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Saturday, December 3, 2022
Review: "THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING" is a Fairy Tale of Love Stories
Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Director George Miller Starts Filming "Furiosa" (from the world of "Mad Max") in Australia
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 22nd to 31st, 2022 - Update #41
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
BOX OFFICE - From Deadline: In the final tally, the Memorial Day holiday weekend domestic box office take for "Top Gun: Maverick" is a record 160.5 million dollars.
From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 5/27 to 5/29/2020 weekend box office is Paramount Pictures' "Top Gun: Maverick" with an estimated take of 124 million dollars.
From TheWrap: With an estimated 156 million dollars at the domestic box office, "Top Gun: Maverick" has broken the Memorial Day weekend box office record. The surpasses "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" which grossed 153 million dollars during the 2007 Memorial Day weekend.
From Here: Here is my review of "Top Gun: Maverick."
From THR: On review aggregator, "Rotten Tomatoes," "Top Gun: Maverick" has tied "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (2018) as the best reviewed Tom Cruise movie of all time.
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MOVIES - From TheWrap: Indie entertainment company, A24's horror films ranked from best to worse.
MOVIES - From Variety: Here is a first look at Oscar-nominee, Bradley Cooper, as legendary Broadway composer, Leonard Bernstein, "Maestro."
MOVIES - From WorldofReel: David Cronenberg says that he has an idea for a movie starring "Twilight Saga" costars, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster will appear in the fourth season of HBO's anthology series, "True Detective." Entitled, "True Detective: Night Country," it will be Foster's first major adult TV role.
SCANDAL - From CNN: Former reality TV star, Josh Duggar ("19 Kids and Counting") was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and 20 years of supervised release, during which he cannot have contact with minors. In December 2021, Duggar was found guilty of "receipt of child pornography" and "possession of child pornography"
ANIMATION - From Deadline: Samuel L. Jackson will join Chris Pratt's in Alcon Entertainment's animated "Garfield" film.
TRAILERS - From TheWrap: Paramount Pictures has debuted the first trailer for "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (the seventh film). The film is due July 14, 2023.
BOX OFFICE - From Variety: The winner of the 5/20 to 5/22/2022 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" with an estimated take of 31.6 million dollars.
From Here: My review of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."
NETFLIX - From TheWeek: Netflix is apparently trying to end its "war" with movie theaters, but the streamer will have to make deals with its adversaries, AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas.
POLITICS - From WashPost: Russia has permanently banned 963 U.S. citizens from entering the country. The list includes President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris and even actor Morgan Freeman.
CANNES - From Variety: "Three Thousand Years of Longing," the new film from director George Miller ('Mad Max" series), received a six-minutes standing ovation during its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Tilda Swinton as a solitary academic and Idris Elba as the genie she finds.
OBITS:
From Deadline: Tytyana Miller, the daughter of rapper Master P, has died at the age of 29. Paramedics found her unresponsive early Saturday, May 28, 2022. She had appeared in the WE TV series, "Growing Up Hip Hop."
From Deadline: The television and film actor, Bo Hopkins, has died at the age of 84, Saturday, May 28, 2022. He was best known for appearing in films such as "The Wild Bunch" (1969), "American Graffiti" (1973), and "Midnight Express" (1978). I remember him for his appearance in two mid-1970s films, "White Lightning" (1973), with Burt Reynolds, and "Posse" (1975), which was led by Kirk Douglas. A prolific TV actor, Hopkins appeared in over 100 films and TV series.
From Deadline: Actor Ray Liotta has died at the age of 67, Thursday, May 26, 2022. Liotta was best known for playing mobster Henry Hill in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, "Goodfellas." He was also known for playing Shoeless Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams" (1989) and "Ray Sinclair" in "Something Wild" (1986). He was currently experiencing a career resurgence.
From Deadline: Hollywood mourns and remembers Ray Liotta. This article includes comments from co-star Robert De Niro ("Goodfellas").
UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:
From YahooAP: An 18-year-old gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers on Tues., May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. All 21 victims were in the same 4th grade classroom at Robb Elementary.
From DallasNews: Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, has died of a heart attack two days after the murder of his wife. They had been married for 24 years and had been high school sweethearts.
From Axios: Texas gubernatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, interrupted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's gaslighting press conference on the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.
From USAToday: Beto O'Rourke's outburst at Gov. Greg Abbott's Uvalde news conference shows the spine Democrats need.
From BostonGlobe: Steve Kerr, head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, asks "When are we going to do something?"
From NBCNews: A Robb Elementary teacher describes "the longest 35 minutes of my life" and the terror she now feels.
From NBCNews: The Uvalde school district had an extensive safety plan, but 19 children were killed at Robb Elementary anyway. Even security plans that appear to be up to the latest research-based standards may have gaps and fall short of preventing the worst-case scenario, experts said.
From MSN: Angeli Rose Gomez, the mother who was handcuffed outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, was able to get inside the school and rescue her two children.
From YahooNews: Daniel Defense, the maker of the rifles used by the Uvalde massacre killer, has used "incendiary ads" in the past, including one in which a toddler holds one of its rifles.
From TheIntercept: The police aren't obligated to protect anyone NOT in their custody, as the Supreme Court has ruled twice.
From RollingStone: Right wing lies about the Second Amendment and why they tell them are killing America's childrne.
From Vice: The law enforcement personnel in Texas that arrived at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas on Tues., May 24th did the opposite of what their own training documentary videos show.
From Vox: Uvalde police keep changing their story.
From TheDailyBeast: The families in Uvalde, Texas who lost loved one in the Robb Elementary massacre say that the cops there are "Nothing more than cowards" and that they need to pay for doing nothing while a gunman rampaged through the school last Tues, May 24th.
From TheNewYorker: Thoughts and prayers, Uvalde, Texas. This is the America that Republicans and the right wing have being thinking about and praying for all these decades.
BLM-BUFFALO:From ABCNews: A 18-year-old white MAN shot 13 people, killing 10 at a Buffalo, New York Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Saturday, May 14, 2021.
From Truthout: The racist attack in Buffalo at the Tops Friendly supermarket was crafted to terrorize us. We can fight back, and here’s how we fight back.
From WGRZ: Who are the victims of the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets grocery store shooting. This comes from local station WGRZ Channel 2 and includes video and some victim photos.
From BuffaloNews: One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Katherine "Kat" Massey. She was a leader in her community and civil rights activist and advocate for education.
From NewYorkPost: One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Andre Mackniel. He was at TOPS Supermaket to pick up a birthday cake for his son.
From Truthout: The racist attack in Buffalo, NY at the Tops supermarket was crafted to terrorize us, so here is how we fight back.
From CNN: What is known about the 18-year-old MAN, Payton Gendron.
From NPR: 198 mass shooting this year ... so far.
From Truthout: White supremacist massacre of 10 people in Buffalo, NY shows that the “Alt-Right” ideology leads to murder.
From RollingStone: Buffalo rampage killing is "Straight Up Racially Motivated Hate Crime."
From InformedComment: Rene Binet, the originator the "great replacement" was a French Nazi, and he saw all American as "Negroes," an "impure mestizo 'race'."
From WashPost: Only 22 people saw the live-stream of a white terrorist kill Black shoppers at the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets supermarket, but millions have seen it since...
From GuardianUK: Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shooter may have been motivated by "eco-fascism," a focus on overpopulation and environmental degradation.
From RSN: "What Lessons Have We Learned From the Buffalo Shooting?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
From Truthout: “Innocent” White People Are Also Complicit in the Anti-Black Murders in Buffalo by George Yancy.
From Truthout: "Black Lives Matter" cofounder discovered that Alicia Garza has learned that her name is mentioned in the Buffalo Tops supermarket killer's manifesto.
From GuardianUK: Cornell West says, "Trump isn't out there with a gun, but he's enabled this war against Black people.
From Slate: From the Tulsa Race Massacre to the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shootings: the legacy of anti-Black violence.
From Truthout: After mass shootings, Republicans shield white supremacists from scrutiny
UKRAINE:
From TheDailyBeast: Russian soldiers allegedly raped and killed a 1-year-old Ukrainian boy and have reportedly raped or sexually abused children as young as 9 months old.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 21st to 31st, 2019 - Update #31
STAR TREK - From BleedingCool: Nickelodeon's untitled "Star Trek" CGI-animated series announces its writers' room.
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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: Samantha Morton says that she does not regret working with director Woody Allen. She received her first Oscar nomination for her role in Allen's 1999 film, "Sweet and Lowdown."
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MOVIES - From Variety: The screenwriting duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are in negotiations to direct the “Dungeons & Dragons” movie for Paramount Pictures.
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DISNEY - From YahooNews: The late actor and Disney Channel child star, Cameron Boyce, died July 6th, 2019. Today (July 30th), the Los Angeles County coroner's office says Disney actor Cameron Boyce died unexpectedly from epilepsy.
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TELEVISION - From Newsarama: There is a first teaser for the third "Walking Dead" series that is currently known as "The Walking Dead: New Series."
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DISNEY - From THR: Thus far, The Walt Disney Company has collected $7.67 billion in global box office in the year 2019. That is a record, and we aren't even in August 2019. Disney has collected over $5 billion at the 2019 international box office - a first for a Hollywood studio. Disney held the previous record, $7.61 billion in global box office in 2016.
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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 7/26 to 7/28/2019 weekend box office is "The Lion King" with an estimated 75.5 million dollars.
From Patreon: Leroy a.k.a. "I Read You's" review of "The Lion King."
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MOVIES - From YahooMovies: The real and the fake in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
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COMICS-FILM - From THR: Sony is in talks with actor-director Andy Serkis to direct "Venom 2," the sequel to its hit 2018 film, "Venom."
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MOVIES - From Deadline: Two celebrity couples, actress Gabrielle Union and her husband, NBA superstar and champion, Dwyane Wade and recording artist Ciara and her husband, NFL and Super Bowl champion quarterback, Russell Wilson, are joining to produce a film about the inspiration true story of former NFL player, Vernon Turner.
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COMICS-TELEVISION - From Deadline: AMC to develop Rob Guillory's acclaimed comic book, "Farmhand" (Image Comics) for television.
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TELEVISION - From TheWrap: HBO reportedly still considering one or two more "Game of Thrones" spinoff scripts.
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STREAMING - From Deadline: Showrunner Carlton Cuse and movie writer Jason Fuchs are developing classic science fiction humor novel, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," for the streaming service Hulu.
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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist: Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller says he has multiple "Mad Max: Fury Road" sequels in the works. He is also "cautiously optimistic" that his Tilda Swinton/Idris Elba romance epic, "Three Thousand Years of Longing," will happen.
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FILM FESTIVAL - From Deadline: The Toronto International Film Festival 2019 will showcase star power with Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, and Matt Damon films making their premieres. Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" film is also set to premiere.
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STREAMING - From Variety: Markella Kavenagh is in talks to be the first actor cast for Amazon's still-developing "Lord of the Rings" TV series.
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MOVIES - From IndieWire: Quentin Tarantino says that he is still in talks with Uma Thurman for a "Kill Bill, Vol. 3." The original films debuted in 2003 and 2004.
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MOVIES-CULTURE - From Medium: Former police officer, Larry Smith, writes for "Medium" that Clint Eastwood's "Dirty" Harry Callahan was a bad cop and bad at his job - like many movie cops.
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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 7/19 to 7/21/2019 weekend box office is "The Lion King" with an estimated take of 185 million dollars - a record opening for the month of July.
From Deadline: The final gross for the opening weekend of "The Lion King" is 191.8 million dollars.
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SDCC-TELEVISION - From Deadline: At Comic-Con, The CW's long-running series talks about the upcoming final season, teasing details.
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SDCC-STREAMING - From Deadline: At Comic-Con 2019, Seth MacFarlane announced that his TV series, "The Orville" is moving from Fox to Hulu for its Season 3 debut, which occur late in 2020.
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SDCC-MOVIES - From THR: At Comic-Con 2019, Guillermo del Toro talks about trying to keep some of the old way of creating movie visual special effects alive in the film, "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark." The film arrives in theaters in August 2019.
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SDCC-COMICS - From Polygon: The winners at the 2019 Will Eisner Awards were announced Friday night (July 19th). The Eisner Awards are the self-proclaimed most important comic book awards in the U.S.
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STREAMING - From YahooEntertainment: The story of "Stranger Things," the #NeverEndingChallenge, "A NeverEnding Story," and singer Limahl.
OBITS:
From Variety: Legendary Broadway director and producer, Harold "Hal" Prince, has died at the age of 91, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. Prince won 21 Tony Awards (the most for an individual), including eight for directing a musical and 8 for producing a musical. His Tony Award directing wins including "Cabaret," "Sweeney Todd," and and "Evita." His producing wins include "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Fiddler on the Roof."
From TheWrap: Voice actress and Disney Legend, Russi Taylor, has died at the age of 75, Friday, July 26, 2019. She was the voice of Minnie Mouse for 30 years, beginning in 1986 when she beat out 200 others hoping to land the role. Taylor also voice several characters on the long-running series, "The Simpsons." She received the "Disney Legend Award" in 2008. Alos, Russi's late husband, Wayne Allwine, was the third voice of Mickey Mouse from 1991 until his death in 2009.
From Variety: The Dutch actor Rutger Hauer died at the age of 75, Friday, July 19, 2019. Hauer was best known for the role of Roy Batty, the leader of an outlaw band of replicants in "Blade Runner," starring opposite Harrison Ford. Other memorable films include two 1985 films, "Ladyhawke" and "The Hitcher" and 1986's "The Hitcher."
From BoingBoing: Writer, journalist, activist, and counterculture figure, Paul Krassner, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, July 21, 2019. He was one of the founding members of the Yippies. In the early 1960s, he founded an abortion referral service when abortions were illegal. He started the satire zine, "The Realist," for which he commissioned cartoonist Wally Wood to draw the "Disneyland Memorial Orgy."
From RollingStone: American singer and songwriter and New Orleans music legend, Art Neville, has died at the age of 81, Monday, July 23, 2019. Neville co-founded the funk band, The Meters. With his brothers, he co-founded "The Neville Brothers." He won two Grammy Awards, one with his brothers and another as part of a Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute collaboration.
From Deadline: The actor David Hedison died Thursday, July 18, 2019 at the age of 92. He was best known for his role on the popular 1960s adventure TV series, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (ABC, 1964 to 1968). He also played James Bond's ally, CIA agent Felix Leiter, in two films, "Live and Let Die" (1973) and "License to Kill" (1989).
TRAILERS AND VIDEO:
From YahooEntertainment: Here is the first teaser trailer for Netflix's Martin Scorsese film, "The Irishman," with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. The film is due this fall in select theaters and on Netflix.
From THR: Presented at Comic-Con 2019, this is a new trailer for "Terminator: Dark Fate." The film is due November 1, 2019.
From THR: Presented at Comic-Con 2019, this is a new trailer for "Top Gun: Maverick." The film is due June 26, 2020.
From Newsarama: Apple TV+ releases the first trailer for its series, "Snoopy in Space."
From Variety: Disney releases a teaser trailer for the "The King's Man," the prequel to "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (2014) and "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (2017). It stars Ralph Fiennes and is due Feb. 14th, 2020.
From EW: Here is the first trailer for the "Rabid," a remake of the 1977 David Cronenberg film. The remake, directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska, will premiere at Frightfest in August.
From YouTube: Here is the first official trailer for director Rian Johnson's whodunit, "Knives Out."
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
2016 Cannes Film Festival Winners Announced; Ken Loach Wins Second Palme d'Or
I’ve included a list of winners from the “In Competition” categories; this is the main competition in which films compete for the festival’s top prize, the “Palme d’Or” (Golden Palm). I’ve included the winners from other Cannes award competitions, including “Un Certain Regard” and the “Golden Camera.”
The “Grand Prix” is the second most prestigious prize given at Cannes, after the Palme d’Or. The competition known as “Un Certain Regard” is a part of Cannes that runs parallel to the competition for the Palme d’Or.
Judges for the 2016 Main Competition – “In Competiton”:
George Miller, Australian film director (President)
Arnaud Desplechin, French film director
Kirsten Dunst, American actress
Valeria Golino, Italian actress and film director
Mads Mikkelsen, Danish actor
László Nemes, Hungarian film director
Vanessa Paradis, French actress and singer
Katayoon Shahabi, Iranian film producer
Donald Sutherland, Canadian actor
2016/69th Cannes Film Festival winners:
COMPETITION – Feature Films
Palme d’Or: “I, Daniel Blake” (Ken Loach, U.K.)
Grand Prix: “It’s Only the End of the World” (Xavier Dolan, Canada-France)
Director: TIE
Olivier Assayas, “Personal Shopper” (France)
Cristian Mungiu, “Graduation” (Romania)
Actor: Shahab Hosseini, “The Salesman” (Iran)
Actress: Jaclyn Jose, “Ma ‘Rosa” (Philippines)
Jury Prize: Andrea Arnold, “American Honey” (U.K.-U.S.)
Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, “The Salesman” (Iran)
OTHER PRIZES
Palme d’Honneur: Jean-Pierre Léaud
Camera d’Or: “Divines” (Houda Benyamina, France-Qatar)
Short Films Palme d’Or: “Timecode” (Juanjo Jimenez, Spain)
Special Mention – Short Films Palme d’Or: “The Girl Who Danced With the Devil” (Joao Paulo Miranda Maria, Brazil)
Ecumenical Jury Prize: “It’s Only the End of the World” (Xavier Dolan, Canada-France)
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Un Certain Regard Prize: “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki” (Juho Kuosmanen, Finland)
Jury prize: “Harmonium” (Koji Fukada, Japan)
Director: Matt Ross, “Captain Fantastic” (United States)
Screenplay: Delphine and Muriel Coulin, “The Stopover” (France)
Special Jury Prize: Michael Dudok de Wit, “The Red Turtle” (France-Japan)
DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
Art Cinema Award: “Wolf and Sheep” (Shahrbanoo Sadat)
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “The Together Project” (Solveig Anspach)
Europa Cinemas Label: “Mercernary” (Sacha Wolff)
CRITICS’ WEEK
Grand Prize: “Mimosas” (Oliver Saxe)
Visionary Prize: “Album” (Mehmet Can MertoÄŸlu)
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “Diamond Island” (Day Chou)
FIPRESCI
Competition: “Toni Erdmann” (Maren Ade, Germany-Austria)
Un Certain Regard: “Dogs” (Bogdan Mirică, Romania-France)
Critics’ Week: “Raw” (Julia Ducournau, France-Belgium)
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Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Oklahoma Film Critics Gives "Spotlight" its Best Picture Award
The OFCC announced its 10th annual awards winners in early January of 2016.
2015 Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award winners:
Best Picture - "Spotlight"
Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"
Best Actress – Brie Larson, "Room"
Best Animated Film - "Inside Out"
Best Body of Work – Alicia Vikander, "Ex Machina," "The Danish Girl," "Testament of Youth," "Burnt"
Best Director – George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Best Documentary - "Amy"
Best First Feature – Alex Garland, "Ex Machina"
Best Foreign Language Film - "Son of Saul" (Hungary)
Best Original Screenplay - "Spotlight"
Best Adapted Screenplay – Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, "The Big Short"
Best Supporting Actor (TIE)
Michael Keaton "Spotlight"
Sylvester Stallone "Creed"
Best Supporting Actress – Alicia Vikander, "Ex Machina"
Most Disappointing Film – "Tomorrowland"
Top 10 Films
"Spotlight"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"Brooklyn"
"Ex-Machina"
"The Big Short"
"Carol"
"The Revenant"
"Inside Out"
"Sicario"
"The Hateful Eight
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Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Kansas City Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Picture of 2015
On December 21, 2015, the Kansas City Film Critics Circle announced the winners of its 49th annual awards.
2015 / 49th KCFCC Annual Awards:
BEST PICTURE: Mad Max: Fury Road
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
BEST ACTRESS: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michael Shannon – 99 Homes
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Inside Out
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Phoenix (Germany)
BEST DOCUMENTARY: Amy
VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM: Ex Machina
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Friday, January 22, 2016
Indiana Film Critics Pick "Spotlight" Best Film of 2015
The full list of 2015 Indiana Film Journalist Association Awards:
Best Film
Winner: "Spotlight"
Runner-up: "Room"
Other Finalists (listed alphabetically):
"Anomalisa"
"The Big Short"
"Carol"
"The End of the Tour"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"Steve Jobs"
"Straight Outta Compton"
Best Animated Feature
Winner: "Anomalisa"
Runner-Up: "Inside Out "
Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: "Son of Saul"
Runner-Up: "Goodnight Mommy"
Best Documentary
Winner: "Amy"
Runner-Up: "Meru"
Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, "Spotlight"
Runner-up: Matt Charman, Joel & Ethan Coen, "Bridge of Spies"
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Emma Donoghue, "Room"
Runner-up: Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, "The Big Short"
Best Director
Winner: George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Runner-up: Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"
Best Actress
Winner: Brie Larson, "Room"
Runner-up: Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"
Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Greta Gerwig, "Mistress America"
Runner-up: Elizabeth Banks, "Love & Mercy"
Best Actor
Winner: Jacob Tremblay, "Room"
Runner-up: Jason Segel, "The End of the Tour"
Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"
Runner-up: Idris Elba, "Beasts of No Nation"
Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance
Winner: Phyllis Smith, "Inside Out"
Runner-up: Tom Noonan, "Anomalisa"
Best Musical Score
Winner: Junkie XL, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Runner-up: Disasterpeace, "It Follows"
Original Vision Award
Winner: "Anomalisa"
Runner-up: "Chi-Raq"
The Hoosier Award
Winner: Angelo Pizzo, writer/director/producer
(As a special award, no runner-up is declared in this category.)
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Tuesday, January 19, 2016
36th London Critics Circle Film Awards Announced; "Mad Max: Fury Road" Named Best Film
The London Critics’ Circle Film Section announced nominations for its 36th annual film awards on December 15, 2015. The winners were announced Sunday, January 17, 2016 at The May Fair Hotel. Kenneth Branagh received the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film.
2016 / 36th London Critics' Circle Film Awards – winners (for the year in film 2015):
FILM OF THE YEAR: Mad Max: Fury Road
BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR: 45 Years
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR: The Look of Silence (Denmark)
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR: Amy
ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Tom Courtenay — 45 Years
ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Charlotte Rampling — 45 Years
SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Mark Rylance — Bridge of Spies
SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Kate Winslet — Steve Jobs
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: George Miller — Mad Max: Fury Road
SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy — Spotlight
BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Tom Hardy — Legend, London Road, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant
BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Saoirse Ronan — Brooklyn, Lost River
YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Maisie Williams — The Falling
PHILIP FRENCH AWARD FOR BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER: John Maclean — Slow West
BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR: Stutterer — Benjamin Cleary
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Ed Lachman, cinematography — Caro
DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM: Kenneth Branagh
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Monday, January 18, 2016
2016 Critics Choice Awards Announced; "Spotlight" Named Best Picture of 2015
The winners for the 21st Critics’ Choice Awards were announced Sunday, January 17, 2016.
The 2016 / 21st Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards – winners (for the year in film, 2015):
BEST PICTURE: Spotlight
BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
BEST ACTRESS: Brie Larson – Room
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS: Jacob Tremblay – Room
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE: Spotlight
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson
BEST EDITING: Mad Max: Fury Road – Margaret Sixel
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Inside Out
BEST ACTION MOVIE: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Tom Hardy – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST COMEDY: The Big Short
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY: Christian Bale – The Big Short
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: Amy Schumer – Trainwreck
BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE: Ex Machina
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Son of Saul (Hungary)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Amy
BEST SONG: Furious 7 – “See You Again”
BEST SCORE: The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone
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Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Florida Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Picture of 2015
The Florida Film Critics Circle Award winners were announced on December 23, 2015.
2015 Florida Film Critics Circle winners:
BEST PICTURE: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Runner-Up: Spotlight
BEST DIRECTOR: GEORGE MILLER – MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Runner-Up: Todd Haynes – Carol
BEST ACTOR: PAUL DANO – LOVE & MERCY
Runner-Up: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
BEST ACTRESS: BRIE LARSON – ROOM
Runner-Up: Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: OSCAR ISAAC – EX MACHINA
Runner-Up: Michael Shannon – 99 Homes
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: KRISTEN STEWART – CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA
Runner-Up: Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
BEST ENSEMBLE: SPOTLIGHT
Runner Up: Tangerine
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: SPOTLIGHT (Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer)
Runner Up: Mistress America (Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: THE BIG SHORT (Charles Randolph and Adam McKay)
Runner Up: Carol (Phyllis Nagy)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (John Seale)
Runner Up: Carol (Edward Lachman)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Runner Up: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN: CAROL
Runner Up: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST SCORE: LOVE & MERCY
Runner Up: Carol
BEST DOCUMENTARY: AMY
Runner Up: Heart of a Dog
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: THE ASSASSIN
Runner Up: Mommy
BEST ANIMATED FILM: INSIDE OUT
Runner Up: Anomalisa
PAULINE KAEL BREAKOUT AWARD: DAISY RIDLEY – STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
Runner Up: Alicia Vikander: Ex Machina and The Danish Girl
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Sunday, January 3, 2016
Austin Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Film of 2015
The AFCA announced its 2015 awards winners, Top 10 films of the 2015, and special awards on Tuesday, December 29, 2015.
2015 Austin Film Critics Association Awards winners:
Best Film: Mad Max: Fury Road (dir: George Miller)
Best Director: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actor: Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Best Actress: Brie Larson, Room
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Best Original Screenplay: Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, Inside Out
Best Adapted Screenplay: Emma Donoghue, Room
Best Cinematography: Edward Lachman, Carol
Best Score: Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Best Foreign-Language Film: Son of Saul (dir: László Nemes)
Best Documentary: The Look of Silence (dir: Joshua Oppenheimer)
Best Animated Film: Inside Out (dir: Pete Docter)
Best First Film: Ex Machina (dir: Alex Garland)
The Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award: Jacob Tremblay, Room
Austin Film Award: Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (dir: David Zellner)
Special Honorary Award: Austin-based writer/animator Don Hertzfeldt in celebration of a career of remarkable short filmmaking and contributions to animation spanning two decades, with 2015’s award-winning “World of Tomorrow” being recognized as his best work to date
AFCA 2015 Top Ten Films:
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Spotlight
3. Carol
4. Anomalisa
5. Room
6. TIE: Ex Machina and Inside Out
8. Creed
9. The Big Short
10. Sicario
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Saturday, January 2, 2016
San Diego Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Picture of 2015
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Thursday, December 31, 2015
Black Film Critics Circle Name "Creed" Best Picture of 2015
2015 Black Film Critics Circle Awards:
Best Picture: “Creed”
Best Directing: George Miller “Mad Max: Fury Road”
Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan “Creed”
Best Actress: Brie Larson “Room”
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone “Creed”
Best Supporting Actress: Tessa Thompson “Creed”
Best Screenwriting (Original Screenplay): “Straight Outta Compton”
Best Screenwriting (Adapted Screenplay): “The Martian”
Best Cinematography: “Mad Max: Fury Road”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul” (Hungary)
Best Documentary Feature: “What Happened, Miss Simone?”
Best Animated Feature: “Inside Out”
Best Ensemble Performance: “Straight Outta Compton”
Pioneer Award: Ice Cube
Rising Star: Abraham Attah
Special Mention: Beasts of No Nation
BFCC’s Top 1o Films of 2015 are as follows in order of distinction:
1. “Creed”
2. “Mad Max: Fury Road”
3. “Straight Outta Compton”
4. “Spotlight”
5. “The Martian”
6. “Room”
7. “Beasts of No Nation”
8. “The Hateful Eight”
9. “The Big Short”
10. “Ex Machina”
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Monday, December 21, 2015
"Spotlight" Named Best Film of 2015 by Washington DC Area Film Critics Association
The 2015 WAFCA Award winners were announced December 7, 2015.
2015 WAFCA Award winners:
Best Film:
Spotlight
Best Director:
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Best Actress:
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Best Supporting Actor:
Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
Best Supporting Actress:
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
Best Acting Ensemble:
Spotlight
Best Youth Performance:
Jacob Tremblay (Room)
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Emma Donoghue (Room)
Best Original Screenplay:
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley (Original Story by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen) (Inside Out)
Best Animated Feature:
Inside Out
Best Documentary:
Amy
Best Foreign Language Film:
Son of Saul (Hungary)
Best Production Design:
Production Designer: Colin Gibson, Set Decorator: Lisa Thompson (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC (The Revenant)
Best Editing:
Margaret Sixel (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Original Score:
Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario)
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Sunday, December 20, 2015
Review: "Mad Max: Fury Road" is the Real Fast and Furious
[A version of this review originally appeared on Patreon.]
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
MPAA – R for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images
DIRECTOR: George Miller
WRITERS: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris
PRODUCERS: George Miller, Doug Mitchell, and PJ Voeten
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Seale
EDITORS: Margaret Sixel
COMPOSER: Junkie XL (Tom Holkenborg)
ACTION/SCI-FI/THRILLER
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Josh Helman, Nathan Jones, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, and Courtney Eaton
Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 post-apocalyptic action film from director George Miller. Written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris, Fury Road is the fourth film in the Mad Max film franchise, which began with the 1979 Australian film, Mad Max. Actor Tom Hardy replaces actor Mel Gibson as the title character; Gibson portrayed Max in the franchise's first three movies. Mad Max: Fury Road follows a warrior who escapes with a group of female prisoners and takes them on a search for her homeland, with the aid of a drifter named Max.
Mad Max: Fury Road is set some years after a nuclear holocaust has left civilization collapsed and the world a desert wasteland. One oasis is The Citadel, which is ruled over by the tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), who has an army of “War Boys” to carry out his orders. Early in the story, Joe sends one of his lieutenants, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), in an armored truck to collect gasoline. After she goes off-route, Joe realizes that Furiosa has escaped with his five wives: Angharad (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), Capable (Riley Keough), Cheedo (Courtney Eaton), The Dag (Abbey Lee), and Toast (Zoë Kravitz).
Immortan Joe leads his entire army in pursuit of Furiosa and her armored truck, a “war rig.” A sick War Boy named, Nux (Nicholas Hoult), seeks to make his name stopping Furiosa. But the fate of Furiosa and her fellow escapees may rest in the hands of a drifter recently caught by the War Boys, the former “Road Warrior,” Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy).
If Mad Max: Fury Road is not the best genre film of the year, it is one of the best and sits near the top. Compared to its summer action movie competitors, Fury Road features relatively little use of CGI and other computer-generated special effects. What is even more surprising is that the hero of Fury Road is really a female character, Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa. Tom Hardy's Max is, at best, a partner, if not a kind of sidekick.
The Furiosa-Max dynamic allows Miller and his co-writers to drive this film with themes of survival and redemption, rather than with male-centered, goal-oriented themes like revenge or the pursuit of something (like gas and guns). Thus, Fury Road seems more hopeful than the other films in this franchise, which were about the desperation to survive. In fact, this film's thoughtful approach to both character and to the drama of the big “Fury Road” chase, allows even an ostensible villain, Nux the War Boy, to have an arc of redemption.
I could talk more about the performances, the characters, and the drama, which are all good, but I would rather talk about the action. Mad Max: Fury Road is a whirling dervish of action sequences and scenes. I see, at least, a best editing Oscar nomination in Fury Road's future, and some love from whatever awards that are given for the men and women who perform stunt work in movies. The road races and vehicle pursuits surpass even the amazing chases in 1981's Mad Max 2 (known as The Road Warrior for its 1982 U.S. release). The action is so good that it makes Fury Road seem like one long action scene, which it most certainly is not.
Mad Max: Fury Road is one of those films that has to be seen to be believed. I don't think I can convey in a review how awesome an action movie it is and how surprisingly good a post-apocalyptic drama it also is. Director George Miller proves once and for all that he is one of the great film directors and that he only gets better with age.
9 of 10
A+
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Chicago Film Critics Chooses "Mad Max: Fury Road" as Best Picture of 2015
Now in its 26th year, the CFCA announced the winners of Chicago Film Critics Association Awards during their year-end awards dinner held on the evening of Wednesday, December 16, 2015.
2015 / 26th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association Award winners:
BEST PICTURE
Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST DIRECTOR
George Miller--Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio--The Revenant
BEST ACTRESS
Brie Larson--Room
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro--Sicario
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander--Ex Machina
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spotlight--Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short--Adam McKay & Charles Randolph
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Mad Max: Fury Road--John Seale
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Hateful Eight--Ennio Morricone
BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road--Jason Ballantine & Margaret Sixel
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Son of Saul (Hungary)
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Inside Out
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Jacob Tremblay--Room
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Alex Garland--Ex Machina
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Thursday, December 17, 2015
Detroit Film Critics Name "Spotlight" Best Film of 2015
The winners of the 2015 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards were Monday, December 14, 2015.
2015 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards winners:
BEST FILM
Spotlight
BEST DIRECTOR
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTOR
Michael Caine, Youth
BEST ACTRESS
Saroise Ronan, Brooklyn
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Liev Schreiber, Spotlight
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
BEST ENSEMBLE
Spotlight
BREAKTHROUGH
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina, The Danish Girl (actress)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy
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Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Online Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Picture of 2015
The 19th Online Film Critics Society Awards were announced on Monday, December 14, 2015.
2015 / 19th OFCS Award winners:
Best Picture:
Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Animated Feature:
Inside Out
Best Film Not in the English Language:
The Assassin (Taiwan)
Best Documentary:
The Look of Silence
Best Director:
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Best Actor:
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett (Carol)
Best Supporting Actor:
Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)
Best Supporting Actress:
Rooney Mara (Carol)
Best Original Screenplay:
Spotlight (Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy)
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Carol (Phyllis Nagy)
Best Editing:
Mad Max: Fury Road (Margaret Sixel)
Best Cinematography:
Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale)
Best Non-U.S. Release
Aferim!
Cemetery of Splendor
The Club
Dheepan
The Lobster
Mountains May Depart
Mia Madre
Rams
Right Now, Wrong Then
The Sunset Song
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Saturday, December 12, 2015
National Board of Review Names "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Film of 2015
NBR President Annie Schulhof said, “2015 has been a banner year for popular cinema. We are thrilled to be awarding George Miller and Ridley Scott, two iconic filmmakers at the top of their game, while also celebrating the next generation of talent.”
The 2015 William K Everson Film History Award recipient is Cecilia De Mille Presley, the granddaughter of legendary director, Cecil B. DeMille. As Vice Chair of the National Film Preservation Foundation, she has devoted her life to film preservation. In honor of her grandfather’s legacy she has co-authored the book Cecil B. DeMille: The Art of the Hollywood Epic.
For 106 years, the National Board of Review has dedicated its efforts to the support of domestic and foreign cinema as both art and entertainment. This year, over 250 films (studio, independent, foreign-language, animated, and documentary) were viewed by this select group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students. These screenings were frequently followed by in-depth discussions with directors, actors, producers, and screenwriters. Voting ballots were tabulated by the accounting firm of Lutz and Carr, LLP.
The National Board of Review honors diverse members of the film community at their annual Awards Gala, which also acts as a fundraiser for student grant philanthropy. Hosted by Willie Geist, this year’s gala will take place on January 5, 2016 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. The 2015 National Board of Review of Motion Picture awards were announced Tuesday, December 1, 2015.
2015 National Board of Review of Motion Picture awards:
Best Film: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Director: Ridley Scott – The Martian
Best Actor: Matt Damon – The Martian
Best Actress: Brie Larson – Room
Best Supporting Actor: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight
Best Adapted Screenplay: Drew Goddard – The Martian
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out
Breakthrough Performance:
Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation
Jacob Tremblay – Room
Best Directorial Debut: Jonas Carpignano – Mediterranea
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul (Hungary)
Best Documentary: Amy
William K. Everson Film History Award: Cecilia De Mille Presley
Best Ensemble: The Big Short
Spotlight Award: Sicario, for Outstanding Collaborative Vision
NBR Freedom of Expression Award:
Beasts of No Nation
Mustang
Top Films:
Bridge of Spies
Creed
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
The Martian
Room
Sicario
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Top 5 Foreign Language Films:
Goodnight Mommy (Austria)
Mediterranea (Italy)
Phoenix (Germany)
The Second Mother (Brazil)
The Tribe (Ukriane)
Top 5 Documentaries:
Best of Enemies
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
The Diplomat
Listen to Me Marlon
The Look of Silence
Top 10 Independent Films:
’71
45 Years
Cop Car
Ex Machina
Grandma
It Follows
James White
Mississippi Grind
Welcome to Me
While We’re Young
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