The Sony hack story is going to keep unfolding and there will be no shortage of opinions and takeaways. Writer Aaron Sorkin already took aim at the media for its behavior in the early days of the dust-up, sentiments echoed by “Nightcrawler” writer/director Dan Gilroy, whose film is very much about ethical slippage in journalism. Well, the “Newsroom” creator and “Social Network” screenwriter fired back yet again today after news broke that North Korea was, according to the FBI, “centrally involved” in the hack.

To wit:

Today the U.S. succumbed to an unprecedented attack on our most cherished, bedrock principle of free speech by a group of North Korean terrorists who threatened to kill moviegoers in order to stop the release of a movie. The wishes of the terrorists were fulfilled in part by easily distracted members of the American press who chose gossip and schadenfreude-fueled reporting over a story with immeasurable consequences for the public – a story that was developing right in front of their eyes. My deepest sympathies go out to Sony Pictures, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and everyone who worked on “The Interview.”

Meanwhile, I'd like to point you to another piece that I wholeheartedly agree with, Devin Faraci's suggestion that the Academy hand some breed of honorary achievement to directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg for producing, inarguably I would imagine, what has become the most important film of the year, if not the decade. It would be a grand gesture that art of any perceived quality has value and should not be suppressed. That is the part of the bedrock of the nation, isn't it?

Is that a bridge too far or precisely what is called for? You tell me.

At this point we're pretty far along on the Sony hack story. But a number of morally and ethically suspect pieces were published a week ago and, of course, news organizations rationalized their behavior. Since then, things have taken a darker turn with terrorist threats and the decision, first by theater owners and then by a corporate giant, to bow to those whims. But before all that started happening, I got “Nightcrawler” writer and director Dan Gilroy on the phone earlier this week to talk about the media's role and responsibilities when something like that arises. Reporters devouring a hacked carcass, scavenging for ratings under the thin guise of integrity – I was, to say the least, quite reminded of his film.

“'Nightcrawler' does come across as an indictment,” Gilroy says, “but the indictment I'm trying to make isn't so specific to stringers or even the world of the pressures on Rene [Russo]'s character as a news director in a station. The larger net I'm trying to cast is that people watching the film will say, 'Wait a minute, I'm one of the people who watches these images. If I'm given a choice between two channels and one is showing an in-depth study of social security going bankrupt and the other is showing a car chase, I'm going to watch the car chase. It doesn't make me bad or good, it's just I have to be aware that the time I would normally slot to informing myself is being given increasingly to violent, graphic images.'”

And indeed, providing a market for same. Which is why I wanted to talk to him this week. A former Variety reporter himself, Gilroy is well aware of the world of entertainment journalism and how the lowered stakes of that beat can keep the ethical slope slippery. The line between news and entertainment is increasingly blurred, and so a mentality of providing the readership what it wants, not necessarily what it needs, more easily catches hold.

“I think it's absolutely relevant,” he says. “If it [had been] a third party, a hacker or an individual, I think that person would be motivated by the understanding that there is a tremendous vacuum out there and a desire for private information, things that are forbidden, that you wouldn't feel good about yourself for looking at. Because you'd be a thief if you snuck into someone's office and looked at their computer. And somehow because it's being published, that makes it OK? News gatherers who are desperate for ratings or eyeballs, it's 'what can I put on here to get an advertiser to put a $2,000 banner to go on my screen because I'm hurting this month?'”

Which recalls the rampant rationalization that came in the wake of media decisions last week. Gilroy didn't even feel the need to finish reading Aaron Sorkin's New York Times op-ed condemning publication of the material, he says, because the “Newsroom” creator had so succinctly made his point from the outset. “I agreed with every word,” he says. “The rationale that I've seen stated in print is, 'Well, if we don't run it then other people are going to run it, and then we're somehow behind.' The moral issue that you're bringing up, that is probably the most relevant part of the conversation, is literally discarded the moment they start speaking about it. 'It's not a question of if it's moral or not, it's a question of it's out there and if we don't run it we're behind.' I think it shows you how far down the road we are on this.”

There are obviously, potentially, much higher stakes surrounding the Sony situation than whether private information and exchanges are published, but it's worth it to consider media behavior in the lead-up to this week's events. Gilroy's film speaks so specifically to these concerns because he grew up a news junkie who always felt journalism to be an inspiring occupation, “one of the cornerstones of society,” he says. There's a reason whenever there is a revolution, the rebels take over radio and TV broadcasting. It's that important, so much so that whatever the stakes, the ethical high ground ought to be at the forefront.

“News has become entertainment,” Gilroy says. “Once that happens, a whole series of horrific events start to happen, whether it's the lack of dissemination of something that can inform you or something that actually negatively impacts society. And who among us would ever want to have our privacy invaded like that and not feel utterly violated if it becomes fodder for commercials or ads on a site? It's terrible.”

I imagine you've been paying attention since yesterday as theater chain after theater chain has opted out (with Sony's blessing) of showing the Seth Rogen/James Franco film “The Interview” in the wake of terrorist threats. With major chains like AMC and Regal joining others like Arclight, Bow Tie and Cinemark, perhaps the studio was left with little choice but to pull the film from release. Some might argue, though, that a day-and-date VOD release would be a good way of getting a film out there that clearly someone (supposedly) wants suppressed, but for now, Sony has simply decided not to move forward with the Christmas Day release. Read the official statement below.

In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film “The Interview,” we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners” decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.

Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale – all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.

http://players.brightcove.net/4838167533001/BkZprOmV_default/index.html?videoId=4910357485001

HOLLYWOOD – “Unbroken” is Angelina Jolie's second directorial effort to date, but she bit off a whole lot more than she expected to chew. The production became a huge undertaking, particularly at the script stage when a number of various elements could have been included from the epic life of Louis Zamperini. So it was as important as ever to do a lot of heavy lifting on the page.

I sat down with Jolie last week to discuss those particulars, taking a risk on unknowns in the film's central roles and how Sidney Lumet's “The Hill” informed the look of the film. Read through the back and forth below for that and other tidbits. And check out our recent video interview at the top of this post for even more.

“Unbroken” opens Christmas Day.

***

HitFix: Before we jump in here, I just wanted to say I'm glad to see someone taking on Eric Roth's “Africa” script. I've been hearing about that project for a number of years so it's cool to see it finally taking off.

Angelina Jolie: It is. It's very exciting. I love him Eric much. He's such a dear friend, and he's a godfather to our son Pax. We've been working on “Cleopatra” a long time, and still working on it. And he's been so supportive of me becoming a director. But to suddenly get the opportunity to direct an Eric Roth script, to be able to sit with Eric and work on it, it's new for our relationship.

Well good luck on it. On this, though, how did it feel stretching out a bit more working on your second film as a director?

It was a really, really big movie to do. And I didn't go into it realizing it, I think. I came into it thinking, “I love Louie. He's inspirational.” But the reality of suddenly having a very specific budget and needing all these different locations, and convincing myself that I could walk on with the confidence to direct the raft scenes, the shark attacks, the plane crashes, it was all more than I anticipated. I wasn't looking to do a big movie. I was just looking to direct a film I cared about, and I would have never attempted something of this size had it not been a story I loved.

It's a lot of material to wrangle into a script. When you came to the project was it still a battle of figuring out what to get in, what to leave out? What were the hardest decisions in that process?

That's exactly what it was, and I think it's why it has taken since 1957 to do it, because his life is kind of a miniseries, you know? And everything we would leave out – I would carry the book around and it would drive me crazy because people would always stop me and say, “That is my favorite book. You know what my favorite scene was?” And whatever it was it was something that wasn't in the movie. “My favorite scene is when he stole the Nazi flag.” I'm like, “I know, me too, but…” Or “My favorite scene was when the Great White breached,” and “I know, I can't get that either. It's too expensive.” So it's frustrating. But I think Laura's book and the Coen brothers coming in and the work that had been done on the scripts, we were able to really look at it and say, “OK, let's not be overwhelmed by all the details of this life. Let's look at it and say, 'What is this film about?' It talks about the human spirit, so we need to see the rise of the human spirit. It's an athlete and understanding his own body and endurance and how it gets him through the war. We need to see that. It is about a man of faith and we need to understand that was present in his life since he was 9 years old and how does he come to that? And where does forgiveness come in?” So we had the themes and we just had to say, “Alright, that's our film. What, then, in his life, do we pull out to illustrate those themes?” Because as the Coen brothers pointed out to me, if you literally try to go page by page you will just make a terrible film. So make a good film, but make sure the essence is the same or you'll drive yourself crazy. There's just so much content.

Speaking of the Coens, what else did they feed into the script that helped the story along?

I think a few things. One, they're great directors, obviously, so there's a sense of structure they have – a tighter sense of where things need to be moved or structured or this begins or this comes after. So they can help to clarify that and make it a more interesting structure, which this film really desperately needed. And also, I think, what's great about them is they're not sentimental, and I think this film could have, with the wrong writers, become one that was very earnest and very beautiful, but didn't have the edge and the sense of humor and the way of just looking at life, and not only the beauty of life, but just the strangeness of life and the friendship and the very intimate, regular moments of life, which the Coen brothers are just so brilliant at putting forward.

You had a great ally in cinematographer Roger Deakins, to say the least. I talked to him a bit about this and he said you were interested in Sidney Lumet's “The Hill” in terms of a look. Why was that?

Well I love Sidney Lumet, so I'm a bit of a Sidney Lumet geek.

You can be forgiven for that, I think.

[Laughs.] Right? But there was something about “The Hill,” because I think there's something you very quickly go to with war films – and this film, there's a war film aspect, there's also a “Chariots of Fire” aspect, there's also this Italian immigrant, “Godfather” aspect, there's all these different things and then there's the raft. I think at one point we wrote a list of all the different kinds of movies this was and we got to, like, 10. But we talked about “The Hill” because there's something about it, maybe it was also meditation for me, that you can get so lost in an epic, you forget the center of the story. And “The Hill” is such a clean film that is so – you really are in this one place and you follow this character and you see what he's up against and you see his relationship with the other men and there's very clean, simple themes. And it's obviously shot with such precision. It's not that it's a “cool” shot where you go, “Oh, I'd put this on my wall.” There's purpose. There's a reason why that person is standing there and that person is standing there and that character is in sunlight and that person's in shadow. Every shot really moved the narrative forward in the way it was framed and lit. We wanted to make sure the film had a stunning quality to it, so the audience would absorb it, but there was something about “The Hill” that really played on the patterns and the structure of prison camp life that I think added an element that we needed. And when you see some of the scenes when the men are lined up for the 200 punch, that's very “Hill.” And there are deeper layers. If you look at Naoetsu, there's the men lined up and they're covered in black coal, and then behind them is another group and behind them is another group, and there are all these very, very well thought-out patterns and layers to the framing that we wanted to try to do.

How about the risk of taking on unknowns for these roles, Jack O'Connell and particularly Miyavi. How did you come to those decisions?

With Jack, I was so aware of what I was looking for and what I needed, and I simply couldn't find it until I saw Jack's work and all of those things were so clear. What I needed was a young man, somebody who could carry the story, but it was really important that these boys were actually boys, that we felt the youth. So I wasn't going to cast somebody that was an unknown and older but wasn't accurate to Louie at that time. Most of all he had to have a real fight and fire in him, and you had to feel that he was an everyman, really relatable and strong, felt like he could have lived in the '40s and come through a Depression, and I think Jack's life and his background gives him that extra edge and understanding of life and work. Somebody that had that wit and fire and charm that Louie had, and also an actor that was willing to be as vulnerable as he had to be, and capable of that kind of performance, that kind of emotion. So it was very clear, when it was Jack, I couldn't believe my luck when we found him. It felt like it was meant to be, and Louie really responded to him. Although when Louie saw his audition he said, “He needs to stop swearing so much.” [Laughs.]

That's very of-the-generation, I guess.

Yeah. [Laughs.] “I don't swear.” And Miyavi, I approached it with – I didn't want it to be a stereotype of a Japanese prison guard. The Bird is described as being very striking and very powerful and I thought about, “Well, what is it when you think of someone who can stand in front of a crowd and own the room without saying anything?” That's a rock star. So I had this thought – at first it was just, “Here's the crazy idea. The crazy idea is, 'Let's look into Japanese rock stars and see what we discover.'” And Miyavi was the first name put forward. As soon as I became aware of his work, he's magnetic and he's a ridiculously talented guitarist and musician. And obviously a very striking man. But I didn't know if he wanted to act, if he'd be willing to act, and if he could. So I was really blown away when I saw his audition. I think he's just extraordinary. For someone who has had no history acting, he's a very skilled, very capable performer. It's a natural talent.

The Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) announced its nominees for the 15th Annual Black Reel Awards Wednesday morning. Justin Simien's “Dear White People” and Ava DuVernay's “Selma” led the way with 10 nominations each. They were joined by “Belle,” “Beyond the Lights” and “Top Five” in the organization's best picture category.

Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced on Feb. 22, 2015. And learn more about what's going on this season at The Circuit.

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
“Belle”
“Beyond the Lights”
“Dear White People”
“Selma”
“Top Five”

Outstanding Actor
Chadwick Boseman, “Get on Up”
David Oyelowo, “Selma”
Nate Parker, “Beyond the Lights”
Chris Rock, “Top Five”
Denzel Washington, “The Equalizer”

Outstanding Actress
Rosario Dawson, “Top Five”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Belle”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Beyond the Lights”
Tessa Thompson, “Dear White People”
Quvenzhané Wallis, “Annie”

Outstanding Supporting Actor
Nelsan Ellis, “Get On Up”
David Oyelowo, “A Most Violent Year”
Tyler Perry, “Gone Girl”
Wendell Pierce, “Selma”
Michael K. Williams, “The Gambler”

Outstanding Supporting Actress
Viola Davis, “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby”
Carmen Ejogo, “Selma”
Teyonah Parris, “Dear White People”
Zoe Saldana, “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Octavia Spencer, “Snowpiercer”

Outstanding Director
Amma Asante, “Belle”
Gina Prince-Bythewood, “Beyond the Lights”
Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
Chris Rock, “Top Five”
Justin Simien, “Dear White People”

Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted)
Gina Prince-Bythewood, “Beyond the Lights”
John Ridley, “Jimi: All is by My Side”
Chris Rock, “Top Five”
Misan Sagay, “Belle”
Justin Simien, “Dear White People”

Outstanding Documentary
“Anita: Speaking Truth to the Power”
“I Am Ali”
“Keep on Keepin” On”
“Time is Illmatic”
“Virunga”

Outstanding Ensemble (Awarded to Casting Directors)
“Belle”
“Dear White People”
“Get On Up”
“Selma”
“Top Five”

Outstanding Foreign Film
“Difret” (Ethiopia)
“The Double!” (U.K.)
“Fishing Without Nets” (Kenya)
“Freedom Road” (South Africa)
“Half of a Yellow Sun” (Nigeria)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male
Brandon Bell, “Dear White People”
David Gyasi, “Interstellar”
Andre Holland, “Selma”
Stephan James, “Selma”
Tyler James Williams, “Dear White People”

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
Jillian Estell, “Black or White”
Patina Miller, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1”
Teyonah Parris, “Dear White People”
Amber Stevens, “22 Jump Street”
Kuoth Wiel, “The Good Lie”

Outstanding Voice Performance
Vin Diesel, “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Morgan Freeman, “The LEGO Movie”
Maya Rudolph, “Big Hero 6”
Zoe Saldana, “The Book of Life”
Damon Wayans Jr., “Big Hero 6”

Outstanding Score
“Black or White”
“Dear White People”
“Jimi: All is by My Side”
“Beyond the Lights”
“Selma”

Outstanding Original Song
“It Ain”t Easy” from “Top Five”
“It”s On Again” from “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”
“Glory” from “Selma”
“Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights,”
“What is Love” from “Rio 2”

Outstanding Independent Feature
“1982”
“Christmas Wedding Baby”
“CRU”
“The Retrieval”
“Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind”

Outstanding Independent Documentary
“25 to Life”
“Evolution of a Criminal”
“Let the Fire Burn”
“Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood”
“Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People”

Outstanding Independent Short
“#AmeriCan”
“Muted”
“The Voodoo”

(Check out the TV nominees on the next page.)

TELEVISION

Outstanding Television Documentary or Special
“Finding the Funk”
“Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown”
“On the Run Tour: Jay-Z & Beyonce”
“The Tanning of America: One Nation Under Hip-Hop”
“Terror at the Mall”

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series
“A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
“Gun Hill”
“Rosemary”s Baby”
“Seasons of Love”
“The Trip to Bountiful”

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Charles S. Dutton, “Comeback Dad”
David Alan Grier, “An En Vogue Christmas”
Ving Rhames, “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
Keith Robinson, “Lyfe”s Journey”
Larenz Tate, “Gun Hill”

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Whoopi Goldberg, “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
Imani Hakim, “The Gabby Douglas Story”
Letoya Luckett, “Seasons of Love”
Zoe Saldana, “Rosemary”s Baby”
Cicely Tyson, “The Trip to Bountiful”

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Richard T. Jones, “Lyfe”s Journey”
Harry Lennix, “The Fright Night Files”
Mekhi Phifer, “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
Blair Underwood, “The Trip to Bountiful”
Bokeem Woodbine, “The Fright Night Files”

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Tichina Arnold, “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
Kimberly Elise, “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
Aisha Hinds, “Gun Hill”
Anika Noni Rose, “A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
Vanessa L. Williams, “The Trip to Bountiful”

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Mini-Series
Reggie Rock Bythewood, “Gun Hill”
Stan Foster, “My Other Mother”
Princess Monique, “Seasons of Love”
Russ Parr & R.L. Scott, “The Fright Night Files”
Ryan Richmond, “Lyfe”s Journey”

Outstanding Writing, TV Movie or Mini-Series
“Gun Hill”
“A Day Late and a Dollar Short”
“An En Vogue Christmas”
“Seasons of Love”
“Comeback Dad”

Critics in the UK obviously aren't immune to the charms of “Boyhood,” as the film did well with the London Film Critics Circle. Now the Dublin Film Critics Circle has named it the year's best across the channel. The group also revealed its long lists throughout the categories, giving you some insight into which films were in the running. (Personal shout-out to my friends who made the documentary “Showrunners,” which got a little love on the documentary list.)

Check out the full list of winners below and watch it all unfold at The Circuit.

Top 10 Films
1. “Boyhood”
2. “Under the Skin”
3. “Ida”
4. “The LEGO Movie”
5. “12 Years a Slave”
6. “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
7. “Two Days, One Night”
8. (TIE) “Her,””Leviathan”
9. “The Wolf of Wall Street”
10. (TIE) “Blue Ruin” and “The Lunch Box”

Best Director
1. Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
2. Jonathan Glazer, “Under the Skin”
3. Pawel Pawlikowski, “Ida”
4. Spike Jonze, “Her”
5. Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
6. Andrey Zvyagintsev, “Leviathan”
7. Steve Mc Queen, “12 Years a Slave”
8. Yann Demange, “”71”
9. (TIE) Phil Lord and Chris Miller, “The LEGO Movie” and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, “Two Days, One Night”
10. Jennifer Kent, “The Babadook”

Best Actress
1. Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
2. Scarlett Johnasson, “Under the Skin”
3. Essie Davis, “The Babadook”
4. Julianne Moore, “Maps to the Stars”
5. Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
6. Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
7. Kristen Wiig, “The Skeleton Twins”
8. Agata Kulesza, “Ida”
9. (TIE) Agata Trzebuckowska, “Ida” and Mia Wasikowska, “Tracks”
10. (TIE) Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle” and Emmanuelle Devos, “Violette”

Best Actor
1. Jake Gyllenhall, “Nightcrawler”
2. Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
3. Jack O” Connell, “”71”
4. Jack O”Connell, “Starred Up”
5. Phillip Seymour Hoffman-  A Most Wanted Man”
6. Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
7. (TIE) Chadwick Boseman, “Get On Up” and Timothy Spall, “Mr Turner”
8. Michael Fassbender, “Frank”
9. Irrfan Khan, “The Lunchbox”
10. (TIE) Tom Hardy, “Locke,” Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years A Slave,” Joaquin Phoenix, “Her” and Bill Hader, “The Skelton Twins”

Best Irish Film
1. “Frank”
2. “Living in a Coded Land”
3. “Out of Here”
4. “Calvary”
5. “Run & Jump”
6. “One Million Dubliners”
7. “Gold”
8. “Standby”
9. “Noble”
10. “Unbreakable”

Best Documentary
1. “Finding Vivian Maier”
2. “One Million Dubliners”
3. “CITIZENFOUR”
4. “Concerning Violence”
5. “20 Feet from Stardom”
6. “The Known Unknown”
7. (TIE) “Night Will Fall” and “All this Mayhem”
8. (TIE) “Life Itself” and Dinosaur 13″
9. (TIE) “20,000 Days on Earth,” “Next Goal Wins” and “Living in a Coded Land”
10. (TIE) “The Missing Picture,” “The Overnighters,” “The Case Against 8” and “Showrunners”

Breathrough
Jack O”Connell (“'71,” “Starred Up” and “Unbroken”)

Yeah, the Austin Film Critics Association naturally dug the Austin-set “Boyhood,” and yeah, they showed a lot of love for “Nightcrawler.” But the single coolest thing they did Wednesday in their awards announcement was single out “Joe” star Gary Poulter, a homeless local non-actor who tragically died after completing work on the David Gordon Green film but who delivered one of the most startling performances of the year. He belongs on any supporting actor ballot, in my humble opinion.

Check out the full list of winners below, and as ever: The Circuit.

Best Film
“Boyhood”

Best Director
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”

Best Adapted Screenplay
“Gone Girl”

Best Original Screenplay
“Nightcrawler”

Best Cinematography
“Birdman”

Best Score
“Birdman”

Best Animated Film
“The LEGO Movie”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Force Majeure”

Best Documentary
“CITIZENFOUR”

Best First Film
“Nightcrawler”

Breakthrough Artist
Jennifer Kent, “The Babadook”

Best Austin Film
“Boyhood”

Special Honorary Award
Gary Poulter for his outstanding performance in “Joe”

Top 10
1. “Boyhood”
2. “Whiplash”
3. “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
4. “Birdman”
5. “Snowpiercer”
6. “Nightcrawler”
7. “Selma”
8. “The Imitation Game”
9. (TIE) “Inherent Vice” and “Gone Girl”

Each year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films to be named to the National Film Registry, a proclamation of commitment to preserving the chosen pictures for all time. They can be big studio pictures or experimental short films, goofball comedies or poetic meditations on life. The National Film Registery “showcases the extraordinary diversity of America”s film heritage and the disparate strands making it so vibrant” and by preserving the films, the Library of Congress hopes to “a crucial element of American creativity, culture and history.” This year”s selections span the period 1913 to 2004 and include a number of films you”re familiar with. Unless you”ve never heard of “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Rosemary”s Baby” or “Ferris Bueller's Day Off.”

Highlights from the list include the aforementioned film, Arthur Penn”s Western “Little Big Man,” John Lasseter”s 1986 animated film, “Luxo Jr.,” 1953″s “House of Wax,” the first full-length 3-D color film produced and released by a major American film studio, 1971″s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” and Howard Hawks” 1959 Western “Rio Bravo.”

The silent films selected for preservation include 1919″s “The Dragon Painter,” starring Hollywood”s first Asian star, Sessue Hayakawa; the 1916 social drama examining poverty and prostitution, “Shoes”; and “Unmasked,” the 1917 film directed and scripted by its star Grace Cunard. The National Film Registery”s press release also indicates that it has added seven reels of untitled and unassembled footage featuring vaudevillian Bert Williams, the first African-American Broadway headliner and the most popular recording artist before 1920.

If you”re curious why we need a National Film Registry: In 2013, the Library of Congress released a report that conclusively determined that 70 percent of the nation”s silent feature films have been lost forever and only 14 percent exist in their original 35 mm format. This year”s selections bring the number of films in the registry to 650, which is a small fraction of the Library”s vast moving-image collection of 1.3 million items.

For the full list of Registry inductees, as well as background on each entry, head to the next page.

“13 Lakes” (2004)
James Benning”s feature-length film can be seen as a series of moving landscape paintings with artistry and scope that might be compared to Claude Monet”s series of water-lily paintings. Embracing the concept of “landscape as a function of time,” Benning shot his film at 13 different American lakes in identical 10-minute takes. Each is a static composition: a balance of sky and water in each frame with only the very briefest suggestion of human existence. At each lake, Benning prepared a single shot, selected a single camera position and a specific moment. The climate, the weather and the season deliver a level of variation to the film, a unique play of light, despite its singularity of composition. Curators of the Rotterdam Film Festival noted, “The power of the film is that the filmmaker teaches the viewer to look better and learn to distinguish the great varieties in the landscape alongside him. [The list of lakes] alone is enough to encompass a treatise on America and its history. A treatise the film certainly encourages, but emphatically does not take part in.” Benning, who studied mathematics and then film at the University of Wisconsin, currently is on the faculty at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

“Bert Williams Lime Kiln Club Field Day” (1913)
In 1913, a stellar cast of African-American performers gathered in the Bronx, New York, to make a feature-length motion picture. The troupe starred vaudevillian Bert Williams, the first African-American to headline on Broadway and the most popular recording artist prior to 1920. After considerable footage was shot, the film was abandoned. One hundred years later, the seven reels of untitled and unassembled footage were discovered in the film vaults of the Museum of Modern Art, and are now believed to constitute the earliest surviving feature film starring black actors. Modeled after a popular collection of stories known as “Brother Gardener”s Lime Kiln Club,” the plot features three suitors vying to win the hand of the local beauty, portrayed by Odessa Warren Grey. The production also included members of the Harlem stage show known as J. Leubrie Hill”s “Darktown Follies.” Providing insight into early silent-film production (Williams can be seen applying his blackface makeup), these outtakes or rushes show white and black cast and crew working together, enjoying themselves in unguarded moments. Even in fragments of footage, Williams proves himself among the most gifted of screen comedians.           

“The Big Lebowski” (1998)
From the unconventional visionaries Joel & Ethan Coen (the filmmakers behind “Fargo” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”) came this 1998 tale of kidnapping, mistaken identity and bowling.  As they would again in the 2008 “Burn After Reading,” the Coens explore themes of alienation, inequality and class structure via a group of hard-luck, off-beat characters suddenly drawn into each other”s orbits.  Jeff Bridges, in a career-defining role, stars as “The Dude,” an LA-based slacker who shares a last name with a rich man whose arm-candy wife is indebted to shady figures.  Joining Bridges are John Goodman, Tara Reid, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Steve Buscemi and, in a now-legendary cameo, John Turturro.  Stuffed with vignettes-each staged through the Coens” trademark absurdist, innovative visual style-that are alternately funny and disturbing, “Lebowski” was only middling successful at the box office during its initial release.  However, television, the Internet, home video and considerable word-of-mouth have made the film a highly quoted cult classic.

“Down Argentine Way” (1940)
Betty Grable”s first starring role in a Technicolor musical happened only because Alice Faye had an attack of appendicitis, but Grable took advantage of the situation and quickly made herself as important to 20th Century-Fox as Faye. Released just over a year before America entered World War II, this film and others starring Grable established her as the pinup queen.  The title explains much, with Grable traveling to South America and falling in love with Don Ameche.  Carmen Miranda makes her American film debut, and the Nicolas Brothers” unparalleled dance routines dazzle.

“The Dragon Painter” (1919)
After becoming Hollywood”s first Asian star, Japanese-born Sessue Hayakawa, like many leading film actors of the time, formed his own production company-Haworth Pictures (combining his name with that of director William Worthington)-to gain more control over his films. “The Dragon Painter,” one of more than 20 feature films his company produced between 1918 and 1922, teamed Hayakawa and his wife Tsuru Aoki in the story of an obsessed, untutored painter who loses his artistic powers after he finds and marries the supposed “dragon princess.” His passion and earlier pursuit of her had consumed him with the urge to create. Reviewers of the time praised the film for its seemingly authentic Japanese atmosphere, including the city of Hakone and its Shinto gates, built in Yosemite Valley, California.

“Felicia” (1965)
This 13-minute short subject, marketed as an educational film, records a slice of life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles prior to the rebellions of 1965. Filmmakers Trevor Greenwood, Robert Dickson and Alan Gorg were UCLA film students when they crafted a documentary from the perspective of the unassuming-yet-articulate teenager Felicia Bragg, a high-school student of African-American and Hispanic descent. Felicia”s first-person narrative reflects her hopes and frustrations as she annotates footage of her family, school and neighborhood, creating a time capsule that”s both historically and culturally significant. Its provenance as an educational film continues today as university courses use “Felicia” to teach documentary filmmaking techniques and cite it as an example of how non-traditional sources, as well as mainstream television news, reflect and influence public opinion.

“Ferris Bueller”s Day Off” (1986)
The late John Hughes, the king of both 1980s family comedy (“Home Alone”) and teen angst (“Sixteen Candles”), achieved a career highpoint with this funny, heartfelt tale of a teenage wiseacre (Matthew Broderick) whose day playing hooky leads not only to a host of comic misadventures but also, ultimately, to self-realization for both him and his friends.  Hughes” manner of depicting late-20th-century youth-their outward and inward lives-finds a successful vehicle in the “everyman” appeal of lead Broderick, whose conning of his parents is really an honest and earnest attempt to help his best friend.  With the city of Chicago serving as backdrop and a now-iconic street performance of “Twist and Shout” serving as the film”s centerpiece, Ferris Bueller emerged as one of film”s greatest and most fully realized teen heroes.  Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey and Jeffrey Jones co-starred in the film.  This is Hughes” first film on the registry.

“The Gang”s All Here” (1943)
Although not remembered as well today as those put out by MGM, 20th Century-Fox”s big Technicolor musicals stand up well in comparison.  Showgirl Alice Faye, Fox”s No. 1 musical star, is romanced by a soldier who uses an assumed name and then turns out to be a rich playboy.  Carmen Miranda is also featured and her outrageous costume is highlighted in the legendary musical number “The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat.”  Busby Berkeley, who had just finished a long stint directing musicals at MGM and an earlier one at Warner Bros., directs and choreographs the film.

“House of Wax” (1953)
A remake of 1933″s “Mystery of the Wax Museum,” the 1953 “House of Wax” expanded upon the earlier horror tale of a mad sculptor who encases his victims” corpses in wax.  It added the dark talents of Vincent Price and helped introduce 3-D visual effects to a wide audience.  “House of Wax,” produced by Warner Bros. and released in April 1953, is considered the first full-length 3-D color film ever produced and released by a major American film studio.  Along with its technical innovations, “House of Wax” also solidified Vincent Price”s new role as America”s master of the macabre, and his voice resonated even more with the emerging stereophonic sound process.  Though he had flirted with the fear genre earlier in his career in the 1946 “Shock,” “Wax” forever recast him as one of the first gentlemen of Hollywood horror.  Along with Price, Phyllis Kirk, Frank Lovejoy and Carolyn Jones (as one of Price”s early victims) complete the cast.  André de Toth directed the film.

“Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport”  (2000)
Just prior to World War II, a rescue operation aided the youngest victims of Nazi terror when 10,000 Jewish and other children were sent from their homes and families to live with foster families and in group homes in Great Britain. This Oscar-winning film was directed by Mark Jonathan Harris, writer and director of another Oscar winner, “The Long Way Home,” and was produced by Deborah Oppenheimer, whose mother was among the children evacuated. The film examines the bond between parent and child, uncovering the anguish of the parents who reluctantly acknowledged they could no longer protect their children, but through their love saw a chance to protect them, by proxy if not proximity. Interviews with the surviving children reveal feelings of abandonment and estrangement that often took years to overcome. The film is a tribute not only to the children who survived, but to the people of England who agreed to rescue the refugees when U.S. leadership would not.

“Little Big Man” (1970)
In this Arthur Penn-directed Western, Dustin Hoffman (with exceptional assistance from make-up artist Dick Smith) plays a 121-year-old man looking back at his life as a pioneer in America”s Old West.  The film is ambitious, both in its historical scope and narrative approach, which interweaves fact and myth, historical figures and events and fanciful tall tales.  “Little Big Man” has been called an epic reinvented as a yarn, and the Western reimagined for a post-1960s audience, one already well-versed in the white hat-black hat tradition of the typical Hollywood Western saga.  Against a backdrop that includes the cavalry, old-time medicine shows, life on the frontier and a climax at Custer”s Last Stand, Penn, Hoffman and scriptwriter Calder Willingham (from the novel by Thomas Berger) upend Western motifs while also still skillfully telling a series of remarkable human stories filled with tragedy and humor.

“Luxo Jr.” (1986)
The iconic living, moving desk lamp that now begins every Pixar motion picture (from “Finding Nemo” to “Monsters, Inc.” to “Up”) has its genesis in this charming, computer-animated short subject, directed by John Lasseter and produced by Lasseter and fellow Pixar visionary Bill Reeves.  In the two-minute, 30-second film, two gray balance-arm lamps-one parentally large and one childishly small (the “Junior” of the title)-interact with a brightly colored ball.  In strikingly vivid animation, Lasseter and Reeves manage to bring to joyous life these two inanimate objects and to infuse them both with personality and charm-qualities that would become the norm in such soon-to-be Pixar productions as “Toy Story,” “Cars” and “WALL-E.”  Nominated for an Oscar in 1986 for best-animated short, “Luxo Jr.” was the first three-dimensional computer-animated film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.

“Moon Breath Beat” (1980)
Lisze Bechtold created “Moon Breath Beat,” a five-minute color short subject, in 1980 while a student at California Institute of the Arts under the tutelage of artist and filmmaker Jules Engel, who founded the Experimental Animation program at CalArts. Engel asked, hypothetically, “What happens when an animator follows a line, a patch of color, or a shape into the unconscious? What wild images would emerge?” “Moon Breath Beat” reveals Bechtold responding with fluidity and whimsy. Her two-dimensional film was animated to a pre-composed rhythm, the soundtrack cut together afterward, sometimes four frames at a time, to match picture with track, she says. The dream-like story evolved as it was animated, depicting a woman and her two cats and how such forces as birds and the moon impact their lives. Following graduation, Bechtold was the effects animator for the Disney short “The Prince and the Pauper” (1990) and principal effects animator for “FernGully: The Last Rainforest” (1992). Now primarily an author and illustrator, she claims many of her characters were inspired by pets with big personalities, including “Buster the Very Shy Dog,” the subject of her series of children”s books.

“Please Don”t Bury Me Alive!” (1976)
The San Antonio barrio in the early 1970s is the setting for writer, director and star Efraín Gutiérrez”s independent piece, considered by historians to be the first Chicano feature film. A self-taught filmmaker, Gutiérrez not only created the film from top to bottom on a shoestring, he also acted as its initial distributor and chief promoter, negotiating bookings throughout the Southwest where it filled theaters in Chicano neighborhoods. He tells his story in the turbulent days near the end of the Vietnam War, as a young Chicano man questioning his and his people”s place in society as thousands of his Latino brethren return from the war in coffins. Chon Noriega, director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, wrote, “The film is important as an instance of regional filmmaking, as a bicultural and bilingual narrative, and as a precedent that expanded the way that films got made. …” Cultural historians often compare Gutiérrez to Oscar Micheaux, the pioneering African-American filmmaker who came to prominence in the 1920s.

“The Power and the Glory” (1933)
Preston Sturges” first original screenplay, “The Power and the Glory,” is a haunting tragedy in sharp contrast to the comedies of the 1940s that established him as one of America”s foremost writer-directors. Contrary to common practice of the time, Sturges wrote the film as a complete shooting script, which producer Jesse L. Lasky, believing it “the most perfect script I”d ever seen,” ordered director William K. Howard to film as written. Compared favorably to novels by Henry James and Joseph Conrad for its extensive mix of narration with dramatic action (Fox Studios coined the word “narratage” to publicize Sturges” innovative technique), “The Power and the Glory” introduced a non-chronological structure to mainstream movies that was said to influence “Citizen Kane.” Like that film, “The Power and the Glory” presents a fragmented rags-to-riches tale of an American industrial magnate that begins with his death, in this case a suicide, and sensitively proceeds to produce a deeply affecting, morally ambivalent portrayal.  The Nation magazine called Spencer Tracy”s performance in the lead role “one of the fullest characterizations ever achieved on screen.”

“Rio Bravo” (1959)
As legend goes, this Western, directed by Howard Hawks, was produced in part as a riposte to Fred Zinnemann”s “High Noon.”  The film trades in the wide-open spaces for the confines of a small jail where a sheriff and his deputies are waiting for the transfer of a prisoner and the anticipated attempt by his equally unlawful brother to break the prisoner out.  John Wayne stars as sheriff John T. Chance and is aided in his efforts to keep the law by Walter Brennan, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson.   Angie Dickinson is the love interest and Western regulars Claude Akins, Ward Bond and Pedro Gonzalez are also featured.  A smart Western where gunplay is matched by wordplay, “Rio Bravo” is a terrific ensemble piece and director Hawks” last great film.

“Rosemary”s Baby” (1968)
With “Rosemary”s Baby,” writer-director Roman Polanski brought his expressive European style of psychological filmmaking to an intricately plotted, best-selling American novel by Ira Levin, and created a masterpiece of the horror-film genre. Set in the sprawling Dakota apartment building on New York”s Central Park West, the film conveys an increasing sense of unease, claustrophobia and paranoia as the central character, convincingly played by Mia Farrow in her first starring role, comes to believe that a cult of witches in the building is implementing a plot against her and her unborn child. The supporting cast that Polanski assembled-John Cassavetes as Rosemary”s husband, Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer as their neighbors, and Ralph Bellamy as her doctor-portray believably banal New Yorkers who gain nearly total control over Rosemary”s daily life during her pregnancy. Insistent that “a thread of deliberate ambiguity runs throughout the film,” Polanski maintains that the film”s denouement can be understood in more than one way.

“Ruggles of Red Gap” (1935)
Charles Laughton, known for such serious roles as Nero, King Henry XIII and later as the 1935 Captain Bligh, takes on comedy in this tale of an English manservant won in a poker game by American Charlie Ruggles, a member of Red Gap, Washington”s extremely small social elite. Laughton, in understated valet fashion, worriedly responds: “North America, my lord. Quite an untamed country I understand.” However, once in America, he finds not uncouth backwoodsmen, but rather a more egalitarian society that soon has Laughton reciting the Gettysburg Address, catching the American spirit and becoming a successful businessman.  Aided by comedy stalwarts ZaSu Pitts and Roland Young, Laughton really shows his acting range and pulls off comedy perfectly.  It didn”t hurt that Leo McCarey, who had just worked with W.C. Fields and would next guide Harold Lloyd, was in the director”s chair.  McCarey, who could pull heartstrings or touch funny bones with equal skill, started his long directorial career working with such comedy icons as Laurel & Hardy and created several beloved American films.

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
Through the years, Hollywood”s take on war, honor and heroism has taken many conflicting forms.  “Saving Private Ryan” drops ordinary soldiers into a near-impossible rescue mission set amid the carnage of World War II”s Omaha Beach landing.  The film”s beginning scenes vividly show us “war is hell,” as William T. Sherman said. Spielberg conveyed ultra-realism with harrowing intensity. “Omaha Beach was actually an ‘X” setting,” says Spielberg, “even worse than ‘NC-17,” and I just kind of feel that (I had) to tell the truth about this war at the end of the century, 54 years later. I wasn”t going to add my film to a long list of pictures that make World War II ‘the glamorous war,” ‘the romantic war.””

“Shoes” (1916)
Renowned silent era writer-director Lois Weber drew on her experiences as a missionary to create “Shoes,” a masterfully crafted melodrama heightened by Weber”s intent to create, as she noted in an interview, “a slice out of real life.” Weber”s camera empathetically documents the suffering her central character, an underpaid shopgirl struggling to support her family, endures daily-standing all day behind a shop counter, walking in winter weather in shoes that provided no protection, stepping on a nail that pierces her flesh. Combining a Progressive era reformer”s zeal to document social problems with a vivid flair for visual storytelling, Weber details Eva”s growing desire for the pair of luxurious shoes she passes each day in a shop window, her self-examination in a cracked mirror after she agrees to go out with a cabaret tout to acquire the shoes, her repugnance as the man puts his hands on her body, and her shame as she breaks down in tears while displaying her newly acquired goods to her mother. The film, which opens with pages from social worker Jane Addams”s sociological study of prostitution, was acclaimed by “Variety” as “a vision of life as it actually is … devoid of theatricalism.”

“State Fair” (1933)
For director Henry King to create a film that celebrated an institution as beloved and indomitable as the State Fair, it required the presence of a cherished and steadfast star-in this case, icon, philosopher and America”s favorite cowboy, Will Rogers.  Rogers found a superlative vehicle for his homespun persona in this small town slice-of-life setting.  He is assisted by Janet Gaynor (already the Academy”s very first best-actress winner), Lew Ayres and Sally Eilers.  Enhancing the fair”s festivities, which include the making of mom”s entry for the cook-off and the fattening-up of the family pig, are diverse storylines rich with Americana and romance-some long-lasting and some ephemeral, rife with fun but fleeting as the fair itself.  The film”s authenticity owes much to its director, widely known as the “King of Americana” through films such as “Tol”able David,” “Carousel” and “Wait till the Sun Shines, Nellie.”

“Unmasked” (1917)
At the time “Unmasked” was released, Grace Cunard rivaled daredevils Pearl White (“The Perils of Pauline”) and Helen Holmes (“The Hazards of Helen”) as America”s Serial Queen. In the film, Cunard is a jewel thief pursuing the same wealthy marks as another thief played by Francis Ford, brother of director John Ford and himself a director and character actor. Cunard, in the mode of many women filmmakers of that era, not only starred in the film, but also wrote its script and parlayed her contributions into a directorial role as well. Produced at Universal Studios, the epicenter of female directors during the silent era, “Unmasked” reflected a style associated with European filmmakers of the time: artful and sophisticated cinematography comprised of complex camera movements and contrasting depths of field. With a plot rich in female initiative and problem-solving, Cunard fashioned a strong character who does not fit the image of traditional womanhood: she relishes her heists, performs unladylike physical exploits, manipulates court evidence, carries on with a man who is not her husband and yet survives the film without punishment. In essence, the character Cunard created echoed the woman behind the camera. Today, “Unmasked” serves as a succinct but illustrative example of the role of women in film history, as depicted in fact and fiction.

“V-E +1” (1945)
The silent 16 mm footage that makes up “V-E +1” documents the burial of beaten and emaciated Holocaust victims found by Allied forces in the Nazi concentration camp at Falkenau, Czechoslovakia, as World War II ended in Europe. According to Samuel Fuller, who shot the footage while in the infantry unit that liberated the camp, the American commander in charge ordered leading civilians of the town who denied knowledge of the death camp to “prepare the bodies for a decent funeral,” parade them on wagons through the town, and bury them with dignity in the town”s cemetery. Fuller later became an acclaimed maverick writer-director known for crafting films that entertained, but nevertheless forced audiences to confront challenging societal issues. After making “The Big Red One,” a fictionalized version of his war experiences that included scenes set in Falkenau, Fuller unearthed his “V-E + 1” footage and returned to Falkenau to comment on the experience for the French documentary “Falkenau: The Impossible Years.”

“The Way of Peace” (1947)
Frank Tashlin, best known for making comedies with pop icons like Jerry Lewis or Jayne Mansfield, directed this 18-minute puppet film sponsored by the American Lutheran Church. Punctuated with stories from the Bible, the film”s purpose was to reinforce Christian values in the atomic age by condemning the consequences of human conflict with scenes of the crucifixion, lynching and Nazi fascism. Wah Ming Chang, a visual- effects artist who specialized in designing fantastic models, characters and props, created the puppets for the stop-motion animation and also produced the film, which reportedly took 20 months to complete. The film is narrated by actor Lew Ayres, who starred in the anti-war film “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930).  He was so influenced by that experience, that he became a vocal advocate for peace and famously declared himself a conscientious objector during World War II.  The Reverend H. K. Rasbach, a frequent adviser on big-budget films such as “The Ten Commandments” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” provided technical supervision and story concept.  The film premiered at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C., with more than  2,700 in attendance, including members of Congress, representatives of the Supreme Court and 750 leaders from various branches of government.

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
Author Roald Dahl adapted his own novel, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley wrote a memorable musical score, and producer David Wolper wisely cast Gene Wilder as Wonka in this film musical about a contest put on by an often-sadistic candymaker.   Harkening back to the classic Hollywood musicals, “Willy Wonka” is surreal, yet playful at the same time, and suffused with Harper Goff”s jaw-dropping color sets, which richly live up to the fanciful world found in one of the film”s signature songs, “Pure Imagination.”   Wilder”s brilliant portrayal of the enigmatic Wonka caused theatergoers to like and fear Wonka at the same time, while the hallucinogenic tunnel sequence has traumatized children (and adults) for decades, their nightmares indelibly emblazoned in memory like the scariest scenes from “The Wizard of Oz.”

During her Gotham Awards tribute speech, Tilda Swinton name-checked one unexpected collaborator just before exiting stage: Chris Lyons, the man behind Fangs FX. A prosthetic effects company specializing in dental wonders, Swinton personally rang Lyons for four films that played in 2014: “Only Lovers Left Alive,” “Zero Theorem,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” and “Snowpiercer.” For Swinton, the makeover is part of the job. If she can use special effects makeup to inch just a little closer to her vision of the character, she”ll leap at the chance. A new behind-the-scenes video gives those who bow at the Swinton altar a chance to see her undergo this metamorphosis, going from “Snowpiercer” makeup chair to on-set rehearsal with director Bong Joon-ho.

In the video, the droll Swinton describes her “Minister Mason” work as “very naturalistic, very delicate, very subtle… it”s a nose job, let”s face it.” Even in this snippet of footage, you can see a few of the Swinton”s physical choices that help define and nuance Mason. Her lipstick is commentary (“It”s giving birth to glam”). Gesticulation becomes her greatest weapon. Even more exciting than her makeup work is watching Swinton mosey on to stage for Bong Joon-ho”s approval. He can barely believe his eyes. After soaking up Swinton”s Mason, they talk character, talk performance, and it”s a rare look at what goes into crafting even the wildest performance.

Late last month, our own Gregory Ellwood made a case for Swinton breaking into the Best Supporting Actress category. Going off quality alone, it”s deserved. Whether the quirk and sliminess will play for Academy voters is another matter. The actress received a little bump from the Gotham tribute and the Boston Online Critics, who named her Best Supporting Actress, but it”ll take higher profile recognition than that if Swinton will fight her way to the front of the train. Dumped and rediscovered by The Weinstein Company”s VOD arm Radius, “Snowpiercer” has climbed its way into conversation despite the odds – but is it too little too late? This video certainly delivers on the charm and dedication.

Check out the featurette below. And if you still haven”t seen “Snowpiercer,” head to Netflix immediately.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-ZxY_xFm9Q]

This year's Best Supporting Actress field has more or less firmed up. It seems Patricia Arquette and Meryl Streep are ahead of the pack and have been for weeks. Keira Knightley and Emma Stone are on somewhat solid ground, rounding out the four with the HFPA/BFCA/SAG trifecta. Jessica Chastain is obviously in the mix and we've already written about Tilda Swinton being in the thick of it (as well as about why Minnie Driver deserves to be in the thick of it). Naomi Watts has her SAG nod, but that will probably have to suffice. And so that seems to be the field. But you know who really should be in this conversation? Rene freakin' Russo, that's who.

I've delighted in seeing the “Nightcrawler” star pop up on a few critics' nominations lists, and even win. But as Jake Gyllenhaal slowly works on cracking the Best Actor five, Russo's stunning work needs to be remembered, too. I watched the film again last night and a few things stood out (not that they didn't on first pass). It's smooth as hell, for starters, clicked into place thanks to a water tight script that is just a dazzling showcase for actors. Also, Robert Elswit, man. But Russo in particular continues to stand out this season to me with her depiction of a forthright, determined news division head desperate for ratings.

There's a fragility there that gives the performance a whole other dynamic. Her Nina Romina is wounded and sexy and tenacious. Gyllenhaal's Lou Bloom is rather an open book compared to her guarded, clearly wronged disposition. She's someone who has struggled to make it in a man's world, a career of regret palpable throughout. Ethically, she sold out long ago, but Bloom's behavior in courting her reminds her of the tiny thread of dignity she still has, and the tragedy lies in what she's willing to bargain away still. It's a pretty timely character, really, but I'll leave the zeitgeist connections between the film and current scavenging media obsessions for now.

It's a fantastic supporting performance in a movie I really and truly hope catches on with the Academy in other areas. The Gyllenhaal love has hopefully done its job in moving the screener up on the priority list for voters, but this race in particular really needs a shake-up. Hearing Russo's name called on the morning of Jan. 15 would be such a huge shot of adrenaline for the category. My fingers and toes are crossed.

“Nightcrawler” is still playing in theaters. Go out and catch it if it's near you.

The Houston Film Critics Society has announced nominations, and no surprise, the three-horse race for critical darling of the year led the way: “Birdman” with 10, “Boyhood” with seven and “The Grand Budapest Hotel” with six. They also throw in a Best Poster category and deign to chart the year's worst.

Check out the full list of nominees below, and remember to follow along at The Circuit.

Best Picture
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
“The Imitation Game”
“Inherent Vice”
“A Most Violent Year”
“Nightcrawler”
“Selma”
“Whiplash”

Best Director
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Tom Hardy, “Locke”

Best Actress
Essie Davis, “The Babadook”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, “Inherent Vice”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
Andy Serkis, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Tilda Swinton, “Snowpiercer”

Best Screenplay
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Nightcrawler”
“Whiplash”

Best Cinematography
“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Interstellar”
“Nightcrawler”
“Unbroken”

Best Original Score
“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“The Imitation Game”
“Interstellar”
“The Theory of Everything”

Best Original Song
“Lost Stars” from “Begin Again”
“Big Eyes” from “Big Eyes”
“I'm Not Going to Miss You” from “Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me”
“Everything is Awesome” from “The LEGO Movie”
“Glory” from “Selma”

Best Animated Film
“Big Hero 6”
“The Book of Life”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The LEGO Movie”

Best Foreign Film
“Force Majeure”
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“The Raid 2”
“Two Days, One Night”

Best Documentary
“CITIZENFOUR”
“Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me”
“Jodorowsky's Dune”
“Life Itself”
“The Overnighters”

Technical Achievement
“Birdman” (creation of single long take for bulk of film)
“Boyhood” (filming over 12 years)
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (creation of ape characters)

Best Poster
“Birdman”
“Godzilla IMAX”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (primary theatrical)
“Inherent Vice”

Texas Independent Film Award
“Above All Else”
“Boyhood”
“Hellion”
“Joe”
“No No: A Dockumentary”
“Stop the Pounding Heart”

Worst Film of the Year
“Blended”
“Dumb and Dumber To”
“Left Behind”
“The Identical”
“Transformers: Age of Extinction”

The Phoenix Film Critics Society ended up splitting their Best Picture and Best Director awards between the two most critically acclaimed (on the circuit) films of the year: “Birdman” and “Boyhood.” The former picked up six awards in total, and the only real divergent note throughout is that Keira Knightley won Best Supporting Actress.

Check out the nominees here, the winners below and all the rest of the fun at The Circuit.

Best Picture
“Birdman”

Best Director
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Best Actor
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”

Best Actress
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

Best Supporting Actor
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Best Supporting Actress
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”

Best Ensemble
“Birdman”

Best Adapted Screenplay
“Gone Girl”

Best Original Screenplay
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Cinematography
“Birdman”

Best Costume Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Film Editing
“Birdman”

Best Original Score
“Birdman”

Best Original Song
“Everything is Awesome” from “The LEGO Movie”

Best Production Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Visual Effects
“Intersellar”

Best Animated Film
“The LEGO Movie”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Ida”

Best Documentary
“Glen Campbell: I”ll Be Me”

Best Live Action Family Film (Rated G or PG)
“Into the Woods”

The Overlooked Film of the Year
“Edge of Tomorrow”

Best Stunts
“Edge of Tomorrow”

Breakthrough Performance on Camera
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”

Breakthrough Performance Behind the Camera
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”

Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role (Male)
Jaeden Lieberer, “St. Vincent”

Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role (Female)
Lilla Crawford, “Into the Woods”

Top 10 Films (alphabetical)
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“Gone Girl”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
“The Imitation Game”
“The LEGO Movie”
“A Most Violent Year”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Whiplash”

Though Circuit underdogs “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Inherent Vice” came close to the top prize, the Toronto Film Critics Association followed suit on Tuesday when it named Richard Linklater”s “Boyhood” as the best film of 2014. Collectively, the group called it “a cinematic masterpiece that evokes beauty in life and the inevitable passage of time,” adding an honor to Linklater for his “singular achievement.”

Additional TFCA awards include another Best Actor win for Tom Hardy in “Locke” and a much-needed nod to Isao Takahata”s stunning animated drama “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.”

Along with its award winners, TFCA named Denis Villeneuve”s “Enemy,” Michael Dowse”s “The F Word,” and Xavier Dolan”s “Mommy” as its three finalists for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. 

“In an exceptional year for Canadian cinema, we”ve chosen three boldly directed films that are so dissimilar it”s almost hard to believe they”re set in the same country,” said TFCA President Brian D. Johnson in a statement. “”Enemy””s austere psychodrama portrays Toronto as a smog-lined tomb of condos and concrete, while 'The F Word' makes the city a bright, airy playground for an agile romantic comedy. And in 'Mommy' a drama of mental illness and parental anguish rips through a household in working-class Montreal.”

See the full list of winners and runner-ups below:

Best Film
1. “Boyhood”
2. “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
3. “Inherent Vice”

Best Director
1. Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
2. Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”
3. Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Actor
1. Tom Hardy, “Locke”
2. Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
3. Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Actress
1. Marion Cotillard, “The Immigrant”
2. Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
3. Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”

Best Supporting Actor
1. J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
2. Josh Brolin, “Inherent Vice”
3. Edward Norton, “Birdman”

Best Supporting Actress
1. Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
2. Katherine Waterston, “Inherent Vice”
3. Tilda Swinton, “Snowpiercer”

Best Screenplay
1. “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
2. “Boyhood”
3. “Inherent Vice”

Best Animated Feature
1. “The Tale of Princess Kaguya”
2. “The LEGO Movie”
3. “Big Hero 6”
4. “How to Train Your Dragon 2”

Best First Feature
1. “The Lunchbox”
2. “Nightcrawler”
3. “John Wick”

Best Foreign-Language Film
1. “Force Majeure”
2. “Ida”
3. “Leviathan”

Best Documentary Film
1. “The Overnighters”
2. “CITIZENFOUR”
3. “Manakamana”

If you've ever been curious about the sometimes enigmatic machinery and inner workings of Hollywood's Oscar season, about its various players and how they impact the industry and business, HitFix has you covered. We're pleased to unveil the second annual Oscar Power List.

With all the other “power lists” you find in magazines and online surveying this or that cross-section of the industry, we at HitFix recognized an opportunity to shed more light on this sliver of the industry. Power brokers, influential artists, intrepid businessmen and women and creative strategists populate the Oscar landscape, and all of them are cogs in a massive wheel that turns with purpose each and every fall. Many of them our non-industry readers have heard of, others lurk behind the scenes and out of the spotlight, but all of them are of value in their own way.

There has obviously been plenty of slipping and sliding since last year's inaugural list of 30 top names was unveiled. Our own little formula for sussing out the order is one based on influence, pedigree and relevance. New faces have joined the party and others have stepped out of this particular spotlight, perhaps just for a time.

So without further ado, check out HitFix's 2014 Oscar Power List for a snapshot of this corner of the industry here and now.

The Florida Film Critics Circle announced its 2014 film nominations Tursday, which align with the populist opinion that “Birdman” and “Boyhood” are pretty darn good movies. The real surprise: Who knew the Florida critical contingent was so geeky? “Jodorowsky”s Dune” up for Best Documentary and “The Raid 2” in the Best Foreign Film category. Genre enthusiasts appreciate the love, Florida.

Check out the full list of nominations below. The group will announce its winners on Dec. 19th, 2014.

Best Picture
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
 
Best Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
 
Best Actress
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
 
Best Supporting Actor
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
 
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
 
Best Ensemble
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
 
Best Director
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
 
Best Original Screenplay
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
 
Best Adapted Screenplay
“Gone Girl”
“Inherent Vice”
“The Theory of Everything”
 
Best Cinematography
“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Interstellar”
 
Best Visual Effects
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
“Interstellar”
 
Best Art Direction/Production Design
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
 
Best Score
“Gone Girl”
“Interstellar”
“Under the Skin”
 
Best Documentary
“Citizenfour”
“Life Itself”
“Jodorowsky”s Dune”
 
Best Foreign-Language Film
“Ida”
“Force Majeure”
“The Raid 2”
 
Best Animated Feature 
“Big Hero 6”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The Lego Movie”
 
Pauline Kael Breakout Award
Jennifer Kent, “The Babadook”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Belle/Beyond the Lights”

Last year, Lupita Nyong”o stepped out from obscurity to wow crowds in “12 Years a Slave” and earn her first Oscar. 12 months later, supporting actor workhorse David Oyelowo is taking a similar jump, earning rave reviews for his role as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma.” The unexpected common link between the two performances? Brad Pitt and his production banner Plan B. Now, according to Variety, Pitt will play matchmaker for this critically acclaimed pair: They”ll star together in Plan B”s new indie film “Americanah.”

Based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie”s novel of the same name, the story follows a Nigerian immigrant couple surviving in their new home and struggling to keep their relationship together. Pitt is producing, along with Nyong”o and Andrea Calderwood. According to Variety, after having a positive experience working with Plan B on “Selma,” “Oyelowo jumped at the opportunity to board another project they were producing.”

The report indicates that the film has not locked down a writer and director and no production start date is set. Whoever inherits the project from Pitt's planning stages won't be disappointed with his or her cast.

For his work in “Selma,” Oyelowo recently earned a Golden Globe nomination. He”ll next be seen in “Captive” opposite Kate Mara and is set to appear in “Nina,” the Nina Simone biopic starring Zoe Saldana. After her Best Supporting Actress win at the 2014 Academy Awards, Nyong”o appeared on every magazine cover on the planet. She also nabbed roles in J.J. Abrams” recently-wrapped “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Foce Awakens” and Jon Favreau”s “The Jungle Book.”

Chiming in from across the pond, the London Film Critics Circle has added its collective voice to the 2014 circuit with a list of nominations. It was “Mr. Turner” that led the way with seven total nominations, though “Birdman” wasn't far behind with six. Julianne Moore picked up a pair of nominations in the lead actress category for her work in “Maps to the Stars” and Oscar play “Still Alice,” while Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game”), Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) and Timothy Spall (“Mr. Turner”) each saw nominations in the lead actor and British actor of the year categories.

Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced on Jan. 18. And remember to follow along with the season at The Circuit.

Film of the Year
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Mr. Turner”
“Nightcrawler”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Under the Skin”
“Whiplash”

Foreign Language Film of the year
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Norte, The End of History”
“Two Days, One Night”
“Winter Sleep”

British Film of the Year
“The Imitation Game”
“Mr. Turner”
“Pride”
“The Theory of Everything”
“Under the Skin”

Documentary of the Year
“CITIZENFOUR”
“Manakamana”
“Next Goal Wins”
“Night Will Fall”
“20,000 Days on Earth”

Actor of the Year
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Timothy Spall, “Mr. Turner”

Actress of the Year
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Essie Davis, “The Babadook”
Scarlett Johansson, “Under the Skin”
Julianne Moore, “Maps to the Stars”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”

Supporting Actor of the Year
Riz Ahmed, “Nightcrawler”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
JK Simmons, “Whiplash”

Supporting Actress of the Year
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Marion Bailey, “Mr. Turner”
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
Agata Kulesza, “Ida”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”

British Actor of the Year
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Tom Hardy, “Locke, The Drop”
Jack O'Connell, “Starred Up,” “'71” and “Unbroken”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Timothy Spall, “Mr. Turner”

British Actress of the Year
Emily Blunt, “Into the Woods” and “Edge of Tomorrow”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game,” Begin Again” and “Say When”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Belle”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl” and “What We Did on Our Holiday”

Young British Performer of the Year
Daniel Huttlestone, “Into the Woods”
Alex Lawther, “The Imitation Game”
Corey McKinley, “'71”
Will Poulter, “The Maze Runner” and “Plastic”
Saoirse Ronan, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Director of the Year
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Jonathan Glazer, “Under the Skin”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Mike Leigh, “Mr. Turner”

Screenwriter of the Year
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel “
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris & Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Breakthrough British Filmmaker
Hossein Amini, “The Two Faces of January”
Elaine Constantine, “Northern Soul”
Yann Demange, “'71”
Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, “20,000 Days on Earth”
James Kent, “Testament of Youth”

Technical Achievement
“'71,” Chris Wyatt, editing
“Birdman,” Emmanuel Lubezki, cinematography
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” Joe Letteri, visual effects
“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Adam Stockhausen, production design
“Inherent Vice,” Mark Bridges, costumes
“Leviathan,” Mikhail Krichman, cinematography
“Mr. Turner,” Dick Pope, cinematography
“A Most Violent Year,” Kasia Walicka-Maimone, costumes
“Under the Skin,” Mica Levi, score
“Whiplash,” Tom Cross, editing

HOLLYWOOD – Friday's announcement that Angelina Jolie would not appear at the Los Angeles premiere of “Unbroken” because she's currently suffering from a rare bout of chicken pox was met with skepticism by some, but after attending the event Monday night, we believe it. No matter what happened last week after Jolie found herself unwittingly in the crosshairs of the Sony hacking scandal, she would have wanted to be at the Dolby Theater for this.

Universal Pictures realized long ago this was going to be a special moment for the family of Louis Zamperini, a man who spent almost 50 years attempting to get his inspiring story on the big screen. Many of them live in Southern California and were well-represented in the audience. Zamperini passed away in July at the age of 97, just missing the chance to see the finished film (Jolie showed him a rough cut shortly before he died). It was clear, though, that while the event was taking place in the same theater that plays host to the Academy Awards, this premiere was much more about Zamperini's legacy than trying to court Oscar voters.

The most touching moment of the night, however, and one Jolie would have wanted to be there to see, was when producer Matthew Baer introduced 20 World War II veterans and two surviving POWs from the Japanese camps Zamperini was held in. They all received immediate and spontaneous standing ovations from the Dolby Theater's audience.

Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley read a statement from Jolie that read, in part:

“…I'm happily at home looking out my window at the home he lived in. I'm giving thanks for having known such a special man and I'm giving all of you in the theater tonight my thoughts. Everyone who worked tirelessly on the film to bring his story to life, everyone who has come to support, veterans of World War II, Louie's brothers-in-arms, we salute you, athletes who understand and share in his fighting spirit and endurance, special people who have overcome obstacles and represent the spirit of what it is to be unbroken. I smile most of all thinking that among you tonight are Louie's children and his grandson, Phil's daughter, Clarence Douglas' grandson and many family members for which this story is very personal. Louie always said, 'Don't make a film to show how extraordinary I was, make a film to remind everyone how extraordinary they are.' Everyone has greatness in them. This film is his message to each of you. So, long after the rights to the film first sold in 1956, we are happy to finally say, here is 'Unbroken.'”

Also on hand, although strangely not brought on stage before the film, were stars Jack O'Connell, Miyavi and Garrett Hedlund (who brought Kirsten Dunst). They were all quite popular with the military personnel at the after party in the Ray Dolby Ballroom following the screening.

And, as promised, Jolie's husband Brad Pitt gave the paparazzi their moment on the red carpet as he brought their kids Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt to see the movie. Pitt and his children were the center of attention while at the after party and even stopped to take some photos with a number of attendees.

“Unbroken” opens nationwide on Christmas Day.