Now that we have had a few days to recover from this crazy award season, let’s take a moment to reflect. This year so many unique things happened this awards season and many of them were derived from changes the Academy made. Of course like any change, there are sometimes problems along the way like the well documented troubles with the online system and the kneecapping of December contenders that occurred when they changed the Phase 1 deadline mid-year. However slowly, the Academy has adapted to the shifting landscape of the awards season and film. But what more could they do? Well today’s Circuit 3 attempts to answer the question: what changes would you like to see the Academy make? Read more on Circuit 3: Academy Changes…
Don’t you guys just love lists? Of course you do or else Mark’s fantastic Circuit 3 series wouldn’t be so popular. Entertainment Weekly, in celebration of the Oscars, has released their top 25 Best Picture winners which you can view here. It being Entertainment Weekly some of the choices are maddening (My Fair Lady at 16? Midnight Cowboy on the list at all?) but it’s a pretty interesting list. Spurned by this article, I decided to try my hand at ranking Best Picture winners, which you can see after the jump. What do you all think are the best Best Picture winners in Oscar history? Read more on What are the “Best” Best Picture Winners?…
Original Score is one of the most interesting categories year in and year out, with the list of films that were disqualified being almost as good of a list as the nominees. This year was not only a great year for film but film music, with the 5 nominees beating out many worthy adversaries to make it in the Oscar lineup.
The nominees are:
Anna Karenina – Dario Marinelli Argo – Alexandre Desalt Life of Pi – Mychael Danna Lincoln – John Williams Skyfall – Thomas Newman
New name. Same Category. The Academy Award for Best Production Design celebrates the best in art direction and set design. Production designers have an incredibly difficult role in the making of film. Whether it’s a fantasy film set in far off world or a recreation of a historical building, production designers create the physical building blocks that allow us into the world of the film. Last year this award (called the Academy Award for Art Direction), went to Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo for Hugo.
And the 2012 Nominees are…
Sarah Greenwood – Anna Karenina
Dan Hennah – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Eve Stewart – Les Miserables
David Gropman – Life of Pi
Rick Carter, Jim Erickson, and Peter T. Frank – Lincoln Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Production Design…
For those who have not seen the incredibly fascinating and inspiring documentary Searching for Sugar Man, I highly recommend doing so. Not only is it the best doc I saw this year, but it is one of the best films of the year as well. The Academy thinks so too, as it is one of the five nominees for Best Documentary Feature (and quite possibly we’re looking at the winner here). The subject of the doc is a musician who goes simply by the name Rodriguez, and it tells of his surprising flop as a musical artist. Well it turns out the 70 year old is re-teaming with his former producer – Steve Rowland – to head back to the studio to record his first album in 42 years.
It’s that time again we’re taking questions for Power Hour! We’ll be broadcasting LIVE on Blog Talk radio talking about the PGA Awards, how the Oscar race stands now, and announce the winners of the first annual Circuit Awards! There will be an opportunity for you to send your questions LIVE during the recording of Power Hour or you can post them in the comments. We will be recording on Sunday at 6:00 pm Eastern Time. So be here Sunday @ 6 sharp to give your feedback and ask your questions. You can also leave it in the comment section.
When I sat down with director Pablo Larrain, he was in great spirits. Who wouldn’t be after having their film nominated for an Academy Award and having it play at Sundance Film Festival to good reviews? Through the course of the interview Pablo talked about how thrilling it was to film using U-matic tape, the benefits of having a star like Gael Garcia Bernal in your film, and how he’s enjoyed the festival circuit. Check out the full audio after the jump! Read more on SUNDANCE: Interview with ‘No’ Director Pablo Larrain…
No, the Chilean film recently nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars, is an engrossing look at the power of the quest to unseat General Pinochet from power through positive tv ads during the 1988 plebiscite. Director Pablo Larrain and star Gael Garcia Bernal shed a light on a unique period in Chile’s history through a visceral style that engages your brain and your eyes as it takes you on a journey. Read more on SUNDANCE: No (***½)…
The duo should certainly be enough to brighten up the early morning announcement!
January 7, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OSCAR® HOST SETH MACFARLANE JOINS EMMA STONE
TO ANNOUNCE OSCAR NOMINATIONS
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards® will be announced by the show’s host, Seth MacFarlane, and actress Emma Stone on Thursday, January 10. This will be the first time since 1972 that an Oscar show host has participated in the nominations announcement.
After months of speculation, whining, theorizing, the Oscar ballots have been turned in and the nominations will be announced this Thursday, January 10 @ 8:30 am Eastern Time. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the staff and I will be broadcasting a LIVE Nominations Edition of Power Hour on Thursday morning. We will likely jump on at about 8:00 am ET, talk about last minute theories and give our reactions from the curve balls that Oscar is sure to throw.
As the Writers Guild of America announced their nominations yesterday, I tried to think like an Oscar voter and try to assess which films or performances could someone be passionate about on the last day of voting. Did AMPAS really look to Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and SAG for recognition? As Best Picture looks like a five-horse race, which film will be the most nominated film of the day?
Want to know what category you have the best odds of receiving an Oscar nomination in? At The Wrap, Steve Pond crunches the numbers to uncover a few Oscar secrets.
If you have been on Facebook or Twitter in the past two days, you may have noticed a few FYC ads popping up on the staff’s pages. That’s because for the first time ever, the Awards Circuit staff will be throwing their name into the ring of the critics groups that host their own awards! While you can see our intrepid editor’s choices coming together right now, you’ll soon be able to see what the staff collectively has to offer. The Awards Circuit Staff Awards nominations will be announced on Jan 20th and the winners will be announced on Jan 28.
In addition to the staff awards, the ACCA awards that gives you, the loyal readers, the chance to voice your own opinions about the film year, will open for voting on January 14th.
If you have anything you want the staff to consider before our voting closes (Jan 18) please share in the comments! until then take a look at some of the fun FYC ads designed solely by the staff (and their friends *cough Mark and Joey cough*) after the jump!
There’s been no film more divisive or more igniting in terms of strong Oscar speculation then Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. After months of shooting, word of a last minute edit (some believe editing is still going on currently), the film has finally hit cinematic eyes and the “final” product is both bold and misguided. Django Unchained is big and full of Tarantino life and color that we’ve come to love about him. On sheer production value, it’s his finest film endeavor to date. Set designs are simply gorgeous, Robert Richardson captures some beautiful shots, and Sharen Davis proves once again, she’s one of the most awe-inspiring designers working today. Tarantino does go a bit “out there” in his choices of dialogue along with the developing and rising structure of the story. Where Tarantino succeeds is in digging some terrific performances out of his principal cast, even if his film is at times lunky, problematic, and a bit messy. Read more on Django Unchained (***)…
As LAFCA, NYFCO, and BSFC all proved yesterday, you can’t keep a good ol’ film when its down. The Master resurrected after being nearly shut out thus far and won Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress with the prestigious Los Angeles Film Critics.
Normally, and I mean in any other year, I wouldn’t put so much stock into these awards but with SAG ballots due today, Critics Choice Nominations being announced tomorrow, followed by Golden Globes and SAG, Oscar will be looking for some validation of their choices. AMPAS ballots are due January 10 and they’ll be looking for some guidance in places where they can. DGA won’t announce until after the Oscar nominations.
I’ve made some updates to the Oscar Predictions and most notable is the change in Supporting Actor. Robert DeNiro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Tommy Lee Jones all still seem good for nods. The big win for Dwight Henry yesterday from LAFCA and the many runner-up mentions for Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained have started a buzz that only seems deserving. The latter performance I’m not allowed to comment on until Wednesday but I’ll say it’s something that many can get behind and in THE RIGHT category. Ann Dowd makes her appearance in the top five for Compliance and if you heard our Awards Circuit Power Hour yesterday, she’s very likable and will play the awards circuit very well.
In what seems like an eternity, Tom Hooper’s long-awaited Les Miserables starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway has finally been screened and finished. Director Hooper came out to introduce his film at the Alice Tully Theater at Lincoln Center on Friday, November 23, 2012 and explained that he had just finished the picture at 2 a.m. the evening before. The wait was well worth it. Les Miserables is not only stunningly powerful, and beautifully crafted, it’s the best stage musical adaptation since Rob Marshall’s Chicago (2002). Incredibly moving and featuring some of the most powerful musical numbers ever constructed, Tom Hooper tops his previous film The King’s Speech (2010) with artistry and passion. Read more on Les Miserables (****)…
In 2007 no one saw the Best Actor nomination for Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah (2007), it was one of those happy surprises that reminded us the acting branch really does watch the films and pay some attention. Way back in 1975 there was another such shock when James Whitmore received a Best Actor nod for his filmed stage show Give ‘em Hell Harry (1975), though it was not quite as deserving as Jones’ nomination.
With the strong reviews coming in for Brad Pitt in Killing Them Softly (2012), could he knock out one of the so-called locks and be in the category come Oscar night? He is well liked, the Academy likes him, critics like him and he has grown substantially as an actor through the years. For my money he should have been nominated for Best Actor for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) and for Babel (2006). Last year he won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Actor for Moneyball (2011) and was an Oscar nominee, and I think discounting him this year is a huge mistake. Read more on The Underestimation of the Lead Actor Brad Pitt in ‘Killing Them Softly’…
Winners will be announced somewhere between 12:00pm and 2:00pm Eastern time. We’ll be bringing you the winners here. Make sure to include your own predictions of who’s going to get an Oscar boost today and read my predictions to the awards here.
WINNERS
Best Film: ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE
Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, LOOPER
Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Best Animated Feature:WRECK-IT RALPH
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck, ARGO
Breakthrough Actor: Tom Holland, THE IMPOSSIBLE Breakthrough Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Best Directorial Debut: Benh Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Best Foreign Language Film:AMOUR
Best Documentary:SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN
William K.Everson Film History Award: 50 YEARS OF BOND FILMS
Best Ensemble:LES MISÉRABLES
Spotlight Award: John Goodman (ARGO, FLIGHT, PARANORMAN, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE)
NBR Freedom of Expression Award:CENTRAL PARK FIVE
NBR Freedom of Expression Award:PROMISED LAND
Top Films
“Argo”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Django Unchained”
“Les Miserables
“Lincoln”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
“Promised Land”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)
We’re coming to the end of the Sizing Up series at The Awards Circuit, which is of course the making of early groupings of the hopefuls for each major Oscar category, in case somehow you forgot. This is the second to last and tackles the Best Adapted Screenplay race. For now though, we’ll focus here on the category at hand. I admit that my success rate is still to be determined with this year’s crop of articles, but that kind of comes with the territory of Oscar prognostication, and I’m feeling good about my picks so far. Perhaps I’m getting wiser with age, but then again…maybe not. Both this screenplay article and the next one tackling Original Screenplay will be a tad lighter than usual, not in terms of the number of films/scripts but in the number of big time contenders held within, mainly because they’re the only categories that really limit what you can work off of, so it’s a little harder to not be top-heavy. I did my best though, so I think I deserve a bit of credit for that! I think most of you will be happy with these rankings, but that ultimately remains to be seen, I suppose.
Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow and Oscar-winning screenwriter Mark Boal take their newest effort, Zero Dark Thirty, to places I couldn’t have imagined. Based on the events leading up to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the two display an impressive amount of control in the way the film is told and showcases some brilliant moments in filmmaking. Zero Dark Thirty hooks you from minute one and just DOESN’T. LET. GO. It’s one of the best pictures of the year! Read more on Zero Dark Thirty (****)…
The precursor award season is about to kick off on Monday with the New York Film Critics naming their best of the year. This is when all the speculation, hope, and despair is laid to rest for many contenders and films but as performances like Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah or films like The Blind Side and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close will tell you, it’s not over until the President and guest read your name off the teleprompter.
This month brings the following announcement schedule:
Monday, 12/3 – New York Film Critics
Wednesday, 12/5 – National Board of Review
Friday, 12/7 – Los Angeles Film Critics
Sunday, 12/9 – New York Film Critics Online & Boston Film Critics
Tuesday, 12/11 – Broadcast Film Critics Association Announces Nominees!!!
A beautiful story based on a true story, The Intouchables (2012) is filled with laughter from the beginning until the end. Two people from two very different worlds learn to become friends and teach each other how to be pragmatic. A rich man named Philippe (François Cluzet) is paralyzed from the neck down and requires a caretaker to help him get through his days. Driss (Omar Sy), in need of signatures for government welfare, arrives for a signature and is given a chance to live another life if willing to be Philippe’s caretaker. The two give it a shot and learn to become great friends. There are ups and downs along the way, but they teach and learn from each other, finding a way through life as it goes. Philippe receives no discrimination from Driss, which is what he wants, and Driss gives no pity to anyone. They mutually benefit from each other’s presence and ways of life. Read more on The Intouchables (***)…
Evidently there is an embargo on Tom Hooper’s Les Miserablesthat screened yesterday. The review was up for twelve hours or so before I had to pull it down until December 11th.
I can talk about some points from last night’s Q & A with director Tom Hooper and stars Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, and Samantha Barks. Also, general shape of the race Oscar talk as it stands now.
Now that we have had a few days to recover from this crazy award season, let’s take a moment to reflect. This year so many unique things happened this awards season and many of them were derived from changes the Academy made. Of course like any change, there are sometimes problems along the way like the well documented troubles with the online system and the kneecapping of December contenders that occurred when they changed the Phase 1 deadline mid-year. However slowly, the Academy has adapted to the shifting landscape of the awards season and film. But what more could they do? Well today’s Circuit 3 attempts to answer the question: what changes would you like to see the Academy make?
Don’t you guys just love lists? Of course you do or else Mark’s fantastic Circuit 3 series wouldn’t be so popular. Entertainment Weekly, in celebration of the Oscars, has released their top 25 Best Picture winners which you can view 
Original Score is one of the most interesting categories year in and year out, with the list of films that were disqualified being almost as good of a list as the nominees. This year was not only a great year for film but film music, with the 5 nominees beating out many worthy adversaries to make it in the Oscar lineup.
New name. Same Category. The Academy Award for Best Production Design celebrates the best in art direction and set design. Production designers have an incredibly difficult role in the making of film. Whether it’s a fantasy film set in far off world or a recreation of a historical building, production designers create the physical building blocks that allow us into the world of the film. Last year this award (called the Academy Award for Art Direction), went to Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo for Hugo.
It’s that time again we’re taking questions for Power Hour! We’ll be broadcasting LIVE on Blog Talk radio talking about the PGA Awards, how the Oscar race stands now, and announce the winners of the first annual Circuit Awards! There will be an opportunity for you to send your questions LIVE during the recording of Power Hour or you can post them in the comments. We will be recording on Sunday at 6:00 pm Eastern Time. So be here Sunday @ 6 sharp to give your feedback and ask your questions. You can also leave it in the comment section.
When I sat down with director Pablo Larrain, he was in great spirits. Who wouldn’t be after having their film nominated for an Academy Award and having it play at Sundance Film Festival to good reviews? Through the course of the interview Pablo talked about how thrilling it was to film using U-matic tape, the benefits of having a star like Gael Garcia Bernal in your film, and how he’s enjoyed the festival circuit. Check out the full audio after the jump! 
No, the Chilean film recently nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars, is an engrossing look at the power of the quest to unseat General Pinochet from power through positive tv ads during the 1988 plebiscite. Director Pablo Larrain and star Gael Garcia Bernal shed a light on a unique period in Chile’s history through a visceral style that engages your brain and your eyes as it takes you on a journey. 
The duo should certainly be enough to brighten up the early morning announcement!
If you have been on Facebook or Twitter in the past two days, you may have noticed a few FYC ads popping up on the staff’s pages. That’s because for the first time ever, the Awards Circuit staff will be throwing their name into the ring of the critics groups that host their own awards! While you can see our intrepid editor’s 
