The Circuit: Awards and Festivals News

63 tunes vie for Oscar's Original Song trophy

Paul Gaita — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:23:30 -0800

A whopping 63 songs will be considered for nomination in the Original Song category for the 82nd Academy Awards. The list, released today by the Academy, includes both the expected numbers, like Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett's "The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart," Leona Lewis' "I See You" from "Avatar" and Paul McCartney's "(I Want to) Come Home" from "Everybody's Fine," and some left-field (and far afield) choices, like "The Word Is Love" from "Oy Vey! My Son is Gay!!" (which is a real movie, by the way).

Also in the mix is "Butterfly Fly Away," the Miley Cyrus tune from "Hannah Montana the Movie," which was originally considered ineligible for the Oscar due to the fact that it was written specifically for the film. Oh, and you can ignore those rumors that Adam Lambert will get his moment of mea culpa by performing his "A Time For Miracles" (from "2012") at the ceremony; the number isn't even in this sizable lot.

On Jan. 12, random clips from each song will be screened for members of the Music Branch of the Academy. Nominees will be determined by a point system vote. If two or more songs (up to five) achieve a score of 8.25 or more, they will be the nominees, who will be announced, along with the contenders in the rest of the Oscar categories on Feb. 2. The award ceremony itself will air on March 7.

The complete list of eligible songs for nomination are as follows:

"All Is Love" from "Where the Wild Things Are"

“Almost Over You” from “My One and Only”

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”

“AyAyAyAy” from “The Maid”

“Back to Tennessee” from “Hannah Montana the Movie”

“Being Bad” from “Duplicity”

“Blanco” from “Fast & Furious”

“Brothers in Arms” from “Brothers at War”

“Butterfly Fly Away” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”

“Cinema Italiano” from “Nine”

“Colorblind” from “Invictus”

“Depression Era” from “That Evening Sun”

“Don’t Walk Away” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”

“Dove of Peace” from “Bruno”

“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”

“Fly Farm Blues” from “It Might Get Loud”

“Forget Me” from “I Love You, Beth Cooper”

“God Bless Us Everyone” from “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”

“Here” from “Shrink”

“Hideaway” from “Where the Wild Things Are”

“Hoedown Throwdown” from “Hannah Montana the Movie”

“I Bring What I Love” from “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love”

“I See You” from “Avatar”

“(I Want to) Come Home” from “Everybody’s Fine”

“If You’re Wondering” from “The Lightkeepers”

“Impossible Fantasy” from “Adventures of Power”

“Innocent Child” from “Skin”

“Invictus 9,000 Days” from “Invictus”

“Legendary” from “Tyson”

“Let Freedom Reign” from “Skin”

“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36”

“Ma Belle Evangeline” from “The Princess and the Frog”

“My One and Only” from “My One and Only”

“Na Na” from “Couples Retreat”

“Never Knew I Needed” from “The Princess and the Frog”

“New Divide” from “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”

“New Jersey Nights” from “Adventures of Power”

“New York Is Where I Live” from “Did You Hear about the Morgans?”

“No Time for Love” from “Simon & Malou”

“One Day” from “Post Grad”

“Only You” from “The Young Victoria”

“Other Father Song” from “Coraline”

“Petey’s Song” from “Fantastic Mr. Fox”

“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” from “Ponyo”

“Possibility” from “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”

“Raining Sunshine” from “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”

“Running Out of Empty (Make Ourselves at Home)” from “Lymelife”

“Smoke without Fire” from “An Education”

“Somebody Else” from “Crazy Heart”

“Stu’s Song” from “The Hangover”

“Take It All” from “Nine”

“Through the Trees” from “Jennifer’s Body”

“Trust Me” from “The Informant!”

“Un Bouquet des Violettes” from “New York, I Love You”

“We Are the Children of the World” from “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”

“We Love Violence” from “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”

“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart”

“When You Find Me” from “Adam”

“Winter” from “Brothers”

“The Word Is Love” from “Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!”

“You Got Me Wrapped around Your Little Finger” from “An Education”

“You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”

“You’ve Been a Friend to Me” from “Old Dogs”

-- Paul Gaita

Wednesday Roundup: 'Basterds' shares best from Toronto critics; Jason Reitman, Olympic torch bearer; Johnny Depp to receive Lifetime Achievement award; Nick Jonas will play Critics' Choice Movie Awards

Paul Gaita — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:21:07 -0800

The Toronto Film Critics Assn. (TFCA) broke ranks with its North American compatriots by awarding its top prize to Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" and the Irish prison drama "Hunger." The tie stood in marked contrast to the majority of American critical associations that voted for Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker"; however, Bigelow did not go away from Toronto empty-handed, as the association named her best director. "Basterds" also split its win for best screenplay with Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner's script for "Up in the Air"; star Christoph Waltz, however, didn't have to share his trophy for best supporting actor with anyone.
Nicolas Cage bested the competition to take best actor for "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," while Carey Mulligan continued her winning streak with best actress for "An Education." Anna Kendrick also picked up her latest award for "Up in the Air," as did Michael Haneke, whose "White Ribbon" was named best foreign film, and Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox," which won best animated feature. The 2009 TFCA awards will take place on Jan. 12; the winner of the Rogers Best Canadian Feature Award will also be announced on that night. The nominees are Bruce McDonald's chilling indie horror "Pontypool," "Polytechnique" by Denis Villeneuve, and "The Necessities of Life" by Benoit Pilon.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported that Jason Reitman added one more noteworthy accomplishment to his growing C.V. -- hoisting the Olympic torch. The "Up in the Air" director participated in the passing of the Olympic torch in Toronto today; he was joined in the effort by his father, director Ivan Reitman (who also serves as "Air's" co-producer). Reitman also gives his reaction to his film's six Golden Globe nominations ("I'm a little exhausted").
There is a certain degree of logic in the news that Johnny Depp will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bahamas International Film Festival -- as the star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, he is one of the region's best advertisements. Depp will receive the award from none other than Sir Sean Connery, a longtime supporter of the fest, in Nassau. It's a mite early for a lifetime achievement award for Depp, but hey, after "Public Enemies," "Alice in Wonderland" and the upcoming "Rum Diaries," one imagines he could use an island getaway.
And word comes from MTV that Nick Jonas of Disney faves the Jonas Brothers and his new outfit, the Administration, will serve as the house band for the 15th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Jan. 15. It's the latest in a string of modifications for the former Critics' Choice Awards, which strives for a bigger slice of the movie award show audience. Jonas is certainly a step toward bringing in the pre-teen set, but are they genuinely interested in whether "Inglourious Basterds" or "An Education" will capture the top prize? VH1, which is airing the show, is clearly willing to gamble.
-- Paul Gaita
Photo: Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds." Credit: Weinstein Co.

Palm Springs Film Fest announces 2010 galas, Modern Masters programs; McAvoy, Dreyfuss, Danner to attend

Paul Gaita — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:16:24 -0800

The 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) backs up the star power of its Awards Gala -- which honors such buzzworthy talent as Jeff Bridges, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Jason Reitman, Anna Kendrick and Mariah Carey -- with a host of film programs, including the premiere of 76 features from around the world and a Modern Masters series from acclaimed international directors.

Screenings of the Golden Globe-nominated "The Last Station" and the period romantic comedy "The Lightkeepers" will open and close the fest on Jan. 7 and 17, respectively. "Station" director Michael Hoffman and star James McAvoy are expected to attend, as are Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner, who top-bill "Lightkeepers."

Among the highlights of the film programs are special presentations of "I Love You Philip Morris," with Jim Carrey as a con man who continually breaks out of jail to be with his partner (Ewan McGregor); "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," based on the bestselling crime novel by Steig Larsson; and the "Red Riding" trilogy inspired by the real-life case of the Yorkshire Ripper. The Modern Masters series offers 10 new projects by such renowned filmmakers as Giuseppe Tornatore ("Baaria"), Andre Techine ("The Girl on the Train," with Catherine Denueve), Ken Loach ("Looking for Eric"), Marco Bellochio ("Vincere") and Michael Haneke (the Palm d'Or-winning "White Ribbon").

The Festival will announce its films in competition, as well as the remainder of its line-up, on Dec. 21.

-- Paul Gaita

Pictured: Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren in "The Last Station." Credit: Stephan Rabold, Sony Pictures Classics.

Tuesday Roundup

List of 67th annual Golden Globe nominations

"Mad Men," "Modern Family" top Writers Guild Award nominations

Tuesday Roundup: Polanski's 'Ghost Writer' to premiere at Berlin Film Fest; Ebert, Auteurs debate best movie posters of the decade; holiday movies for the 'discerning' viewer

Paul Gaita — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:04:24 -0800

First, the news: While Roman Polanski, under house arrest in Switzerland, awaits word on his possible extradition to the United States, his latest film, "The Ghost Writer," will premiere at the 60th Annual Berlin International Film Festival. The pic was announced as one of seven films competing for Golden and Silver Bears in the fest's main program; Martin Scorsese's period thriller, "Shutter Island," will also screen, but out of competition. More titles in competition (26 in total) will be announced in January; the Berlinale runs Feb. 11-21.

Now, on to lighter subjects: The onset of the new decade means that the lists of best and worst (insert debatable topic here) of the decade will snowball over the next few weeks; most will be highly subjective and, as such, interesting only to the compiler of the list. However, over at The Auteurs, there's a swell collection of movie one-sheets that writer Adrian Curry has compiled, and it's a pleasure to view, both from an aesthetic standpoint and for his reasons for choosing them. Michael Haneke's American remake of "Funny Games" tops his list, and he's quiet eloquent in detailing both the uncomfortable feelings and quiet beauty evoked by the image (nice call-out to Godard's "Vivre sa vie" too). His other choices are equally eclectic but no less appealing: the Chris Ware poster for "The Savages" flows nicely into the glaring goofiness of "The Forty-Year-Old Virgin," which seems entirely right next to the poster for Wilco's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart."

Curry's list apparently struck a chord with Roger Ebert, who was inspired (his word is "inflamed") to put together his own list. Oscarologists will note the inclusion of "Precious," "The Queen" and "Man on Wire," while others will appreciate his broad spectrum of choices, which include everything from "Zoolander" to the indie horror pics "The Abandoned" and "Grace." Curry and Ebert have a lively and polite debate in the comments section, which is full of other intriguing picks from readers. The best part of this exchange is that it might encourage a few people to seek out the films behind the images that engage them, which can never be a bad thing.

Speaking of eclectic choices, a panel of contributors at The L Magazine offer up alternatives to the standard holiday TV and DVD fare. The title is a little smug -- "The Discerning Person's Guide to Underrated Christmas Movies" sounds like smart-guy talk for "You're Dumb If You Love 'Miracle at 34th Street'" -- but the choices are both imaginative and all-encompassing in terms of genre and subject matter. Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" gets a few votes for its evocation of holiday madness at its most fever-pitched, but there are also nods to "The Shop Around the Corner," "The Apartment," "The Royal Tenenbaums" and even "Gremlins" and "Bell, Book and Candle."

I was pleased to see Whit Stillman's lovely "Metropolitan" get a few votes, and Stillman himself is among the contributors; he picks Bill Forsyth's "Comfort and Joy," while his acidic muse, Chris Eigeman, shows his affection for the Rankin-Bass stop-motion TV specials. You may not love all the films in this list, but you have to admit that with suggestions like these, there's simply no reason for you to sit through "Jingle All the Way." Again.

-- Paul Gaita

Image: "Funny Games" Credit: Warner Independent

List of 67th annual Golden Globe nominations [Corrected]

pdayla — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:32:31 -0800

Here are the nominations for the 67th annual Golden Globes to be held Jan. 17 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. [Corrected at 2:45 p.m. Dec. 16: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Karen O was nominated for best original score - motion picture for “A Single Man”; she actually shares a nomination with Carter Burwell for their work on “Where the Wild Things Are.”]

Best Motion Picture - Drama
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious"
"Up in the Air"
"Avatar"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Emily Blunt, "The Young Victoria"
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Tobey Maguire, "Brothers"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
"The Hangover"
"It's Complicated"
"Julie & Julia"
"Nine"
"(500) Days of Summer"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Sandra Bullock, "The Proposal"
Marion Cotillard, "Nine"
Meryl Streep, "It's Complicated"
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"
Julia Roberts, "Duplicity"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Nine"
Robert Downey Jr., "Sherlock Holmes"
Michael Stuhlbarg, "A Serious Man"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "(500) Days of Summer"
Matt Damon, "The Informant!"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo'Nique, "Precious"
Julianne Moore, "A Single Man"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Penelope Cruz, "Nine"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"

Best Animated Feature Film
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"Up"

Best Foreign Language Film
"Baaria"
"Broken Embraces"
"A Prophet"
"The White Ribbon"
"The Maid"

Best Director - Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Clint Eastwood, "Invictus"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, "District 9"
Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
Nancy Meyers, "It's Complicated"
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, "Up"
Marvin Hamlisch, "The Informant!"
James Horner, "Avatar"
Abel Korzeniowski "A Single Man"
Carter Burwell and Karen O, "Where the Wild Things Are"

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture
"I See You," "Avatar"
"The Weary Kind," "Crazy Heart"
"Cinema Italiano," "Nine"
"I Want to Come Home," "Everybody's Fine"
"Winter," "Brothers"

Best Television Series - Drama
"Dexter"
"Mad Men"
"House M.D."
"True Blood"
"Big Love"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Glenn Close, "Damages"
January Jones, "Mad Men"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Anna Paquin, "True Blood"
Kyra Sedgewick, "The Closer"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Simon Baker, "The Mentalist"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House M.D."
Bill Paxton, "Big Love"

Best Television Series - Comedy
"30 Rock"
"Entourage"
"Glee"
"The Office"
"Modern Family"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
David Duchovny, "Californication"
Thomas Jane, "Hung"
Matthew Morrison, "Glee"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette, "United States of Tara"
Courteney Cox, "Cougar Town"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Lea Michele, "Glee"

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
"Georgia O'Keefe"
"Grey Gardens"
"Into the Storm"
"Little Dorrit"
"Taking Chance"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Joan Allen, "Georgia O'Keefe"
Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"
Jessica Lange, "Grey Gardens"
Anna Paquin, "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler"
Sigourney Weaver, "Prayers for Bobby"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance"
Kenneth Branagh, "Wallander: One Step Behind"
Chiwetel Ejiofor, "Endgame"
Brendan Gleeson, "Into the Storm"
Jeremy Irons, "Georgia O'Keefe"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jane Adams, "Hung"
Rose Byrne, "Damages"
Jane Lynch, "Glee"
Janet McTeer, "Into the Storm"
Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Michael Emerson, "Lost"
Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"
William Hurt, "Damages"
John Lithgow, "Dexter"
Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"

Monday Roundup: "Hurt Locker" leads Boston, St. Louis Film Critics, EDA Awards

Paul Gaita — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:32:13 -0800

Cinematical does a terrific job of breaking down the Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) Awards, which were announced on Dec. 14, and how they'll translate for the winners this season. "The Hurt Locker" took five awards, including best picture, best actor (Jeremy Renner), best director (Kathryn Bigelow), best cinematography (Barry Ackroyd) and best editing (Bob Murawski and Chris Innis). As far as its batting average goes, the society's picks seem to click with the nominations, but don't always spin into academy gold; its last seven best picture picks all received Oscar nods, but only three were named as winners.
The society had better luck with actors -- eight of its last 12 choices for best actor got to the final five, and six of those were winners, including last year's best actor, Sean Penn for "Milk." It also called the best actress race from 2004 to 2007, which might mean good news for this year's choice, Meryl Streep for "Julie & Julia." The supporting actor and actress choices have historically split down the middle, though the Boston critics accurately named the last two supporting actors -- a positive for Christoph Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds," and perhaps less so for Mo'Nique and "Precious." For the complete list of winners, please point your browser here.
"Hurt Locker" also scored big with the St. Louis Film Critics Assn., which nominated it for all the same categories sans editing, with an additional nod for Mark Boal's screenplay. "Locker" now runs second in total nominations for St. Louis behind "Up in the Air," which netted six (best film, best actor George Clooney, best supporting actress Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, best director Jason Reitman, and best screenplay Reitman and Sheldon Turner) and the indie sleeper "(500) Days of Summer," which also took six noms (best film, best screenplay -- Nick Hornby, most original, creative or innovative film, and two for the Association's newest category, Special Merit or "Favorite Scene").
"Hurt Locker" also claimed six EDA (Excellent Dynamic Activism) Awards from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, including best film, best director and best ensemble cast, with Bigelow herself receiving best woman director, the Women's Image Award, and the Year's Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry. Carey Mulligan and Jeff Bridges claimed top acting prizes, with Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique repeating their Boston wins. The EDA also feature an amusing selection of awards commemorating the year's worst achievements, which were handily won by "The Ugly Truth." I wonder if director Robert Luketic will display his Sexist Pig and Hall of Shame awards on his mantle.
Probably not.
-- Paul Gaita
Photo: From "The Hurt Locker." Credit: Summit Entertainment.

More from The Envelope:

What do the Critics Choice noms mean for the Oscar race?

Gold Derby nuggets...

Who will get a Golden Globes nomination?

'Mad Men,' 'Modern Family' top Writers Guild Award noms

Paul Gaita — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:06:50 -0800

Established hits stood shoulder-to-shoulder with breakout new series for the 2010 Writers Guild Award television nominations, which were announced today. Critical favorites "Glee" and "Modern Family" netted two and three nominations, respectively, placing them in contention with such previous winners as "Mad Men," "The Office" and "30 Rock," which each garnered three nominations, and "Breaking Bad," which earned two.
The winners of the Writers Guild Awards will be announced in Los Angeles and New York on Feb. 20, 2010.
For a complete list of nominees, including radio, news and promotional writing, visit the Guild's web site.
-- Paul Gaita
A complete list of the television nominees is found after the break.

The 2010 Writers Guild Award nominations for television are as follows:

DRAMA SERIES

Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, George Mastras, J. Roberts, John Shiban, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC

Dexter, Written by Scott Buck, Charles H. Eglee, Lauren Gussis, Clyde Phillips, Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattmann, Wendy West; Showtime

Friday Night Lights, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Ron Fitzgerald, Brent Fletcher, Etan Frankel, Jason Gavin, Elizabeth Heldens, David Hudgins, Rolin Jones, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Derek Santos Olson, John Zinman; NBC

Lost, Written by Carlton Cuse, Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Damon Lindelof, Greggory Nations, Kyle Pennington, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Brian K. Vaughan, Paul Zbyszewski; ABC

Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Andrew Colville, Kater Gordon, Cathryn Humphris, Andre

Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Brett Johnson, Erin Levy, Marti Noxon, Frank Pierson, Robin Veith, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner; AMC

COMEDY SERIES

30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Vali Chandrasekaran, Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Steve Hely, Matt Hubbard, Dylan Morgan, Paula Pell, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Josh Siegal, Ron Weiner, Tracey Wigfield; NBC

Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Larry David; HBO

Glee, Written by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy; Fox

Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O'Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC

The Office, Written by Jennifer Celotta, Danny Chun, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Anthony Q. Farrell, Brent Forrester, Daniel J. Goor, Charlie Grandy, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, Paul Lieberstein, Warren Lieberstein, BJ Novak, Michael Schur, Aaron Shure, Justin Spitzer, Gene Stupnitsky, Halsted Sullivan; NBC

NEW SERIES

Glee, Written by Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy; Fox

The Good Wife, Written by Angela Amato Velez, Corinne Brinkerhoff, Ted Humphrey, Dee Johnson, Todd E. Kessler, Michelle King, Robert King; CBS

Hung, Written by Colette Burson, Ellie Herman, Emily Kapnek, Brett C. Leonard, Dmitry Lipkin, Angela Robinson; HBO

Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Sameer Gardezi, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O'Shannon, Brad Walsh, Caroline Williams, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC

Nurse Jackie, Written by Taii K. Austin, Liz Brixius, Rick Cleveland, Evan Dunsky, Nancy Fichman, Liz Flahive, Jennifer Hoppe, Mark Hudis, John Hilary Shepherd, Linda Wallem, Christine Zander; Showtime

EPISODIC DRAMA – any length – one airing time

“Broken, Part 1 and Part 2” (House), Written by Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner & David Foster & David Shore; Fox

“Come, Ye Saints” (Big Love), Written by Melanie Marnich; HBO

“The Grown Ups” (Mad Men), Written by Brett Johnson and Matthew Weiner; AMC

“Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency” (Mad Men), Written by Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner; AMC

“I Will Rise Up” (True Blood), Written by Nancy Oliver; HBO

“Phoenix” (Breaking Bad), Written by John Shiban; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY – any length – one airing time

“Apollo, Apollo” (30 Rock), Written by Robert Carlock; NBC

“Broke” (The Office), Written by Charles Grandy; NBC

“Chapter 1” (Eastbound & Down), Written by Ben T. Best & Jody L. Hill & Danny McBride; HBO

“Gossip” (The Office), Written by Paul Lieberstein; NBC

“Pilot” (Modern Family), Written by Steven Levitan & Christopher Lloyd; ABC

“Reunion” (30 Rock), Written by Matt Hubbard; NBC

LONG FORM – ORIGINAL – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times

Georgia O’Keeffe, Written by Michael Cristofer; Lifetime

Grey Gardens, Teleplay by Michael Sucsy and Patricia Rozema, Story by Michael Sucsy; HBO

Pedro, Screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, Story by Paris Barclay & Dustin Lance Black; MTV

LONG FORM – ADAPTATION – over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times

America, Teleplay by Joyce Eliason and Rosie O’Donnell, Based upon the novel by E.R. Frank; Lifetime

Taking Chance, Teleplay by Lieutenant Colonel Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.) and Ross Katz, Based on the short story by Lieutenant Colonel Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.); HBO

ANIMATION – any length – one airing time

“The Burns and the Bees” (The Simpsons), Written by Stephanie Gillis; Fox

“Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe” (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink; Fox

“Gone Maggie Gone” (The Simpsons), Written by Billy Kimball & Ian Maxtone-Graham; Fox

“Take My Life, Please” (The Simpsons), Written by Don Payne; Fox

“Wedding for Disaster” (The Simpsons), Written by Joel H. Cohen; Fox

COMEDY / VARIETY – (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES

Real Time With Bill Maher, Head Writer: Billy Martin, Writers Scott Carter, Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Jonathan Schmock, Danny Vermont; HBO

Saturday Night Live, Head Writer: Seth Meyers, Writers Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, Jessica Conrad, James Downey, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, John Lutz, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney, Paula Pell, Simon Rich, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, John Solomon, Emily Spivey, Kent Sublette, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker, Additional Sketch by Adam McKay, Andrew Steele; NBC

The Colbert Report, Head Writers: Barry Julien, Thomas Purcell, Writers Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Robert Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Peter Gwinn, Alon Jay Katsir, Frank Lesser, Opus Moreschi, Meredith Scardino, Allison Silverman, Max Werner; Comedy Central

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Head Writer: Steve Bodow, Writers Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Rich Blomquist, Tim Carvell, Wyatt Cenac, JR Havlan, David Javerbaum, Elliott Kalan, Josh Lieb, Sam Means, John Oliver, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart; Comedy Central

The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien, Head Writer: Mike Sweeney, Writers Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Kevin Dorff, Andres du Bouchet, Michael Gordon, Berkley Johnson, Brian Kiley, Rob Kutner, Todd Levin, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O'Brien, Matt O'Brien, Andy Richter, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg; NBC

COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS

“Film Independent’s 2009 Spirit Awards,” Written by Billy Kimball, Neil MacLennan; IFC/AMC

“We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial,” Written by George Stevens, Jr., Michael Stevens and Sara Lukinson; HBO

DAYTIME SERIAL

All My Children, Written by Jeff Beldner, Joanna Cohen, Kate Hall, Chip Hayes, Michelle Patrick, Charles Pratt, Jr., Rebecca Taylor, Tracey Thomson, Addie Walsh; ABC

As the World Turns, Written by Peter Brash, Lisa Connor, Susan Dansby, Cheryl L. Davis, Leah Laiman, David A. Levinson, Leslie Nipkow, Jean Passanante, Gordon Rayfield, Courtney Simon; CBS

One Life to Live, Written by Shelly Altman, Ron Carlivati, Anna Theresa Cascio, Aida Croal, Carolyn Culliton, Frederick Johnson, Elizabeth Page, Melissa Salmons, Katherine Schock, Chris Van Etten; ABC

The Young and the Restless, Written by Amanda L. Beall, Tom Casiello, Lisa Connor, Janice Ferri Esser, Eric Freiwald, Jay Gibson, Scott Hamner, Marla Kanelos, Beth Milstein, Natalie Minardi Slater, Melissa Salmons, Linda Schreiber, James Stanley, Sandra Weintraub, Teresa Zimmerman; CBS

CHILDREN'S EPISODIC & SPECIALS

“A Monster Problem” (Imagination Movers), Written by Randi Barnes, Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray; Disney Channel

“Frankly, It’s Becoming a Habitat” (Sesame Street), Written by Joseph Mazzarino; PBS

“Mouse and Home” (Imagination Movers), Written by Michael G. Stern, Randi Barnes, Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray; Disney Channel

“The Rival” (True Jackson, VP), Written by Dan Kopelman; Nickelodeon

“Welcome to the Jungle” (The Troop), Written by Max Burnett; Nickelodeon

“Wild Nature Survivor Guy” (Sesame Street), Written by Christine Ferraro; PBS

CHILDREN’S SCRIPT – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL

“Another Cinderella Story,” Written by Erik Patterson, Jessica Scott; ABC Family

Photo: Jon Hamm in "Mad Men." Credit: Carin Baer.

'Precious' named top film by African-American Film Critics Assn.

pdayla — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:45:41 -0800

The harrowing drama “Precious,Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" was named best picture of 2009 Monday by the African-American Film Critics Assn. The film also won best director for Lee Daniels, supporting actress for Mo’Nique and screenplay for Geoffrey Fletcher. The latter tied in the screenplay category with Ron Clements, Rob Edwards and John Musker for “The Princess and the Frog.”

Morgan Freeman was selected best actor for “Invictus,” while Nicole Beharie was named best actress for “American Violet.”

The AAFCA, which was founded in 2003, also gave a Special Achievement Award to Michael Jackson for “This Is It.” Besides “Precious,” the organization’s list of top 10 films are “The Princess and the Frog,” “Up in the Air,” “The Hurt Locker,” “This Is It,” “American Violet,” “Goodbye Solo,” “Medicine for Melancholy,” “Good Hair” and “Up.”

The honors will be presented this evening during the group’s first live event at the Ebony Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles.

-- Susan King

New York Film Critics Circle picks 'Hurt Locker' as top film

'Inglourious Basterds' and 'Nine' receive record Critics Choice noms

L.A. Film Critics announce 2009 winners

Photo: Lenny Kravitz, left, and Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious" Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Lionsgate

New York Film Critics Circle picks 'Hurt Locker' as top film

pdayla — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:12:57 -0800

UPDATED 11:30 a.m.: The gripping Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker" is shaping up to be this year's critics' darling.

After being named best film Sunday by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., the independent production was selected this morning as the best of 2009 by the New York Film Critics Circle. Kathryn Bigelow, another LAFCA choice, was also named best director by the New York critics for the ensemble drama.

"The Hurt Locker" was also named one of the 10 best films of the year Sunday by the American Film Institute and earned several major nominations today for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards. Two weeks ago, "The Hurt Locker" won the Gotham Independent Film Award for best film.

The New York Critics Circle picked George Clooney as best actor for his performance as a corporate downsizer who begins to question his isolated life in "Up in the Air," as well as for his comedic vocal turn as the fast-talking fox in the animated "Fantastic Mr. Fox."

Meryl Streep earned best actress for her portrayal of legendary chef Julia Child in "Julie & Julia."

Christoph Waltz, who danced away with the LAFCA best supporting actor prize for "Inglorious Basterds," was also New York's selection. NFCC and LAFCA selected Mo'Nique as best supporting actress for "Precious."

The NFCC and LAFCA also gave best cinematography honors to Christian Berger for "The White Ribbon," best animated film to "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and best foreign-language film to "Summer Hours."

Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche won best screenplay for "In the Loop." "Of Time and the City" was named best nonfiction film. Best first feature honors went to Steve McQueen for "Hunger."

A special award was announced for Andrew Sarris "for his contribution to film criticism."

NYFCC chair Armond White said in a statement about the selections: "In a year of tough choices for everybody, the Circle celebrates cinema with critical thinking and cultural continuity."

The NYFCC, which was founded in 1935, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Though some of its winners have gone on to take home an Academy Award, including last year's best lead actor (Sean Penn for "Milk") and supporting actress (Penelope Cruz for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), the organization considers itself "a principled alternative to the Oscars."

The annual award presentation takes place Jan. 11 at the Crimson in New Yorks' Flat-Iron district.

“The Hurt Locker” is proving to be this year’s critics’ darling.

The day after being named best picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn., the New York Film Critics Circle selected it their best film of 2009 Monday morning. Kathryn Bigelow, another LAFCA choice, also won best director for the film.

More coming...

--Susan King

Photo: Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" / Summit Entertainment

'Inglourious Basterds' and 'Nine' receive record Critics Choice nominations

pdayla — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:25:00 -0800

"Inglourious Basterds" and "Nine" received the most nominations Monday morning for the Broadcast Film Critics Assn.’s 15th annual Critics Choice Movie Awards, receiving a record 10 nominations each.

Quentin Tarantino's World War II epic received nominations for best picture, best supporting actor for Christoph Waltz, best ensemble, best director for Tarantino, best original screenplay, best cinematography, best art direction, best editing, best costume design and best action movie.

The musical "Nine" received nominations for best picture, best supporting actress, best ensemble, best cinematography, best art direction, best editing, best costume design, best makeup, best sound and best song.

Joining "Basterds" and "Nine" in the best picture category are "Avatar," "An Education," "The Hurt Locker," "Invictus," "Precious," "A Serious Man," "Up" and "Up in the Air."

The 15th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards will be held Jan. 15 at the Hollywood Palladium. VH1 will broadcast the event live (tape delayed for the West Coast.)

-- Susan King

Photo: Brad Pitt in "Inglourious Basterds." Francois Duhamel / Weinstein Co.

Complete list of nominees after the jump:

BEST PICTURE

Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Nine
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney – “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth – “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”
Viggo Mortensen – “The Road”
Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

BEST ACTRESS

Emily Blunt – “The Young Victoria”
Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”
Carey Mulligan – “An Education”
Saoirse Ronan – “The Lovely Bones”
Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious”
Meryl Streep – “Julie & Julia”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon – “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson – “The Messenger”
Christian McKay – “Me and Orson Welles”
Alfred Molina – “An Education”
Stanley Tucci – “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Marion Cotillard – “Nine”
Vera Farmiga – “Up in the Air”
Anna Kendrick – “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique – “Precious”
Julianne Moore – “A Single Man”
Samantha Morton – “The Messenger”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Jae Head – “The Blind Side”
Bailee Madison – “Brothers”
Max Records – “Where the Wild Things Are”
Saoirse Ronan – “The Lovely Bones”
Kodi Smit-McPhee – “The Road”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious
Star Trek
Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTING

Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron – “Avatar”
Lee Daniels – “Precious”

Clint Eastwood – “Invictus”

Jason Reitman – “Up in the Air”

Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Mark Boal – “The Hurt Locker”
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – “A Serious Man”
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber – “(500) Days Of Summer”
Bob Peterson, Peter Docter – “Up”
Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach – “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell – “District 9”
Geoffrey Fletcher – “Precious”
Tom Ford, David Scearce – “A Single Man”
Nick Hornby – “An Education”
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner – “Up in the Air”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Barry Ackroyd – “The Hurt Locker”
Dion Beebe – “Nine”
Mauro Fiore – “Avatar”
Andrew Lesnie – “The Lovely Bones”
Robert Richardson – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ART DIRECTION

Dan Bishop – “A Single Man”
Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg – “Avatar”
John Myhre, Gordon Sim – “Nine”
Naomi Shohan, George De Titta Jr. – “The Lovely Bones”
David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds Wasco – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST EDITING

Dana E. Glauberman – “Up in the Air”
Sally Menke – “Inglourious Basterds”
Bob Murawski, Chris Innis – “The Hurt Locker”
Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron – “Avatar”
Claire Simpson, Wyatt Smith – “Nine”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Colleen Atwood – “Nine”
Janet Patterson – “Bright Star”
Sandy Powell – “The Young Victoria”
Anna Sheppard – “Inglourious Basterds”
Casey Storm – “Where the Wild Things Are”

BEST MAKEUP

Avatar
District 9
Nine
The Road
Star Trek

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Avatar
District 9
The Lovely Bones
Star Trek
2012

BEST SOUND

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Nine
Star Trek

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek

BEST COMEDY

(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
The Proposal
Zombieland

BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Gifted Hands
Grey Gardens
Into the Storm
Taking Chance

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Broken Embraces
Coco Before Chanel
Red Cliff
Sin Nombre
The White Ribbon

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Anvil
Capitalism: A Love Story
The Cove
Food, Inc.
Michael Jackson’s This Is It

BEST SONG

“All Is Love” – Karen O, Nick Zinner – “Where the Wild Things Are”
“Almost There” – Randy Newman – “The Princess and the Frog”
“Cinema Italiano” – Maury Yeston – “Nine”
“(I Want to) Come Home” – Paul McCartney – “Everybody’s Fine”
“The Weary Kind” – T Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham – “Crazy Heart”

BEST SCORE

Michael Giacchino – “Up”
Marvin Hamlisch – “The Informant!”
Randy Newman – “The Princess and the Frog”
Karen O, Carter Burwell – “Where the Wild Things Are”
Hans Zimmer – “Sherlock Holmes”