Roundup: Oscars to pay tribute to 'Oz'

Posted by · 1:44 am · January 29th, 2014

In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, this year’s Academy Awards ceremony will feature a 75th anniversary tribute to “The Wizard of Oz.” Meanwhile, the ACE names its lifetime achievement honorees.

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Roundup: The rise of real romance at the movies

Posted by · 3:00 am · January 28th, 2014

In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, does the prevalence of complex love stories at the movies last year augur as change in the rom-com formula? Also: Dinging ‘American Hustle,’ and hope springs eternal for ‘The Croods.’

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Ethan Hawke reacts to his Oscar nod and tells us what to expect from 'Boyhood'

Posted by · 8:31 am · January 16th, 2014

Ethan Hawke talks to HitFix about his Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination for “Before Midnight” and why “Boyhood,” set to premiere at Sundance this weekend, is the most exciting project he’s ever been a part of.

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Michael Barker on 'bittersweet' nominations and watching Richard Linklater's career bloom

Posted by · 7:04 am · January 16th, 2014

It was a bittersweet morning for Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker. One one hand his company’s films “Before Midnight,” “Blue Jasmine” and “The Invisible Woman” combined for a total of five nominations, including a somewhat surprising bid for “Blue” supporting actress Sally Hawkins. On the other, it was a rare occasion where the indie distributor had no nominees in either the Best Documentary Feature or Best Foreign Language Film categories, and neither “Blue” nor “Midnight” was able to push into the Best Picture field.

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Forest Whitaker and 'Before Midnight' team to receive honors at Critics' Choice Movie Awards

Posted by · 8:43 am · January 14th, 2014

The Broadcast Film Critics Association has announced recipients of honorary awards for the upcoming Critics’ Choice Movie Awards being held on Thursday, Jan. 16.

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Linklater, Hawke and Delpy discuss their 'Before' trilogy and why 'life is magic enough'

Posted by · 1:39 pm · January 7th, 2014

For Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, the goal of three unique films — 1995’s “Before Sunrise,” 2004’s “Before Sunset” and 2013’s “Before Midnight” — that have followed the lives of Celine and Jesse, a pair of love-struck individuals, has been to make viewers feel like they know them.

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'Dallas Buyers Club,' 'Lone Survivor,' 'Wolf of Wall Street' land WGA nominations

Posted by · 9:09 am · January 3rd, 2014

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has announced this year’s list of narrative and documentary feature screenplay nominees, and given the wave of ineligibilities, which included such Oscar players as “12 Years a Slave,” “Philomena” and “Fruitvale Station,” it was a much smaller crop for the guild to choose from.

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Previewing the 2014 WGA nominations

Posted by · 4:49 pm · January 2nd, 2014

Tomorrow brings the WGA nominations, with the unusual selection of ineligibilities that distinguish them from other Guild honors. So which films will benefit? We offer our predictions.

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The best performances of 2013

Posted by · 12:15 pm · December 27th, 2013

HitFix’s Kristopher Tapley takes a deep dive into the year’s best performances, from Oscar Isaac to Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson to Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Guy Lodge's top 25 films of 2013: #25-11

Posted by · 3:19 pm · December 24th, 2013

In Contention critic Guy Lodge reveals the first part of his Best Films of 2013 countdown, with picks including “Before Midnight,” “Behind the Candelabra” and “Stoker.”

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Off the Carpet: Could David O. Russell finally strike Oscar gold with frizzy 'American Hustle?'

Posted by · 6:37 am · December 23rd, 2013

The precursor film awards circuit seems to have rallied around “12 Years a Slave” as the year’s consensus pick, but could it be “American Hustle” that becomes the most generally agreeable movie of the year for the Academy?

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SPC looks to keep 'Before Midnight's' awards hopes alive with New York and Santa Barbara trilogy showcases

Posted by · 6:00 am · December 23rd, 2013

Sony Pictures Classics is putting together a nice push in the lead-up to Oscar nominations on behalf of “Before Midnight” by spotlighting the film’s place in a trilogy of films that mark a true landmark progression for the medium.

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Utah critics flip the script, award 'Gravity,' Nighy, 'World's End'

Posted by · 10:19 pm · December 19th, 2013

The Utah Film Critics Association has come along and done for Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” what no other critics group has: handed it its own, tie-free win for Best Picture of 2013. It also received Best Director and Best Cinematography from the group, while recent circuit hog “12 Years a Slave” walked away for just one prize: Best Actor.

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Kristopher Tapley's top 10 films of 2013

Posted by · 10:30 am · December 16th, 2013

HitFix Editor-at-Large Kristopher Tapley runs down his top 10 films including “Out of the Furnace,” “Spring Breakers,” “The Place Beyond the Pines” and “Gravity.”

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'Philomena' and 'Before Midnight' top Women Film Critics Circle awards

Posted by · 10:04 am · December 16th, 2013

After a colorful list of nominations last week (check them out here if you missed them), the Women Film Critics Circle has deemed “Philomena” the best film of 2013…about women. The film picked up two other awards as well (the only other two for which it was nominated, in fact, making it a sweeper). “Before Midnight” also scored a hat trick.

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Indiana film critics board the '12 Years' bandwagon

Posted by · 8:33 am · December 16th, 2013

The Indiana Film Journalists Association has hopped onto the runaway “12 Years a Slave” train, ticking the film off for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Musical Score awards today. But they provided a little more intrigue in other acting categories, giving prizes to Adèle Exarchopoulos and Barkhad Abdi, and a runner-up tip of the cap to “American Hustle” star Jeremy Renner (his first mention of the season).

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'American Hustle' and '12 Years a Slave' lead Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominations

Posted by · 7:47 am · December 16th, 2013

“American Hustle” and “12 Years a Slave” led the way with this year’s Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nominations with 13 apiece. David O. Russell’s Abscam comedy had the added benefit of padding in the comedy categories, however, a luxury “12 Years a Slave” couldn’t boast.

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'Her' crowned best film of the year by San Diego Film Critics Society

Posted by · 11:09 am · December 11th, 2013

The San Diego Film Critics Society has just announced “Her” as the year’s best film. Spike Jonze’s latest picked up three awards total, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Score. “12 Years a Slave” led the way with Tuesday’s nominations announcement, but was ultimately shut out of the winning pool entirely. Oscar Isaac (“Inside Llewyn Davis”)and Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”) won top acting honors, while Matthew McConaughey received a special prize for his body of work in 2013.

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