David Fincher, Woody Allen make the cut for DGA

Posted by · 9:07 am · January 9th, 2012

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has announced this year’s slate of nominees for excellence in directing, and chalk another guild citation up for David Fincher, who somehow got in for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Also nominated was Woody Allen for “Midnight in Paris,” while Steven Spielberg and Tate Taylor were snubbed for Best Picture contenders “War Horse” and “The Help,” respectively.

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Predicting the 2011 DGA nominees

Posted by · 11:43 am · January 5th, 2012

On Monday, the most important precursor announcement of them all drops: the Directors Guild of America offers up its list of nominees for excellence in directing.

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Martin Scorsese to receive BAFTA Fellowship

Posted by · 10:01 am · January 4th, 2012

The news that Martin Scorsese is to receive BAFTA’s highest honor, the Fellowship, at the British Academy’s awards ceremony next month is neither unexpected nor unwelcome — but why in a year when he’ll likely be in the regular BAFTA race for “Hugo?”

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'Tree of Life,' Fassbender, Swinton win with Online critics

Posted by · 9:20 am · January 2nd, 2012

After releasing quite the agreeable slate of nominees last week, the Online Film Critics Society has awarded “The Tree of Life” its 2011 Best Picture prize. The film won five awards in total. Previously announced special awards go to Jessica Chastain and Martin Scorsese.

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Round-up: When 'The Birdcage' won

Posted by · 9:03 am · January 2nd, 2012

In today’s round-up, Nathaniel Rogers remembers the Best Ensemble win for “The Birdcage” at the third annual Screen Actors Guild awards, the Academy plans to exercise a Kodak Theatre escape clause and someone’s already making 2012 Oscar predictions.

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Interview: Sir Ben Kingsley on male vulnerability and the limitless vision of Georges Méliès

Posted by · 12:12 pm · December 21st, 2011

“Hugo” star Ben Kingsley first got his taste of collaboration with filmmaker Martin Scorsese in 2010 on the thriller “Shutter Island.” It was a long time coming, but for Kingsley, who says he always appreciated Scorsese’s work as a filmmaker, it was a unique characteristic of the director’s process that really spoke to the actor…

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Off the Carpet: Setting the field with the precursors so far

Posted by · 11:41 am · December 19th, 2011

In just three weeks we’ve gone from zero to a hundred on the circuit as the film awards landscape has been sculpted into a bit of a consensus in these waning moments of 2011. Let’s see what that consensus appears to be.

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Florida critics spring for 'Descendants,' Scorsese

Posted by · 9:11 am · December 19th, 2011

The Florida Film Critics Circle has tossed its hat into the over-stuffed precursor ring this year by picking “The Descendants” as the year’s best film. Martin Scorsese picked up the Best Director prize for “Hugo” while Michelle Williams continued a dominating streak by nabbing Best Actress.

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Southeastern film critics go for 'Descendants,' Scorsese, Clooney, Streep

Posted by · 8:47 am · December 19th, 2011

The Southeastern Film Critics Association has crowned “The Descendants” the year’s best film, but with no awards for “The Artist,” one wonders if the high on that film is subsiding.

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'Tree of Life' leads Chicago film critics nods

Posted by · 8:56 am · December 16th, 2011

The Chicago Film Critics Association has announced its list of nominees this year, and it’s full of the usual. But most interesting is that “The Tree of Life” star Hunter McCracken has finally received some attention.

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Ben Kingsley recalls an early cinema favorite

Posted by · 5:36 pm · December 14th, 2011

In a recent interview, Ben Kingsley revealed one of the earliest films to spark his excitement for the cinema.

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Martin Scorsese tapped for Santa Barbara's American Riviera Award

Posted by · 1:53 pm · December 12th, 2011

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced “Hugo” director Martin Scorsese as the recipient of this year’s American Riviera Award, meant “to recognize and artist who has had a strong influence on American cinema.”

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'The Descendants,' Terrence Malick win with LA film critics

Posted by · 1:13 pm · December 11th, 2011

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has tapped Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” for its Best Picture prize, a bit of an anti-climactic conclusion to what had until then been a fresh and exciting vote.

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'The Artist,' Scorsese, Pitt and Williams win top honors from Boston critics

Posted by · 11:29 am · December 11th, 2011

“The Artist” has won Best Picture from the Boston Society of Film Critics. “Hugo” and “Margaret” were close runners-up, and indeed, both looked like favorites throughout the vote until the last prize was handed out.

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Oscarweb Round-up: 35 years of Eastwood at Warner Bros.

Posted by · 8:03 am · December 8th, 2011

In today’s round-up, Warner Bros. releases a massive box set of Clint Eastwood’s work with the studio, the “Moneyball” trio sits down with Charlie rose and San Francisco’s Castro Theatre will no longer run movies.

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Oscarweb Round-up: The year's best scores

Posted by · 6:54 am · December 5th, 2011

In today’s round-up, Todd McCarthy picks the best scores of the year, Margaret Thatcher’s assistant expresses concern over the former British PM’s depiction in “The Iron Lady” and an oldie but a goodie from Raymond Chandler is brought out for consideration.

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'Hugo' leaps into the Best Picture race with National Board of Review win

Posted by · 11:17 am · December 1st, 2011

Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” has been tapped as the best film of the year by the National Board of Review. George Clooney took Best Actor honors for “The Descendants” and Tilda Swinton walked away with Best Actress for “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”

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Oscarweb Round-up: 3D homework from 'Hugo' director Martin Scorsese

Posted by · 6:04 am · December 1st, 2011

In today’s round-up, Martin Scorsese had 3D homework for his “Hugo” crew, Tom Sherak implores Academy members to see films on the big screen and the Gurus o’ Gold make more picks.

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