'12 Years a Slave' leads female-voted AWFJ nods, as 'The Counselor' is shamed

Posted by · 3:40 am · December 12th, 2013

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists celebrates a lot of the expected contenders in their list of the year’s best — “12 Years a Slave” leads with 13 nods — but their individuality emerges in their categories that celebrate female filmmaking and denigrate industry sexism.

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Tell us what you thought of 'The Heat'

Posted by · 10:05 pm · June 28th, 2013

The Sandra Bullock-Melissa McCarthy buddy comedy opens today.

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Melissa Leo goes to Hollywood

Posted by · 11:34 am · April 10th, 2013

The Oscar-winner’s getting cast in the big guns, but how about a good role?

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Kristen Stewart, 'Terminator 2,' Jim Carrey: 10 fun facts about the MTV Movie Awards

Posted by · 5:00 pm · April 8th, 2013

The MTV Movie Awards are coming up this weekend (April 14), and the slate of nominees wasn’t as terrible as it has been in recent years, so it might actually be a fun watch. Last year I went back in time for a retrospective on the inaugural edition from 1992, and I plan to go back to the 1993 awards in an upcoming piece. In the meantime, here’s something different.

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Bryan Cranston, Stephen King, Kristen Wiig among Academy invitees this year

Posted by · 2:12 pm · June 29th, 2012

The Academy has announced its annual list of new members, always a fun thing to browse through and say, “Damn, it’s about time,” or, “Jesus, really?”

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Round-up: Scott Rudin joins the EGOT club

Posted by · 6:30 am · February 14th, 2012

Also: Betting against ‘A Separation,’ and some Streep family history

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Oscar Guide 2011: Best Supporting Actress

Posted by · 10:00 am · January 27th, 2012

Four first-timers, Bérénice Bejo, Jessica Chastain, Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer, join previous nominee Janet McTeer in the Best Supporting Actress Oscar race. We weigh up their chances, and decide who deserves to win.

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Predicting Sunday's SAG Awards

Posted by · 5:29 pm · January 26th, 2012

We handicap the five film categories in the upcoming Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, which should in turn anticipate the Oscar race.

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Iowa critics dig 'Descendants'

Posted by · 4:51 pm · January 19th, 2012

The Iowa Film Critics have joined and drowned in the on-going chorus of year-end kudos-dishers. Drowned-in because it’s all just a blur now. “The Descendants” came out on top, winning both Best Picture and Best Director. And there’s Melissa McCarthy, yet again.

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'Albert Nobbs,' 'Beginners' and 'Weekend' feature in Gay & Lesbian critics nominations

Posted by · 7:03 pm · January 10th, 2012

The Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association has announced its list of nominees this year, and out front with two mentions apiece were “Albert Nobbs,” “Beginners” and “Weekend.”

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George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams and more turn out for Palm Springs awards gala

Posted by · 1:05 am · January 8th, 2012

I’ve never attended the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala. It’s a key stop along the Oscar trail his time of year, very competitive with the Santa Barbara Film Festival. The two duke it out for honorees, one reticent to honor talent that the other has chalked up for an award. Which is obviously silly. But it seemed time to give it a go.

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Santa Barbara fest taps Bichir, Mara, McCarthy, Oswalt, Serkis and Woodley for Virtuosos Award

Posted by · 11:24 am · January 5th, 2012

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced, along with its film schedule, the recipients of this year’s Virtuosos Award. And they cast the widest net yet, honoring Demián Bichir, Rooney Mara, Melissa McCarthy, Patton Oswalt, Andy Serkis and Shailene Woodley.

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'The Artist' leads with 4 Vancouver critics nods

Posted by · 5:07 pm · January 2nd, 2012

The Vancouver Film Critics Circle has joined the chorus with a list of nominees (mostly three in each category). “The Artist” led the way with four mentions. Melissa McCarthy made it in for “Bridesmaids” despite it being a trimmed-down category.

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Women critics like 'The Help,' 'The Iron Lady' and 'The Whistleblower'

Posted by · 5:31 pm · December 20th, 2011

The Women Film Critic Circle has come out in strong favor of “The Help,” “The Iron Lady” and “The Whistleblower.” The association has made selections that feel generally in line with the films and performances one would imagine ought to be be highlighted in this year’s landscape. Though I will confess their choices are seasoned with one or two surprises.

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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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'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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'The Artist' leads with six Golden Globe nods, Spielberg snubbed

Posted by · 4:27 am · December 15th, 2011

‘The Descendants’ and ‘The Help’ followed with five nominations apiece, but it’s George Clooney’s “The Ides of March,” with four, that is the morning’s big comeback kid.

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Las Vegas critics spring for 'The Artist,' Melissa McCarthy

Posted by · 2:37 pm · December 13th, 2011

The Las Vegas Film Critics Society dished out their kudos today, and they fell right in line. “We’ll take ‘The Artist,’ please.”

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