• The Directors’ Guild of America presented few surprises in their award nominations, though some raised eyebrows at “True Grit”‘s omission. (Their documentary nods didn’t move the needle either.) • The American Cinema Editors’ nods matched those of the directors; the American Society of Cinematographers didn’t deviate much from the formula either. • This week’s […]
WEEKLY WRAP: Guilds galore and season fatigue
Posted by In Contention Staff · 7:13 pm · January 14th, 2011
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THE LONG SHOT: Jawellnofine
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:10 am · January 13th, 2011
(Updated Oscar predictions here.) It’s six years this month since I left Johannesburg for the sodden streets of London, so it could just be that I’m in a commemorative mood, but the endlessly useful South African idiom “jawellnofine” (mostly redundant translation: “yes… well… no… fine”) has been on my mind rather a lot this week. It’s […]
Filed in: The Long Shot
1/12 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: ‘Toy Story’ wins Golden Tomato, inside the NSFC vote, Firth loses his voice
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:01 am · January 12th, 2011
• “Toy Story 3” edges past “How to Train Your Dragon” and “The Social Network” to take this year’s Golden Tomato Award. [Rotten Tomatoes] • Louis Virtel, meanwhile, wants to know why “Oscar zealots” aren’t fighting for the film’s Best Picture chances. Uh, hello? [Movieline] • Sex and ballet slippers: the themes of “Black Swan.” […]
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‘Social Network’ wins NSFC
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:28 pm · January 8th, 2011
Sheep. Full list of winners at The Circuit. More admirable is this: “NSFC also issued a statement calling for a re-examination of the MPAA rating system and another condemning Iran’s recent sentencing of Iranian directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof.”
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WEEKLY WRAP: Guilds, lists and disqualifications
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:49 am · January 9th, 2010
• In a big week for precursor announcements, the DGA nominations were the biggest — and least surprising. • The PGA, meanwhile, found room for all three of the year’s hot sci-fi titles in its nominee slate. • “The Hurt Locker” triumphed at the National Society of Film Critics Awards, the first film in 12 […]
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NSFC predictably goes with ‘The Hurt Locker’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:48 pm · January 3rd, 2010
FINALLY Paul Schneider gets some much-deserved love. And a production design victory for “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is inspired. Otherwise, zzzzzz… Then again, I guess it’s worth noting that this is the first time since 1997 that a single film made the hat trick of NYFCC, LAFCA and NSFC. The main categories: Best Picture: “The Hurt […]
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Predict the NSFC Awards
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:03 pm · January 2nd, 2010
Tomorrow my personal favorite precursor body, the National Society of Film Critics, will announce their 2009 winners. Regular awards-watchers will know that the NSFC is generally the most highbrow of the critics’ groups, as well as the most independent-minded — last year, they went wholly against the Oscar grain, giving Best Picture to “Waltz With […]
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THE LONG SHOT: What are precursors for, anyway?
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:00 am · September 30th, 2009
I didn’t time my holiday to coincide with the sleepiest week of awards season, but that’s how it panned out anyway. While I spent 10 days drinking my way along the canals of France’s Burgundy region, divorced from my computer screen and, I admit, any thoughts of Oscar whatsoever, the industry, too, took a collective […]
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For the completists
Posted by Guy Lodge · 2:20 pm · January 4th, 2009
Over at Gold Derby, Tom O’Neil lists all the runners-up (with points tallies) from yesterday’s National Society of Film Critics awards, along with other gossipy tidbits from the days proceedings. (Most stupid/amusing nugget: Eve, the eerily Applesque female robot from “WALL-E,” garnered a lone Best Actress vote.) The full list is below the cut, but […]
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An unfortunate precedent
Posted by Guy Lodge · 1:02 pm · January 4th, 2009
With Sally Hawkins and Sean Penn each picking up a gong from the National Society of Film Critics yesterday, the two actors thus complete the trifecta of major critics’ awards, having already taken the New York and Los Angeles critics’ respective honors. (I know some refer to the ‘big four,’ but we all know the […]
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NSFC goes with ‘Bashir’ and ‘Happy’ in a big way
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 4:24 pm · January 3rd, 2009
This is just like the National Society of Film Critics. Sorry, just coming around to this (football has taken some precedence this afternoon as I unwind post-vacation). “Waltz with Bashir” may have taken the top prize, but “Happy-Go-Lucky” was the clear favorite. Perhaps added fuel to the film’s Oscar fire. Lone director nomination? Hmmm… Best […]
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