
Movie awards season will officially kick off tonight and you’re invited to tune in with us as we live blog the 2016 Golden Globe Award winners as they are announced. Continue reading
Movie awards season will officially kick off tonight and you’re invited to tune in with us as we live blog the 2016 Golden Globe Award winners as they are announced. Continue reading
After last week’s nominations were revealed for the 22nd Annual SAG Awards and 73rd Golden Globes, it feels like it could be anyone’s game at this point. This morning the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced their 21st Critics’ Choice Awards nominees with George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road leading the charge with 13 nods. Hosted by T.J. Miller, the winners will be revealed during a live broadcast from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on A&E, Lifetime, and LMN on Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST.
Mad Max: Fury Road has undoubtedly become the underdog favorite of this awards season, as it has become one of the most revered features of the year by critics, myself included – my review. The big topic of conversation, aside from gaining Best Picture recognition, is Charlize Theron’s nods for both Best Actress and Best Actress In An Action Movie. Tom Hardy, of course, is nominated for Best Actor In An Action Movie, but it’s George Miller for Best Director that has really invested my interest into whether he could be a contender come Oscars. The film has also garnered nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Action Movie, and Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie.
Trailing behind the whirlwind, critically acclaimed hit is Carol, The Martian, and The Revenant with nine nominations each. While this year’s big favorite, Spotlight, has earned itself eight nominations from critics, followed by The Big Short and The Hateful Eight with six each. Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, The Danish Girl, Jurassic World, and Sicario each earned five nominations and Room obtained four. Charlize Theron isn’t the only actress up for multiple Best Actress categories, as Jennifer Lawrence is up for three for her work in Joy and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, while Rachel McAdams is up for two awards for Spotlight and True Detective.
And while the film categories are all up in the air, the television categories prove that the increasing output of excellent programming continued this year with FX, ABC, and HBO both gaining 14 nominations each; FOX is close on their heels with 12 nods. The big standout series this year, as determined by critics, is FX’s Fargo with eight nominations. The Leftovers (HBO) and Transparent (Amazon) are not far behind with five nominations each; Black-ish (ABC), Mr. Robot (USA), and Penny Dreadful (Showtime) each earned four.
So what can we takeaway from this year’s 21st Critics’ Choice Awards nominees? For starters, no other awards group has seen more movies this year than the critics, assumably. It’s their jobs to assess the year in film. Who better has a sound voice of reasoning than those who sit in dark rooms and watch movies multiple times per week? In the long run, sure, all awards are practically meaningless gold statues, and the varying award categories the BFCA and BTJA have set have little influence when it comes to the Oscars, but if these voices of reason can help sway voters to at least make an earnest decision at the polls we can be safe in knowing we won’t have another year where a Shakespeare in Love wins against a Saving Private Ryan.
BEST PICTURE
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
BEST EDITING
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
BEST ACTION MOVIE
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
BEST COMEDY
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BEST SONG
BEST SCORE
Following the unpredictable 22nd Annual SAG Awards nominees yesterday, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has now revealed their nominees for the Golden Globes. HFPA president Lorenzo Soria was joined by actors America Ferrera, Angela Bassett, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Dennis Quaid this morning to announce the 73rd Golden Globes nominations for both film and television categories. The Golden Globes will be presented live on NBC with host Ricky Gervais on January 10, 2016.
Unlike the SAG Awards where Trumbo gained the most nods, the HFPA favored Carol, a top contender among the chatter I’ve been in tune with. Carol has earned itself five nods, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress for Cate Blanchett, Best Actress for Rooney Mara, Best Director for Todd Haynes, and Best Score. The Revenant, Steve Jobs, and The Big Short lead behind Carol with four nods each. The Danish Girl, The Hateful Eight, The Martian, Room, and Spotlight each have three.
Regardless, this year’s Golden Globes nominees seem to be more in line with what has been predicted. There are typically a few oddball choices every year with the Golden Globes – The Tourist for Best Picture – Comedy or Musical, anyone? – but I honestly don’t see any I would strongly disagree with. The Martian, The Big Short, and Joy aren’t really comedies or musicals, but they do have some great humor in them.
What really stands out to me, and what fills me with hope for this awards season, is that Mad Max: Fury Road has earned two nods, including Best Picture – Drama and Best Director for George Miller. These nominations alone are a win in my mind and also well deserved – read my review of Mad Max: Fury Road. Also sticking out to me is the fact that Alicia Vikander, who came out of nowhere this year and starred in five big movies, is nominated in two separate categories: Best Actress in a Drama for The Danish Girl and Best Supporting Actress for Ex Machina. Everyone is saying Brie Larson is the new “It’ girl while Vikander seems to be skating by undetected. This woman is an incredible actress and deserves every bit of attention she is earning for her roles.
As far as television categories go, Netflix is the top dog among networks and streaming platforms with eight nominations – the exact same outcome as yesterday’s SAG Awards nominees announcement. American Crime, Fargo, Mr. Robot, Outlander, Transparent, and Wolf Hall all tied with three nominations each. Like Alicia Vikander, Lily Tomlin also scored two nominations herself, but in two separate mediums: one for Best Actress – Musical/Comedy for Grandma and Best Actress – Comedy for Grace and Frankie.
What scares me the most about this year’s Golden Globe Awards is the fact that I agree with a lot of their choices. Even more so in the television comedy categories. Specifically because The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family were not recognized as Best Series – Comedy and Jim Parsons was not nominated for Best Actor. It’s a Christmas miracle!
Without further ado, here are your nominees:
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
Best Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Best Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of August 4, 2015. Every Tuesday we run down new movie, television, and video game releases that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, as well as some slick deals that can save you some coin. New on shelves this week are Insurgent, Orphan Black (Season 3), Far from the Madding Crowd, and more.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent (Robert Schwentke) Rated PG-13 [119 min] – Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side. Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Miles Teller, Octavia Spencer, Zoë Kravitz, and Ashley Judd
Insurgent only made the series more convoluted. With nearly its entire cast completely unbearable, making idiotic character decisions at every turn, Insurgent makes Beautiful Creatures look like an Oscar contender.
Special features include:
Far from the Madding Crowd (Thomas Vinterberg) Rated PG-13 [119 min] – In Victorian England, the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor. Starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, and Tom Sturridge
I have not seen this movie yet, but I’ve heard it’s an early awards season candidate. I like Carey Mulligan, so I’m down to check it out sometime.
Special features include:
A Little Chaos (Alan Rickman) Rated R [117 min] – Two talented landscape artists become romantically entangled while building a garden in King Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles. Starring Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Stanley Tucci, and Matthias Schoenaerts
Did not see this movie, but it looked pretty boring. Sorry Professor Snape.
True Story (Rupert Goold) Rated R [99 min] – When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo – who has taken on Finkel’s identity – his investigation morphs into a game of cat-and-mouse. Starring James Franco, Jonah Hill, Felicity Jones, and Ethan Suplee
What starts off as one of the more disturbing visual cold openings for a film I have seen in a while, True Story is a fascinating watch. Sadly, with how intriguing the relationship forged between Franco’s Longo and Hill’s Finkel is, the movie fizzles out after the halfway point. I like Felicity Jones, but her part felt completely wasted. Goold tries really hard to create parallels between the two leads, but there is not enough to back up his intentions. And the ending is very anti-climactic.
Special features include:
Innerspace (Joe Dante) Rated PG [120 min] – A hapless store clerk must foil criminals to save the life of the man who, miniaturized in a secret experiment, was accidentally injected into him. Starring Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan
I had never seen or even heard of Innerspace until I learned of its Blu-ray release. And when I sat down to watch this film I had no real idea what to expect. Innerspace is definitely a very original story that’s kinda fun, but way too long. There’s a lot of pop culture references taken from the movie that we see today; there’s even a recent episode of Archer very similar to the premise of this film. It’s a silly watch for sci-fi comedy fans, but I don’t think it would hold up to modern audiences today; there’s just not a lot there to keep someone’s attention.
Special features include:
Blast from the Past (Hugh Wilson) Rated PG-13 [112 min] – A romantic comedy about a naive man who comes out into the world after being in a nuclear fallout shelter for 35 years. Starring Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, and Christopher Walken
The title speaks for itself with this latest Blu-ray transfer. I wasn’t a big fan of Blast from the Past when it first released, but thought I would give it another go. It’s barely passable. The characters are too uninteresting to care about their dilemmas. However, it’s a good concept that worked very well in Netflix’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Special features include:
Barely Lethal (Kyle Newman) Rated PG-13 [96 min] – A teenage special ops agent coveting a “normal” adolescence fakes her own death and enrolls in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of high school is more challenging than international espionage. Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Sophie Turner, and Jessica Alba
What would happen if Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass grew up to be a rebellious teenager? Oh wait, they already touched on it in Kick-Ass 2. And as terrible as that movie was, Barely Lethal does slightly better. There’s more focus on Hailee Steinfeld’s young assassin character as she transitions into high school. There’s also an oddball sensibility that provides a few chuckles. Barely Lethal wants to be edgy, but can’t quite reach the high bar it sets for itself. Perhaps if they went for an R rating they would have had a little more freedom to obtain that edge.
Special features include:
Child 44 (Daniel Espinosa) Rated R [137 min] – A disgraced member of the military police investigates a series of nasty child murders during the Stalin-era Soviet Union. Starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, and Joel Kinnaman
Period pieces are not my bag, and Child 44 did not change my opinion of the genre. All the big stars involved are a wasted talent. The movie drags on far too long with a throughline mystery itching to be solved in a more dynamic and colorful way. The climax is unearned and the thrilling case behind the murders is not captivating at all.
Special features include:
The Last Survivors (Thomas S. Hammock) Unrated [95 min] – A teenage girl fights to protect the last working well in a drought-stricken valley from a greedy water baron. Starring Haley Lu Richardson, Booboo Stewart, Max Charles, and Nicole Arianna Fox
Not all post-apocalyptic movies have to revolve around zombies or segregated districts. The Last Survivors is a really intimate and well-intentioned dystopia flick that takes chances. Unfortunately there isn’t much depth or story to create an interesting world in its short run time, which makes the film feel overly long. Haley Lu Richardson is a strong lead for this B-movie flick at least, but that doesn’t make up for the lack of everything else that could help support her.
A la mala (Pedro Pablo Ibarra) Rated PG-13 [99 min] – When aspiring actress Maria Laura’s best friend begs her to flirt with her boyfriend to test his fidelity, Maria finds a lucrative new career. After being hired by women across the city, Maria is given a gig that should be business as usual until she ends up falling head over heels for her latest mark. Starring Aislinn Derbez, Mauricio Ochmann, and Papile Aurora
This movie is also sitting on my shelf. I’ve liked Pantelion Films’ previous releases (Spare Parts; Instructions Not Included), and A la mala looks like it was made in the same vein; kind of goofy, but with a good heart.
Adult Beginners (Ross Katz) Rated R [90 min] – A young, narcissistic entrepreneur crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in total disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister, brother-in-law and 3-year-old nephew in the suburbs – only to become their nanny. Starring Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Joel McHale, and Jane Krakowski
I have not seen this movie nor have I had the opportunity presented to me.
Special features include:
The Affair (Hagai Levi and Sarah Treem) [DVD Only] Rated TV-MA [60 min] – The psychological effects of an affair between a married waitress at a Hamptons diner and a teacher who spends his summer at his in-laws’ estate on the island. Starring Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney, and Joshua Jackson
I wasn’t going to check this series out until I remembered that The Affair earned an OK amount of awards season buzz last year. Although I’ve only gotten through the first couple episodes, The Affair has tickled my interest and I’m curious to see how the plot pans out through the rest of the season. I really like the his/her storytelling device they use to tell the perspectives of Dominic West and Ruth Wilson’s characters. It’s a unique way to unveil character details as well as build a mystery.
Special features include:
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Complete First Season (Sam Rolfe) [DVD Only] Unrated [50 min] – The two top agents of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement fight the enemies of peace, particularly the forces of THRUSH.Stars: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Leo G. Carroll
I wanted to check out The Man from U.N.C.L.E. original series before the movie adaptation hit theaters this month. I watched the first few episodes and enjoyed it for the most part. The time when this series was made had its limitations, but overall the show doesn’t take itself as seriously as Bond. The episodes could be a little tighter, but I like Napoleon Solo as a semi-charming agent for U.N.C.L.E.. He’s not someone I would want to continually watch because he doesn’t seem to be the most skilled agent, but he comes from a good place. The Russian comes off as a robotic side-kick who slowly learns humanity; a little cliché for these times, but fresh for its original run.
Orphan Black: The Complete Third Season (John Fawcett and Graeme Manson) Sarah is in a desperate race to find her missing daughter, but her scorched earth tactics spark a war with Rachel, dividing and imperiling all the clones. As Sarah discovers more about her past, mysterious newcomers appear, but can they be trusted? Starring Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, and Jordan Gavaris
This is still on my shame list that is begging me to take it off. I’ll watch this series some day…
Special features include:
All prices from Amazon.com. Best Buy, Frys, and Target all price match online prices.
What will you be taking home this week? Tell us in the comments section below!
All plot synopses come courtesy of IMDb.com
While we provide you with a list of available new releases Now Available to Own every Tuesday, Coming Soon to Blu-ray and DVD looks at all of the recent home video announcements. For the week of June 27, 2015 we have Furious 7, Star Wars Rebels, Once Upon a Time, and more. Find out when they’ll be out and what special features movie fans can expect below
Furious 7 (James Wan) Rated PG-13 [137 min] – Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for the death of his brother. Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, and Kurt Russell (Watch the trailer)
Special features include:
Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season (Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz) Rated TV-PG [44 min] – Soon after Emma and Hook unwittingly bring Elsa of Arendelle to Storybrooke, they encounter the mysterious Snow Queen, whose relentless obsession with both Emma and Elsa has chilling consequences. Meanwhile, it appears Regina has at last found true love with Robin Hood. But how will she react when her happy ending is thwarted yet again by a maddening twist of fate? Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Colin O’Donoghue, Lana Parrilla, Jared Gilmore, Michael Raymond-James, Robert Carlyle, and Georgina Haig
Special features include:
Star Wars Rebels: The Complete First Season (Simon Kinberg, Carrie Beck, and Dave Filoni) Rated TV-Y7 [30 min] – A brave and clever ragtag starship crew stands up against the evil Empire as it tightens its grip on the galaxy and hunts down the last of the Jedi Knights. Starring Vanessa Marshall, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Steve Blum
Special features include:
Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas (Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh) Rated TV-G [43 min] – An elf leaves the North Pole to find his dad, who is on the naughty list. Starring Mark Hamill, Jim Parsons, Kate Micucci, and Ed Asner
Special features include:
Knights of Sidonia: The Complete First Series (Yuichi Matsushita and Tatsuya Shishikura) Rated TV-MA [24 min] – A thousand years after the destruction of Earth by gigantic aliens called Gauna, mankind is living on massive spaceships. One of these space ships is Sidonia, which is protected by large piolet controled exosuits called Gaurds. Starring Pete Sepenuk, Reba Buhr, and Ryôta Ôsaka
Special features include:
The Royals: The Complete First Season (Mark Schwahn) Unrated [42 min] – Drama about a fictional British Royal family set in modern day London, who inhabit a world of opulence and regal tradition that caters to any and every desire, but one that also comes with a price tag of duty, destiny and intense public scrutiny. Stars: Joan Collins, William Moseley, Alexandra Park, Merritt Patterson, Jake Maskall, and Elizabeth Hurley
Special features include:
Texas Rising: The TV Mini-Series (Roland Joffé) Rated TV-PG [450 mins] – Texas Rising tells the story of legendary hero Sam Houston and the Republic of Texas’s intense struggle for independence against the forces of fierce Mexican General Santa Anna. Starring Bill Paxton, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Addai-Robinson, and Olivier Martinez
Special features include:
The Affair (Hagai Levi and Sarah Treem) Rated TV-MA [60 min] – The psychological effects of an affair between a married waitress at a Hamptons diner and a teacher who spends his summer at his in-laws’ estate on the island. Starring Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierney, and Joshua Jackson
Special features include:
And that’s it for this week. What are you looking forward to picking up when they release?
Stay tuned for more Blu-Ray and DVD announcements every Saturday.
All plot synopses courtesy of IMDb.com
The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards kick off the actual awards part of awards season today on NBC. The big event will be once again hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and promptly aired live from 5:00-8:00 p.m. (PST)/8:00-11:00 p.m. (EST). We’ll be covering the Golden Globes live as well so in case you stepped out or have to miss them due to a previously planned engagement – because let’s be honest, they’re just the Globes – we’ve got you covered. After the jump you’ll find the complete winners list as they are announced tonight. Continue reading
Awards is continuing to get underway with the announcement of the 72nd Golden Globe Awards nominations this morning at the Beverly Hilton hotel. Kate Beckinsale, Peter Krause, Paula Patton, and Jeremy Piven did the honors as they were welcomed by Hollywood Foreign Press Association president, Theo Kingma and Miss Golden Globe, Greer Grammer. Fox Searchlight dominated the Golden Globes with 12 nods with its top contender Birdman contributing to seven of them. Check out the full list of nominees after the break. Continue reading