest heavyweights were absent from the shortlist. Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow being left in the cold was perhaps the strangest occurrence in this category since Ang Lee and Ron Howard failed to receive nominations for their respective work back in 1995 (“Apollo 13” and “Sense and Sensibility”). Yet, this may have overall worked in Affleck’s favor, for since that morning, every critic, actor, producer, director, grip, PA and their mother has seemed to fall head over heels for the film. At this point, it seems that enough voters will sway towards “Argo” for the Best Picture, out of sheer sympathy, more than anything else. It doesn’t hurt that it’s also a fantastically entertaining and uplifting piece that pulls at Oscar’s heartstrings like a toddler on a hoop earring.
Meanwhile, there’s a flip-side to every equation. “Argo” may have taken every award since that fateful morning, yet that doesn’t change the fact that the snub still happened. Affleck missing out on Best Director makes a huge statement. It has to be more than just a fluke or the notion of the Academy leaning so heavily on what the guilds have done in the past. Plus, while one can compare the strangeness of this year’s circumstances to ’95, it’s important to be reminded how that year turned out, with neither Lee or Howard taking home the big prize at the end of the night. For now, I’ll go with the odds-on favorite, but can easily see the winds shifting. This weekend’s WGA will may be a largely determining factor.
Alas, my first round of winner predictions for the 85th Academy Awards:
BEST PICTURE: “Argo”
alternate: “Lincoln”
The 85th Academy Awards Nominations
BEST PICTURE
“Amour”
“Argo”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Django Unchained”
“Les Miserables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST DIRECTOR
Michael Haneke – “Amour”
Ang Lee – “Life of Pi”
David O’Russell – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Steven Spielberg – “Lincoln”
Behn Zeitlin – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Bradley Cooper – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis – “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman – “Les Miserables”
Joaquin Phoenix – “The Master”
Denzel Washington – “Flight”
BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessica Chastain – “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva – “Amour”
Quvenzhane Wallis – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts – “The Impossible”
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Arkin – “Argo”
Robert De Niro – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones – “Lincoln”
Christoph Waltz – “Django Unchained”
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams – “The Master”
Sally Field – “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway – “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt – “The Sessions”
Jacki Weaver – “Silver Linings Playbook”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Argo”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Amour”
“Django Unchained”
“Flight”
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Amour” – Austria
“Kon-Tiki” – Norway
“No” – Chile
“A Royal Affair” – Denmark
“War Witch” – Canada
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“5 Broken Cameras”
“The Gatekeepers”
“How to Survive a Plague”
“The Invisible War”
“Searching for Sugar Man”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Brave”
“Frankenweenie”
“ParaNorman”
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits”
“Wreck-It Ralph”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Anna Karenina”
“Django Unchained”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Skyfall”
BEST EDITING
“Argo”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Anna Karenina”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Anna Karenina”
“Les Misérables”
“Lincoln”
“Mirror Mirror”
“Snow White and the Huntsman”
BEST SOUND MIXING
“Argo”
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Skyfall”
BEST SOUND EDITING
“Argo”
“Django Unchained”
“Life of Pi”
“Skyfall”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Life of Pi”
“Marvel’s The Avengers”
“Prometheus”
“Snow White and the Huntsman”
BEST MAKE-UP AND HAIRSTYLING
“Hitchcock”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Les Misérables”
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice”
“Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from “Ted”
“Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi”
“Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“Anna Karenina”
“Argo”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Skyfall”
Final Predictions for the 85th Academy Awards
With the clock ticking, unfortunately, there’s not much time for discussion or justification. I’m just going to have to spit these out and see what happens in a matter of hours. Enjoy, and don’t forget to check back to see the results in the morning.
BEST PICTURE
1. “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. “Lincoln”
3. “Argo”
4. “Les Miserables”
5. “Silver Linings Playbook”
6. “Life of Pi”
7. “Moonrise Kingdom”
8. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
9. “Skyfall”
10. “Amour”
Alt 1: Django Unchained
Alt 2: “The Master”
(NOTE: Again, Best Picture could end up being anywhere between 5 and 10 nominees, so in this case, you can use the ideology of “if there are five…if there are six…etc”)
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Kathryn Bigelow – “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. Steven Spielberg – “Lincoln”
3. Ben Affleck – “Argo”
4. Ang Lee – “Life of Pi”
5. Tom Hooper” – “Les Miserables”
Alt 1: Michael Haneke – “Amour
Alt 2: Quentin Tarantino – “Django Unchained”
BEST LEADING ACTOR
1. Daniel Day-Lewis – “Lincoln”
2. Denzel Washington – “Flight”
3. Hugh Jackman – “Les Miserables”
4. John Hawkes – “The Sessions”
5. Joaquin Phoenix – “The Master”
Alt 1: Bradley Cooper – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Alt 2: Richard Gere – “Arbitrage”
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
1. Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook”
2. Jessica Chastain – “Zero Dark Thirty”
3. Marion Cotillard – “Rust and Bone”
4. Naomi Watts – “The Impossible”
5. Emmanuelle Riva – “Amour”
Alt 1: Quevenzhane Wallis – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Alt 2: Helen Mirren – “Hitchcock”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Tommy Lee Jones – “Lincoln”
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
3. Robert De Niro – “Silver Linings Playbook”
4. Alan Arkin – “Argo”
5. Leonardo DiCaprio – “Django Unchained”
Alt 1: Matthew McConaughey – “Magic Mike”
Alt 2: Christoph Waltz” – “Django Unchained”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Anne Hathaway – “Les Miserables”
2. Sally Field – “Lincoln”
3. Helen Hunt – “The Sessions”
4. Amy Adams – “The Master”
5. Ann Dowd – “Compliance”
Alt 1: Nicole Kidman – “The Paperboy”
Alt 2: Judi Dench – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
1. “Lincoln”
2. “Argo”
3. “Silver Linings Playbook”
4. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
5. “Life of Pi”
Alt 1: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Alt 2: “The Sessions”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1. “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. “Moonrise Kingdom”
3. “The Master”
4. “Amour”
5. “Looper”
Alt 1: “Django Unchained”
Alt 2: “Middle of Nowhere”
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
1. “The Gatekeepers”
2. “The Invisible War”
3. “Searching for Sugar Man”
4. “The House I Live In”
5. “Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God”
Alt 1: “How to Survive a Plague”
Alt 2: “5 Broken Cameras”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
1. “Brave”
2. “Frankenweenie”
3. “Wreck It Ralph”
4. “Paranorman”
5. “Rise of the Guardians”
Alt 1: “The Painting”
Alt 2: “Zarafa”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. “Amour”
2. “The Intouchables”
3. “War Witch”
4. “A Royal Affair”
5. “No”
Alt 1: “Sister”
Alt 2: “Kon Tiki”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. “Life of Pi”
2. “Skyfall”
3. “Lincoln”
4. “The Master”
5. “Les Miserables”
Alt 1: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Alt 2: “Anna Karenina”
BEST EDITING
1. “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. “Argo”
3. “Skyfall”
4. “Lincoln”
5. “Les Miserables”
Alt 1: “Silver Linings Playbook”
Alt 2: “Life of Pi”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. “Les Miserables”
2. “Lincoln”
3. “Anna Karenina”
4. “The Master”
5. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Alt 1: “Cloud Atlas”
Alt 2: “The Dark Knight Rises”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
1. “Lincoln”
2. “Les Miserables”
3. “Anna Karenina”
4. “Django Unchained”
5. “Mirror Mirror”
Alt 1: “A Royal Affair”
Alt 2: “Snow White and the Huntsman”
BEST SOUND MIXING
1. “Les Miserables”
2. “Skyfall”
3. “Zero Dark Thirty”
4. “The Avengers”
5. “The Dark Knight Rises”
Alt 1: “Lincoln”
Alt 2: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
1. “Skyfall”
2. “The Dark Knight Rises”
3. “The Avengers”
4. “Les Miserables”
5. “Django Unchained”
Alt 1: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Alt 2: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1. “Life of Pi”
2. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
3. “The Avengers”
4. “Prometheus”
5. “The Dark Knight Rises”
Alt 1: “Cloud Atlas”
Alt 2: “John Carter”
BEST MAKEUP EFFECTS
1. “Lincoln”
2. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
3. “Les Miserables”
Alt 1: “Men in Black 3″
Alt 2: “Looper”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
1. “Life of Pi”
2. “Lincoln”
3. “Argo”
4. “Anna Karenina”
5. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Alt 1: “The Master”
Alt 2: “Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
1. “Skyfall” – “Skyfall”
2. “Suddenly” – “Les Miserables”
3. “Learn Me Right” – “Brave”
4. “Still Alive” – “Paul Williams Still Alive”
5. “Ancora Qui” – “Django Unchained”
Alt 1: “From Here to the Moon and Back” – “Joyful Noise”
Alt 2: “Song of the Lonely Mountain” – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Updated 2013 Oscar Predictions – 12/29
It’s less than two weeks left until the big morning comes, but with everything that’s happened thus far, I thought it would be a good time to re-assess things. Obviously, “Zero Dark Thirty” has largely positioned itself at the head of the pack and Daniel Day Lewis is lined up for another coronation. However, many of the major categories still seem much more open then normal.
In the next two weeks, the guilds will really start to have their say. Throughout the last decade or so, these union groups nominations have very tight links to the eventual nominations. On the other hand, this year will be a unique one. For the first time, the DGA nominations won’t be announced until after Oscar ballots are due in. Therefore, this year, the DGA, which was always believed to have a large impact on not only Best Director, but the Best Picture category as well. Or perhaps this year will prove that theory wrong, in the event that we see the two organizations line-up without any connection proves that they really do think alike. We shall see.
Here’s my latest round of predictions for the 85th Academy Awards:
BEST PICTURE
1. “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. “Lincoln”
3. “Argo”
4. “Les Miserables”
5. “Silver Linings Playbook”
6. “Moonrise Kingdom”
7. “Life of Pi”
8. “Amour”
9. “The Master”
10. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Alt 1: Django Unchained
Alt 2: “Skyfall”
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Kathryn Bigelow – “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. Steven Spielberg – “Lincoln”
3. Ben Affleck – “Argo”
4. Tom Hooper – “Les Miserables”
5. David O’Russell – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Alt 1: Ang Lee – “Life of Pi”
Alt 2: Michael Haneke – “Amour”
BEST LEADING ACTOR
1. Daniel Day-Lewis – “Lincoln”
2. Denzel Washington – “Flight”
3. Hugh Jackman – “Les Miserables”
4. John Hawkes – “The Sessions”
5. Joaquin Phoenix – “The Master”
Alt 1: Bradley Cooper – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Alt 2: Richard Gere – “Arbitrage”
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
1. Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook”
2. Jessica Chastain – “Zero Dark Thirty”
3. Marion Cotillard – “Rust and Bone”
4. Naomi Watts – “The Impossible”
5. Emmanuelle Riva – “Amour”
Alt 1: Quevenzhane Wallis – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Alt 2: Rachel Weisz – “The Deep Blue Sea”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Tommy Lee Jones – “Lincoln”
2. Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
3. Robert De Niro – “Silver Linings Playbook”
4. Alan Arkin – “Argo”
5. Leonardo DiCaprio – “Django Unchained”
Alt 1: Matthew McConaughey – “Magic Mike”
Alt 2: Eddie Redmayne – “Les Miserables”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Anne Hathaway – “Les Miserables”
2. Sally Field – “Lincoln”
3. Helen Hunt – “The Sessions”
4. Amy Adams – “The Master”
5. Ann Dowd – “Compliance”
Alt 1: Nicole Kidman – “The Paperboy”
Alt 2: Judi Dench – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
1. “Lincoln”
2. “Argo”
3. “Silver Linings Playbook”
4. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
5. “Life of Pi”
Alt 1: “The Sessions”
Alt 2: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1. “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. “The Master”
3. “Moonrise Kingdom”
4. “Amour”
5. “Looper”
Alt 1: “Django Unchained”
Alt 2: “Seven Psychopaths”
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
1. “The Gatekeepers”
2. “The Invisible War”
3. “Searching for Sugar Man”
4. “The House I Live In”
5. “Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God”
Alt 1: “How to Survive a Plague”
Alt 2: “Bully”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
1. “Brave”
2. “Frankenweenie”
3. “Wreck It Ralph”
4. “Paranorman”
5. “Rise of the Guardians”
Alt 1: “The Painting”
Alt 2: “Zarafa”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. “Amour”
2. “The Intouchables”
3. “A Royal Affair”
4. “War Witch”
5. “Sister”
Alt 1: “No”
Alt 2: “Kon Tiki”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. “Life of Pi”
2. “The Master”
3. “Skyfall”
4. “Lincoln”
5. “Zero Dark Thirty”
Alt 1: “Les Miserables”
Alt 2: “Django Unchained”
BEST EDITING
1. “Zero Dark Thirty”
2. “Argo”
3. “Lincoln”
4. “Skyfall”
5. “Les Miserables”
Alt 1: “Silver Linings Playbook”
Alt 2: “LIfe of Pi”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. “Les Miserables”
2. “Lincoln”
3. “Anna Karenina”
4. “The Master”
5. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Alt 1: “Cloud Atlas”
Alt 2: “Moonrise Kingdom”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
1. “Lincoln”
2. “Les Miserables”
3. “Anna Karenina”
4. “Mirror Mirror”
5. “Django Unchained”
Alt 1: “A Royal Affair”
Alt 2: “Snow White and the Huntsman”
BEST SOUND MIXING
1. “Les Miserables”
2. “Skyfall”
3. “The Dark Knight Rises”
4. “The Avengers”
5. “Zero Dark Thirty”
Alt 1: “Django Unchained”
Alt 2: “Life of Pi”
BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
1. “Skyfall”
2. “The Dark Knight Rises”
3. “The Avengers”
4. “Les Miserables”
5. “Django Unchained”
Alt 1: “Zero Dark Thirty”
Alt 2: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
1. “Life of Pi”
2. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
3. “The Avengers”
4. “Prometheus”
5. “The Dark Knight Rises”
Alt 1: “Cloud Atlas”
Alt 2: “John Carter”
BEST MAKEUP EFFECTS
1. “Lincoln”
2. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
3. “Les Miserables”
Alt 1: “Looper”
Alt 2: “Men in Black 3”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
1. “Life of Pi”
2. “Lincoln”
3. “Argo”
4. “Anna Karenina”
5. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Alt 1: “The Master”
Alt 2: “Skyfall”
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
1. “Skyfall” – “Skyfall”
2. “Suddenly” – “Les Miserables”
3. “Learn Me Right” – “Brave”
4. “Still Alive” – “Paul Williams Still Alive”
5. “Ancora Qui” – “Django Unchained”
Alt 1: “From Here to the Moon and Back” – “Joyful Noise”
Alt 2: “Still Dream” – “Rise of the Guardians”
NOMINATIONS TALLY
12 – “Lincoln”
11 – “Les Miserables”
7 – “The Master”
7 – “Zero Dark Thirty”
6 – “Argo”
5 – “Life of Pi”
5 – “Silver Linings Playbook”
5 – “Skyfall”
4 – “Amour”
4 – “Django Unchained”
3 – “Anna Karenina”
3 – “The Avengers”
3 – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
3 – “The Dark Knight Rises”
3 – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
2 – “Brave”
2 – “Moonrise Kingdom”
2 – “The Sessions”
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Announces…
Well, after a week of “Zero Dark Thirty” dominating the east coast critics hearts and minds, Los Angeles finally breaks up the party and shakes things up a bit. Without a doubt, the big winner of the night was “The Master.” Despite narrowly missing Best Picture to Cannes winner “Amour,” the Anderson’s controversial drama earned four awards, including a supremely deserving Best Actor prize for Joaquin Phoenix. I’ve still got a lot of performances yet to see this year, but so far, none has topped this actor’s brilliant comeback turn.
Anderson himself garnered Best Director over Kathryn Bigelow, while Amy Adams confirms her candidacy in Best Supporting Actress for her stellar performance. Dwight Henry pulls out a massive underdog victory for “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and Jennifer Lawrence tightens up the Best Actress race, tying with Emmanualle Riva, who had a hell of a day on the other side of the country.
Here’s the full list of winners, below, and stay tuned for an update from the Boston and New York Film Critics Online who announced simultaneously this afternoon:
2012 LAFCA WINNERS
BEST PICTURE: “Amour”
runner-up: “The Master”
BEST DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson – “The Master”
runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow – “Zero Dark Thirty”
BEST LEADING ACTOR: Joaquin Phoenix – “The Master”
runner-up: Denis Lavant – “Holy Motors”
BEST LEADING ACTRESS: (TIE) Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook” and Emmanuelle Riva – “Amour”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Amy Adams – “The Master”
runner-up: Anne Hathaway – “Les Miserables”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Dwight Henry – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
runner-up: Christoph Waltz – “Django Unchained”
BEST SCREENPLAY: “Argo”
runner-up: “Silver Linings Playbook”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “Holy Motors”
runner-up: “Footnote”
BEST DOCUMENTARY: “The Gatekeepers”
runner-up: “Searching for Sugar Man”
BEST ANIMATED FILM: “Frankenweenie”
runner-up: “It’s Such a Beautiful Day”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “Skyfall”
runner-up: “The Master”
BEST EDITING: “Zero Dark Thirty”
runner-up: “Argo”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: “The Master”,
runner-up: “Moonrise Kingdom”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
runner-up: “The Master”
NEW GENERATION AWARD: Benh Zeitlin – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
2013 Oscar Predictions: “Just when I thought I was out…”
“…they pull me back in.” That’s right folks. It has now been nearly nine months since my last official post on The Edge of the Frame and I am severely out of practice. The close of last year’s Oscar season ironically coincided with my being hired into full time employment. Spending nine hours a day composing upwards of seventy-five emails and compiling online data have made coming home and getting behind a computer screen a not-so-welcoming scenario. A couple of hours of “The X-Files” on Netflix or “The Sopranos” on DVD have become a much more viable way to close out an evening. All of this partnered with a summer of fantasy baseball and my engagement to the woman I love have left comparably little time for my beloved little website.
However, as it turns out, old habits die hard. I’ve been watching the Oscars religiously for fifteen years and been dipping my toe into prognostication for the last seven. There’s no way I can sit this one out. There’s a lot of work to be done. Working full time has more or less hindered my rate of viewing new releases. I’ve got a schedule of about 36 films to see, both on Netflix and in theaters, over the next three months. However, with the first of the critics’ awards just around the corner, things are about to get very busy. Even before everything is seen and done, it’s about time that I offer a bit of perspective on how this year’s race is going to play out.
Some of the year’s biggest contenders have retained their position at the head of the race (“Les Miserables,” “Lincoln,”), practically since they were originally announced. Others have taken a hefty fall from grace (“The Master,” “The Dark Knight Rises”). A few projects have sprung up from out of the blue to become bonafide Best Picture threats (“The Silver Linings Playbook,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,”), while a couple that have barely been seen at all remain a mystery to many (“Zero Dark Thirty,” “Django Unchained”).
However, it’s never too early (or too late, in my case) to start putting the pieces together and assembling a picture of how the board will look almost exactly three months to the date. Listed below are my predictions for the 85th Annual Academy Award nominations. They’re ranked by the chances of each film (or individual) getting nominated. Winning does not come into play here. As complicated as it is, sometimes a person could have a lot easier a path getting nominated for an Oscar, then they ever would of winning. Ask Peter O’Toole if you need more info…
Enjoy, and remember that this whole chalkboard might be completely erased and scribbled down again, a month from now:
BEST PICTURE
1. “Argo”
2. “Lincoln”
3. “Les Miserables”
4. “Silver Linings Playbook”
5. “Zero Dark Thirty”
6. “The Master”
7. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
8. “Moonrise Kingdom”
9. “Life of Pi”
10. “The Sessions”
Alt 1: “Django Unchained”
Alt 2: “Amour”
Alt 3: “Flight”
My Top Ten List – 2010
Last year, I can remember the huge uproar against the AMPAS extending the amount of Best Picture nominees to ten. I can also remember, that through it all, I was one of this notion’s strongest supporters. I recognize the faults in the logic. It allows for lesser films that have no business being considered one of the year’s best to fight their way in due to endless campaigning and the votes of stupid people. This flaw took shape last year in the form of “The Blind Side” getting nominated for Best Picture.
However, the upsides of the expansion are far greater. It gives the field a more diverse look, for one. It’s nice to see films from a wide range of directors and collaborators. If allows also a mix of both intelligent box office hits and scrappy indy favorites. More than anything else, however, is that five films is just two few to sum up a year in cinema. Had the Academy enacted this ruling ten years ago, one would look back on certain films and think it a crime had they not been nominated, which they haven’t. Imagine a world if films like “The Wrestler,” “The Dark Knight,” “WALL-E,” “Into the Wild,” “Once,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “United 93,” “Little Children,” “Children of Men” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” could have been Best Picture nominees, and that’s only the last five years.
It must be for that reason that critics, for over fifty years, have been issuing top ten lists of their favorite films, rather than top five lists. It’s about that time, therefore, for The Edge of the Frame to release its own list for the 2010 year. I have now seen sixty films from 2010, which is low for me and not quite an respectable amount. Over the years, I’m sure that this list will change a spot or two as I see more, but for now, I believe that I’ve seen an acceptable sum to create an adequate list.
This has been a good year for film, but not really a great one. Out of sixty films, I gave only two films “A” grades. The year has had its high points and low points. For instance, it has been a great year for lead acting performances, but a rotten year for cinematography. For sure, I will always remember 2010 as the year that the Oscars snubbed its nose at great film and went home to their comfort zones. More than anything else, however, 2010 has been the year of the documentary. Never have I seen a year in cinema in which so many documentaries have captured my interest, let alone made it into my top ten.
As always there are a few stragglers that, even though they don’t qualify for my top ten, they still deserve an honorable mention. Therefore, this next selection of films are all very good, but just not good enough. They may be packed with amazing moments, but there’s also one too many flaws that have kept them down. So without further adieu, here are the films that just didn’t quite make it:
THE RUNNERS-UP
“127 Hours”
Directed by Danny Boyle
Written by Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy
Click HERE to see the rest of the list
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