The 2006 Awards Season Has Started!

Started by MacGuffin, November 29, 2005, 02:58:26 PM

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cron

sorry, this thing is kind of off topic but i didn't wanted to start a thread about it
it's an article about stuff to look forward in 2006:

January
New Year begins bright and sunny. It is one of the quirks of the film calendar that distributors tend to reserve their classiest output for January, presumably in the belief that audiences who have binged on festive blockbusters are now up for something more rigorous. Recent Januaries have given us the likes of American Splendour, City of God, Lost in Translation and Sideways. This time we get Michael Haneke's acclaimed Hidden, Michael Winterbottom's rambunctious A Cock and Bull Story, Steven Spielberg's controversial Munich and Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain (whose status as an Oscar favourite will be further burnished at the Golden Globes on January 16). Elsewhere, keep an eye out for Neil Jordan's flamboyant 1970s-set Breakfast On Pluto, if only for Bryan Ferry's unnerving cameo as a kerb-crawler and the sight of Brendan Gleeson as a violent Womble. On the festival circuit, Sundance premieres new features from Michel Gondry, Paul McGuigan and Terry Zwigoff.


February
February brings Berlin and the Baftas, with Charlotte Rampling installed as jury president at the former while a galaxy of thespians line up to present gongs at the latter. Big winners on the night (February 19) should be The Constant Gardener and Pride and Prejudice, with a consolation prize for Mrs Henderson Presents and a wooden spoon for Revolver.

Out in the real world, fact-based dramas dominate the UK cinemas. Joaquin Phoenix impersonates Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, Philip Seymour Hoffman shows off his Capote and David Strathairn plays 1950s news anchor Ed Murrow in George Clooney's acclaimed Good Night, and Good Luck. Meanwhile, Charlize Theron climbs back into the ugly wardrobe for her turn as a miner in North Country. She emerges with a dilapidated hair-do and a smudge of grime adorning her perfect upturned nose.

March

The culture wars come to Hollywood with the announcement of the 78th Academy Awards on March 4. This year's contenders paint a portrait of America guaranteed to have the Bush crowd fulminating. It is a place where the cowboys are gay (Brokeback Mountain), where the pioneer spirit is embodied by a preoperative transsexual (Transamerica) and (most alarmingly) where corrupt rightwing demagoguery is rumbled by a principled news anchor (Good Night, and Good Luck).

Away from the battle lines, British hopes rest on Keira Knightley (for Pride and Prejudice) and Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener). The big release in UK cinemas is V For Vendetta, the Wachowski brothers' epic re-imagining of a London ruled by a fascist dictatorship. Early (and entirely putative) contenders for turkey of 2006 include Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction and the Pink Panther prequel, with Steve Martin as Clouseau.

April

The London premiere of Mission: Impossible 3 provides Tom Cruise with another opportunity to glad-hand the fans in Leicester Square, converse with nonplussed relations on their mobile phones and then explode with fury after being squirted with a water pistol. Playing at your local picture palace is Confetti, a British rom-com in the Four Weddings mould in which a bunch of lovey-dovey couples (including Martin Freeman and Jessica Stevenson) prepare for their impending nuptials. And in celebrity news, Gwyneth Paltrow is expecting her second baby with Coldplay's Chris Martin. April, in other words, is looking grim. Let's all leave the country in April.

May

The industry effectively splits down the middle in May. Over in Hollywood, executives will be praying that the 2006 blockbusters will be a marked improvement on last year's feeble crop as they scrutinise the opening weekend figures for X-Men 3 and the big-screen adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, in which Tom Hanks discovers who ate Jesus (or something). On the other side of the Atlantic, the wilder inhabitants of the film menagerie gather on the Croisette for the annual Cannes film festival. No word as yet on this year's line-up, but expect the usual tumultuous press conferences, porn star photo-calls and teeth-gnashing arguments over the merits of the Palme d'Or winner.

June

He has blessed the world with such motion pictures as Medicine Man, The Avengers and Highlander 2: The Quickening. Now, at long last, it is time for the world to give something back to Sir Sean Connery - namely a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute. Who in the here-and-now can aspire to Connery's legacy? Possible candidates include Kurt Russell, who stars in the Poseidon Adventure remake or Hugh Grant, who plays a self-loathing TV presenter in American Dreamz. Both actors will be vying for your affections in the month of June.

July

There is no avoiding it; we are now officially into blockbuster season. Across Britain, the multiplexes are given over to Hollywood's biggest beasts while the smaller animals go begging. So in the one camp you have films like Xiaoshuai Wang's Shanghai Dreams, described as "the story of a girl's conflict with her father who wants the family to move to more prosperous Shanghai". And in the other you have Pirates of the Caribbean 2, the lon-awaited Superman Returns, and Cars, the latest animated spectacular from the Pixar stable.

According to the celebrity grapevine, this is also the month that Tom Cruise gets married to that one out of Dawson's Creek. Faced with such an onslaught, Shanghai Dreams clearly doesn't stand a chance.

August

August means the Edinburgh film festival, and Michael Mann's big-screen version of Miami Vice and Robert Rodriguez's second visit to Sin City. In the meantime, I'm intrigued by Nacho Libre, which stars Jack Black as a Mexican priest who moonlights as a masked wrestler and is "reportedly based on a true story". Parlour game of the month will be attempting to guess the twist at the end of M Night Shyamalan's new film. The Lady in the Water stars Paul Giamatti as a caretaker who discovers a fairytale nymph (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) in his apartment swimming pool. So on this evidence the twist will either be that Howard isn't really a nymph, or that Giamatti is the actual nymph, or that we're all really nymphs if we could all but learn to love our inner nymph. I'm betting it's that last one.

September

This is where things start turning tricky. The nights are drawing in, the landscape grows darker by degrees and we are forced to navigate by the stars (or at least the big pictures with stars attached). September, for instance, offers a constellation of Nicolas Cage, who headlines as Ghost Rider in Mark Steven Johnson's comic book outing but also plays a fireman in Oliver Stone's take on 9/11 (still officially known as The Untitled World Trade Center Rescue Project). Nicole Kidman pops up in the rejigged Invasion of the Body Snatchers, while Will Ferrell stars in the intriguingly named "Will Ferrell Nascar Comedy". The smart money, however, will be on Southland Tales, a futuristic musical comedy from Richard (Donnie Darko) Kelly.

October

Out of the autumn mists looms a bona fide contender for the 2007 Oscars: Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, a (presumably) imposing and patriotic salute to America's wartime heroics on Iwo Jima. Elsewhere, Hideo Nakata commandeers the Hollywood remake of The Eye (with Renée Zellweger attached to star) and Richard Linklater unveils his A Scanner Darkly, a Philip K Dick adaptation featuring Keanu Reeves and Robert Downey Jr. Oh, and the London film festival showcases a glut of films that we have yet to hear about. At the time of writing most of them are probably still languishing at various stages of development.

November

Ringside seats, please, for a heavyweight contest between the Bond that is and the Bond that might have been. In one corner stands Daniel Craig, making his 007 debut in Casino Royale. In the other we have that hotly tipped also-ran Clive Owen, who stars in Children of Men, Alfonso Cuarón's take on the PD James tale about a futuristic dystopia where a mystery virus has rendered the population infertile. Putting us in the festive spirit, we also have the first big Christmas movie of 2006. The bad news is that it turns out to be The Santa Clause 3.

December

And so we come full circle. Christmas is upon us and the 2007 Oscar race is already under way. Billboards trumpet an outlandish gallery of future-films: Flushed Away (an Aardman animation about a rat lost in the London sewers), Deja Vu (a time-travelling thriller with Denzel Washington) and Eragon (fantasy epic about a kid who uncovers a dragon egg). Sofia Coppola tackles the costume drama with Marie-Antoinette (starring Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman) and film hacks are looking ahead to the release of Spider-Man 3 and Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf adaptation, which they suspect will be awful. Sit tight: December will be here before you know it
context, context, context.

MacGuffin

African-American Critics Honor 'Crash'

"Crash," the Los Angeles ensemble drama about the prejudices of intersecting characters, has been selected as the top film of the year by the African-American Film Critics Association.

Besides "Crash," the AAFCA chose nine other movies as the top films of the year: "The Constant Gardener," "Good Night, Good Luck," "Brokeback Mountain," "Syriana," "Walk the Line," "Hustle & Flow," "Capote," "Batman Begins" and "North Country."

"The films selected for 2005 boldly reflect a bridge towards tolerance," AAFCA President Gil Robertson IV said in a statement this week.

Last year, "Ray" was selected by the AAFCA as 2004's best film. The association was founded in 2003.

The AAFCA chose as Terrence Howard as best actor for his performance in "Hustle & Flow." Felicity Huffman earned the best-actress recognition for her gender-bending role in "Transamerica."

"Although our organization pays special attention to work by artists of African descent, in the end, merit carries the day and Ms. Huffman is undeniably amazing in this role," Robertson said.

John Singleton, the producer of "Hustle & Flow," was given the achievement honor. Singleton's other films include 2000's "Shaft," "Rosewood" and "Boyz n the Hood."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

WGA unveils noms for original, adapted scripts

The Writers Guild Awards named the finalists Wednesday for best screenplay, a field weighed heavily to the year's most serious dramas but wide enough to include an off-beat comedy.

The nominees for original screenplay were "Cinderella Man," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "The Squid and the Whale" and "The 40 Year-Old Virgin."

Nominees for adapted screenplay were "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "The Constant Gardener," "A History of Violence" and "Syriana."

The winners will be announced Feb. 4 as the WGA West holds its ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles and the WGA East celebrates the winners at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.

The individual nominees for original screenplay were: "Cinderella Man" (Universal Pictures), screenplay by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman, story by Cliff Hollingsworth; "Crash" (Lions Gate Films), screenplay by Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, story by Paul Haggis; "Good Night, and Good Luck" (Warner Independent Pictures), written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov; "The Squid and the Whale" (Samuel Goldwyn Films), written by Noah Baumbach.

Individuals nominated for adapted screenplay were "Brokeback Mountain" (Focus Features), screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, based on the short story by Annie Proulx; "Capote" (Sony Pictures Classics), screenplay by Dan Futterman, based on the book by Gerald Clarke; "The Constant Gardener" (Focus Features), screenplay by Jeffrey Caine, based on a novel by John le Carre; "A History of Violence" (New Line Cinema), screenplay by Josh Olson, based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke; "Syriana" (Warner Bros. Pictures), written by Stephen Gaghan, based on the book "See No Evil" by Robert Baer.


A complete list of nominations follow.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

"Cinderella Man"
Screenplay by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman
Story by Cliff Hollingsworth

"Crash"
Screenplay by Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco
Story by Paul Haggis

"The 40-Year-Old Virgin"
Written by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell

"Good Night, and Good Luck"
Written by George Clooney & Grant Heslov

"The Squid and The Whale"
Written by Noah Baumbach

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

"Brokeback Mountain"
Screenplay by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana
Based on the short story by Annie Proulx

"Capote"
Screenplay by Dan Futterman
Based on the book by Gerald Clarke

"The Constant Gardener"
Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine
Based on the novel by John le Carre

"A History of Violence"
Screenplay by Josh Olson
Based on the Graphic Novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke

"Syriana"
Written by Stephen Gaghan
Based on the book "See No Evil" by Robert Baer
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Producers Guild thinks independently for noms

The Producers Guild of America announced the nominees for its awards Wednesday, featuring a host of independent films in the closely watched category of best picture.

Vying for the top honor, the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award for theatrical motion pictures, are "Brokeback Mountain" (Focus Features), "Capote" (Sony Pictures Classics), "Crash" (Lions Gate Films), "Good Night, and Good Luck" (Warner Independent Pictures) and "Walk the Line" (20th Century Fox).

This year's best picture nominees come largely from independents or the specialty divisions of the major studios, whereas the PGA has traditionally focused on big-budget pictures. The upshot is that it is the first PGA nomination for four of the five distributors with best picture noms, the exception being 20th Century Fox with "Walk the Line."

This year's PGA Awards, which will take place Jan. 22 in Los Angeles, also include an inaugural award for animated film, with the finalists being "Chicken Little," "Madagascar," "Robots," "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" and "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

For long-form television, the David L. Wolper Producers of the Year award, the finalists are "Empire Falls," "Into the West," "Lackawanna Blues," "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" and "Warm Springs."

Episodic TV drama nominees for the Norman Felton Producer of the Year award include "24," "Boston Legal," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost" and "Six Feet Under."

Episodic TV comedy nominees for the Danny Thomas Producer of the Year award include "Arrested Development," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Desperate Housewives," "Entourage," and "Two and a Half Men."

The variety TV award nominees include the "77th Annual Academy Awards," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Real Time With Bill Maher."

Nominees for nonfiction television are "30 Days," "60 Minutes," "Amazing Race 6," "Amazing Race 7" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

'Brokeback's' 4 rides to lead SAG film noms

The ranch hands of "Brokeback Mountain" continued to rope in awards nominations Thursday, as the film led contenders for the 12th Screen Actors Guild Awards by lassoing four nominations -- for lead actor Heath Ledger, supporting players Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams, and for its ensemble cast.

In selecting the movies whose casts were nominated, SAG generally fell in line with the Producers Guild and Writers Guild, whose year-end choices were announced Wednesday, by favoring smaller pictures over big-budget studio fare. In addition to "Brokeback," SAG singled out "Capote," which focuses on Truman Capote's seminal book "In Cold Blood"; "Crash," an interconnecting drama about race relations in Los Angeles; "Good Night, and Good Luck," an account of Edward R. Morrow's jousting with Sen. Joseph McCarthy; and "Hustle & Flow," the tale of a Memphis pimp who aspires to a music career.

On the distaff side, Felicity Hoffman was nearly ubiquitous. She received a best film actress nomination for her performance as a transgendered woman encountering her past in "Transamerica" as well as two TV noms for her role as a harried, working mom on "Desperate Housewives."

Joining her in the lead film actress category were Judi Dench, playing an uppercrust woman who opens a burlesque theater in 1930s London; Charlize Theron as the plaintiff in sexual harassment lawsuit in "North Country"; Reese Witherspoon, who warbles as Johnny Cash's wife June Carter in "Walk the Line"; and Ziyi Zhang, who is schooled as a courtesan in "Memoirs of a Geisha."

In addition to Ledger, the best film actor nominees included Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays the title role in "Capote"; Russell Crowe, who takes to the ring as Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock in "Cinderella Man"; Joaquin Phoenix, who stars as Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line"; and David Strathairn, who appears as Murrow in "Good Night, and Good Luck."

For supporting males in a film role, nominations went to Gyllenhaal; Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon, both from "Crash"; George Clooney, "Syriana"; and Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man."

The lineup for supporting actress included Williams; Amy Adams, "Junebug"; Catherine Keener, "Capote"; Frances McDormand, "North Country"; and Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener."

While "Brokeback" led the film pack with four nominations, it was followed by "Capote" and "Crash," with three noms each.

The ensemble nominations for a dramatic TV series went to "The Closer," "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Six Feet Under" and "The West Wing," whose nominated cast included the late John Spencer.

The comedy series ensemble nominees were "Arrested Development," "Boston Legal," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Desperate Housewives," "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "My Name Is Earl."

Huffman was the only performer from "Desperate Housewives" singled out for an individual nomination, however. She'll contend in the outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series with Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal"; Patricia Heaton," "Everybody Loves Raymond"; Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace"; and Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds."

Male actors nominated for a comedy series included Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Sean Hayes, "Will & Grace"; Jason Lee, "My Name Is Earl"; and both William Shatner and James Spader from "Boston Legal."

Nominees for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series were: Alan Alda, "The West Wing"; Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"; Hugh Laurie, "House"; Ian McShane, "Deadwood"; and Kiefer Sutherland, "24."

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series: Patricia Arquette, "Medium"; Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief"; Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit"; Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"; and Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer."

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries: Kenneth Branagh, "Warm Springs"; Ted Danson, "Knights of the South Bronx"; Ed Harris, "Empire Falls"; Paul Newman, "Empire Falls"; and Christopher Plummer, "Our Fathers."

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries: Tonantzin Carmelo, "Into the West"; S. Epatha Merkerson, "Lackawanna Blues"; Cynthia Nixon, "Warm Springs"; Joanne Woodward and Robin Wright Penn, both for "Empire Falls."

Shirley Temple Black is set to receive SAG's 42nd annual Life Achievement Award.

The awards will be announced Jan. 29 at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center, televised live by Turner Network Television and TBS. The SAG nominations were chosen by two randomly selected panels comprised of 4,200 SAG members. The guild's entire membership of 98,000 is eligible to vote for the winners.


A complete list of nominations follows.

MOVIES

ACTOR
Russell Crowe, "Cinderella Man"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"
Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"
Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"
David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck"

ACTRESS
Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"
Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"
Charlize Theron, "North Country"
Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line"
Ziyi Zhang, "Memoirs of a Geisha"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Don Cheadle, "Crash"
George Clooney, "Syriana"
Matt Dillon, "Crash"
Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Junebug"
Catherine Keener, "Capote"
Frances McDormand, "North Country"
Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"
Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain"

ENSEMBLE CAST
"Brokeback Mountain"
"Capote"
"Crash"
"Good Night, and Good Luck"
"Hustle & Flow"

TELEVISION

ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Kenneth Branagh, "Warm Springs"
Ted Danson, "Knights of the South Bronx"
Ed Harris, "Empire Falls"
Paul Newman, "Empire Falls"
Christopher Plummer, "Our Fathers"

ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Tonantzin Carmelo, "Into the West"
S. Epatha Merkerson, "Lackawanna Blues"
Cynthia Nixon, "Warm Springs"
Joanne Woodward, "Empire Falls"
Robin Wright Penn, "Empire Falls"

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Alan Alda, "The West Wing"
Patrick Dempsey, "Grey's Anatomy"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Ian McShane, "Deadwood"
Kiefer Sutherland, "24"

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, "Medium"
Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Sean Hayes, "Will & Grace"
Jason Lee, "My Name Is Earl"
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
James Spader, "Boston Legal"

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Candice Bergen, "Boston Legal"
Patricia Heaton, "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Felicity Huffman, "Desperate Housewives"
Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"

DRAMA ENSEMBLE
"The Closer"
"Grey's Anatomy"
"Lost"
"Six Feet Under"
"The West Wing"

COMEDY ENSEMBLE
"Arrested Development'
"Boston Legal"
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Desperate Housewives"
"Everybody Loves Raymond"
"My Name Is Earl"
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

DGA unveils five noms for film prize

The Directors Guild of America named the five nominees Thursday for its feature film award, an honor that has tended to predict the eventual Oscar winner.

Three of the nominees were first-timers: George Clooney for "Good Night, and Good Luck," Paul Haggis for "Crash" and Bennett Miller for "Capote."
 
The other two have been here before: Ang Lee received his third nomination for "Brokeback Mountain," while Steven Spielberg's nom for "Munich" was his 10th. Spielberg has won this award three previous times, Lee once.

The DGA Award for outstanding directorial achievement has been the same as the best director Academy Award in 51 of the past 57 years, including three of the four past years. Last year, both the DGA and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences both picked Clint Eastwood for "Million Dollar Baby."

"Obviously this distinction makes this nomination special," DGA fifth vp Betty Thomas said in announcing the nominees at the guild's Los Angeles headquarters. "But what makes this award truly meaningful to directors is the knowledge that only this award is decided solely by their peers -- men and women who innately know the passion and energy that go into each production."

The winner will be announced at the 58th annual DGA Awards dinner Jan. 28 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

The nominations also recognized the directorial teams behind each film.

Clooney's team on "Good Night, and Good Luck" (Warner Independent Pictures) included unit production manager Barbara Hall, first assistant director David Webb, second assistant director Melissa Barnes and second second assistant director Richard Gonzalez.

On "Crash" (LionsGate Films), Haggis worked with unit production manager Betsy Danbury, first assistant director Scott Cameron and second assistant director Simone Farber.

Lee's team on "Brokeback Mountain" (Focus Features) included unit production managers Scott Ferguson and Tom Benz, first assistant directors Michael Hausman and Pierre Tremblay, second assistant director Donald Murphy and second second assistant director Brad Moerke.

Lee last won the DGA Award in 2000 for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

For "Capote" (United Artists/Sony Pictures Classics), Miller worked with unit production managers Ellen Rutter and Caroline Baron, first assistant directors Ronaldo Nacionales and Richard Moran and second assistant director Charles Crossin.

Spielberg's team on "Munich" (Universal Pictures) was unit production manager Ian Hickinbotham, first assistant director Adam Somner and second second assistant director Pierre Ellul.

Spielberg has previously won the award in 1998 for "Saving Private Ryan," in 1993 for "Schindler's List," and in 1985 for "The Color Purple."

Clint Eastwood is also set to receive the DGA's highest tribute, the Lifetime Achievement Award, at this year's show. First presented in 1953, it has only been awarded 31 times, mostly recently to Mike Nichols in 2004.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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soixante

George Clooney has been nominated by the DGA, WGA, SAG and PGA.

Four of the SAG Best Actor noms are for biopics.

At the Oscars, I think Brokeback Mountain is a lock for Best Picture, and Ang Lee will win Best Director.  I'm sure there are a lot of people who think Lee should have won the Best Director Oscar for Crouching Tiger. 
Music is your best entertainment value.

Gamblour.

Quote from: soixante on January 06, 2006, 12:51:22 PM
Four of the SAG Best Actor noms are for biopics.

Is every film about the life of someone a biopic? I'd hardly call Good Night, and Good Luck a biopic. Hell, Capote is not about his life but his book. It just happens he was real. I hate the term biopic.
WWPTAD?

hedwig

Quote from: Gamblour on January 06, 2006, 02:09:25 PM
Quote from: soixante on January 06, 2006, 12:51:22 PM
Four of the SAG Best Actor noms are for biopics.

Is every film about the life of someone a biopic? I'd hardly call Good Night, and Good Luck a biopic. Hell, Capote is not about his life but his book. It just happens he was real. I hate the term biopic.

i agree that it's an extremely general term.

but your sentence about Capote doesn't make any sense. his life during that period of time was spent writing that book. that's what the movie's about - his life, writing that book. they're the same thing .. what are you talking about  :shock:

a biographical work does not necessarily span the subject's entire life.

Gamblour.

Quote from: Hedwig on January 06, 2006, 02:31:28 PM
Quote from: Gamblour on January 06, 2006, 02:09:25 PM
Quote from: soixante on January 06, 2006, 12:51:22 PM
Four of the SAG Best Actor noms are for biopics.

Is every film about the life of someone a biopic? I'd hardly call Good Night, and Good Luck a biopic. Hell, Capote is not about his life but his book. It just happens he was real. I hate the term biopic.

i agree that it's an extremely general term.

but your sentence about Capote doesn't make any sense. his life during that period of time was spent writing that book. that's what the movie's about - his life, writing that book. they're the same thing .. what are you talking about  :shock:

a biographical work does not necessarily span the subject's entire life.

yeah you're right. I tried to overapply my new definition of the term. It's not like the film is about something other than Capote's life, ie the plot is genuinely his, i think is one way to put it. plus, the movie's named Capote  :oops:
WWPTAD?

soixante

Perhaps I should have said that four of the SAG Best Actor noms were for actors playing real-life characters.

A number of Best Actor Oscars went to actors portraying real people -- Patton, French Connection, Raging Bull, Gandhi, Amadeus, My Left Foot, Reversal of Fortune, Shine, The Pianist, Ray.
Music is your best entertainment value.

MacGuffin

Nat'l Society honors 'Capote,' Cronenberg

"Capote" was named best picture Saturday by the National Society of Film Critics in a hard-fought contest that saw the feature about Truman Capote's creation of the non-fiction book "In Cold Blood" prevail over David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" by 12 votes to 11 on the group's sixth ballot. Wong Kar-wai's "2046" came in third in the balloting.

In the best director vote, the positions shifted, however, and Cronenberg was named best director with 32 points, followed by Wong with 26 and "Capote's" Bennet Miller with 23.

For his lead performance in "Capote," Philip Seymour Hoffman was named best actor, while Ed Harris, who portrays a menacing figure in "Violence" was chosen best supporting actor.

Reese Witherspoon took best actress honors for her performance as June Carter in "Walk the Line," and Amy Adams was chosen best supporting actress for her role as a pregnant Southern girl in "Junebug."

Noah Baumbach was hailed for best screenplay for "The Squid and the Whale," which he also directed. "2046" earned best cinematography honors for Christopher Doyle, Kwan Pun-leung and Lai Yiu-fai. Fatih Akin's "Head-On" was named best foreign film, and Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" was selected as best non-fiction picture.

The group issued two experimental awards: To William Greaves for the 1968 film "Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One" and the 2005 film "Take Two," and to James Benning for three 2005 productions, "13 Lakes," "Ten Skies" and "27 Years Later."

It recognized the 7-disc DVD box set "Unseen Cinema," assembled by Anthology Film Archives and Bruce Posner, with its Film Heritage Award. And it issued a Special Citation, commending and congratulating Kevin Thomas for his 44-year tenure as a movie critic at the Los Angeles Times.

The National Society, which is chaired by David Sterritt and which is made up of 57 critics from around the country, met at Sardi's Restaurant in New York City. Voting was conducted using a weighted ballot system.


The complete list of the group's voting, as well as its choices for runners-up, includes:

BEST PICTURE
1. "Capote" (Bennett Miller) – 12 votes (on sixth ballot)
2. "A History of Violence" (David Cronenberg) – 11 votes (on sixth ballot)
3. "2046" (Wong Kar-wai) (fifth ballot)

BEST NONFICTION PICTURE
1. "Grizzly Man" (Werner Herzog) – 60 points
2. "Darwin's Nightmare" (Hubert Sauper) – 27
3. "Ballets russes" (Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine) – 19

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE PICTURE
1. "Head-On" (Fatih Akin) – 26
2. "2046" (Wong Kar-wai) – 23
3. "Cache" (Michael Haneke) – 18

BEST DIRECTOR
1. David Cronenberg ("A History of Violence") – 32
2. Wong Kar-wai ("2046") – 26
3. Bennett Miller ("Capote") – 23

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. "The Squid and the Whale" (Noah Baumbach) – 37
2. "Capote" (Dan Futterman) – 33
3. "Munich" (Tony Kushner and Eric Roth) – 14

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. "2046" (Christopher Doyle, Kwan Pun-leung, Lai Yiu-fai) – 50
2. "Good Night, and Good Luck" (Robert Elswit) – 16
3. "The New World" (Emmanuel Lubezki) – 11

BEST ACTOR
1. Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote") – 68
2. Jeff Daniels ("The Squid and the Whale") – 41
3. Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain") – 40

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Ed Harris ("A History of Violence") – 27
2. Frank Langella ("Good Night, and Good Luck") – 22
2. Matthieu Amalric ("Munich") – 22

BEST ACTRESS
1. Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line") – 37
2. Keira Knightley ("Pride and Prejudice") – 27
3. Vera Farmiga ("Down to the Bone") – 18
3. Kate Dollenmayer ("Funny Ha Ha") – 18

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Amy Adams ("Junebug") – 33
2. Ziyi Zhang ("2046") – 28
3. Catherine Keener – 22 ("Capote," "The Interpreter," "Ballad of Jack and Rose," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin")
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Gamblour.

WWPTAD?

modage

Quote from: Gamblour on January 08, 2006, 09:26:27 AM
Ok apparently I need to watch 2046
well, yes and no.  i think most critics feel about 2046 the same way i feel about Elizabethtown.  they're so in love with the director even when his film isnt his best work and even it has problems they still love it and can forgive its missteps.  so its a whole lot of mood and amazing cinematography but not a whole lot going on in the story/character dept.  still, it's worth watching.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

MacGuffin

3 Critics Choice nods, including best pic, for 'Brokeback'

Despite a few protesters outside the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium who objected to the film, Focus Features' "Brokeback Mountain" had a triumphant night Monday at the Broadcast Film Critics' 11th annual Critics Choice Awards. In addition to being named best picture, "Brokeback" earned director honors for Ang Lee and a supporting actress nod for Michelle Williams.

Writer-producer Diana Ossana accepted the best picture award, saying, "I never, never imagined that a film from our little screenplay would be received like this. Ang, weren't we making a small film?" In his acceptance, Lee asked, "How do you compare artistic work?" Then he changed course and answered himself, saying, "But what the hell, thank you."
 
Philip Seymour Hoffman took home the actor award for "Capote," and the actress prize went to Reese Witherspoon for "Walk the Line." "I love critics," Witherspoon said. "Well, this year anyway." She thanked director James Mangold for "pushing me to sing in this movie. I was incredibly intimidated by it, and I didn't think I could do it."

A very surprised Paul Giamatti took to the stage when he was named best supporting actor for his work as Jim Braddock's boxing coach in "Cinderella Man."

Brendan Fraser presented the supporting actress category, which triggered gasps when he announced that the award had resulted in a tie between Amy Adams for "Junebug" and "Brokeback's" Williams.

"We made this film for under a million dollars, and it's unbelievable what can happen when you put your heart and soul in it," Adams said.

The racial drama "Crash" took home two awards, one for screenwriting and one for best acting ensemble.

"This is stunning. We never even thought we'd get this movie made," said screenwriter-director Paul Haggis, who took to the stage with co-writer Bobby Moresco.

"Crash's" Matt Dillon presented the critics group's first-ever best comedy award. He said the association began a best animated film category before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences did. "Just as the critics pioneered the animation category, they now have the comedy category," Dillon added before revealing that the winner in the virgin category was, inevitably, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." With most of the cast behind him, writer-director Judd Apatow accepted the award, saying, "At no moment did we think that awards would follow." On his list of thank-yous were his children, who, he said, "have not seen the movie and never will."

The young actor award went to Freddie Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"), while the young actress award was presented to Dakota Fanning ("War of the Worlds").

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" received a nod for family film. "I didn't realize that this was a family film until tonight. I thought we were making a film for everyone who read the books," the film's producer Mark Johnson said.

"March of the Penguins" waddled away with the documentary prize, which was accepted by Warner Independent Pictures president Mark Gill, and Sony Pictures Classics' "Kung Fu Hustle" won the foreign-film award. "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" was best animated feature, and the multipart "Into the West" was named best picture made for television.

In the music categories, "Walk the Line" picked up the soundtrack award, John Williams was named best composer for "Memoirs of a Geisha," and the title song from "Hustle & Flow," performed in the film by Terrence Howard, was chosen as best song.

"King Kong" was awarded a special Distinguished Achievement in Performing Arts Award to recognize blend of visual effects with Andy Serkis' performance to bring the big ape to life.

Julia Roberts presented the Freedom Award to George Clooney, director of "Good Night, and Good Luck." Clooney said that watching his father, broadcaster Nick Clooney, taught him "to challenge those who had more power than you and to help those that don't. I have often failed at that." But he said he was heartened by the movies that have came out last year, noting that the spirit of freedom "is alive here. When I look at 'Munich,' at 'Crash,' at 'The Constant Gardener,' we are taking chances, and we are succeeding. This is a great night for the freedom of filmmaking."

Dennis Miller hosted the ceremony, which was broadcast by WB Network, and he pointed out that the Critics Choice awards, chosen by nearly 200 TV, radio and online film critics, have established themselves as a barometer pointing to eventual Oscar winners.

The following is a complete list of winners at the 11th annual Critics Choice Awards:

BEST PICTURE - "Brokeback Mountain"
BEST ACTOR - Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote")
BEST ACTRESS - Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line")
BEST DIRECTOR - Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain")
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Paul Giamatti ("Cinderella Man")
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Amy Adams ("Junebug"), Michelle Williams ("Brokeback Mountain")
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE - "Crash"
BEST YOUNG ACTOR - Freddie Highmore ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory")
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS - Dakota Fanning ("War of the Worlds")
BEST WRITER - Paul Haggis, Bobby Moresco ("Crash")
BEST COMEDY - "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - "March of the Penguins"
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM - "Kung Fu Hustle"
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE - "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit"
BEST FAMILY FILM (LIVE ACTION) - "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION - "Into the West"
BEST SONG - "Hustle and Flow (It Ain't Over)" (composed by Al Kapone, performed by Terrence Howard)
BEST SOUNDTRACK - "Walk the Line"
BEST COMPOSER - John Williams ("Memoirs of a Geisha")
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT (previously announced) - George Clooney
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

life_boy

Quote from: MacGuffin on January 05, 2006, 11:35:10 AM
'Brokeback's' 4 rides to lead SAG film noms

ENSEMBLE CAST
"Brokeback Mountain"
"Capote"
"Crash"
"Good Night, and Good Luck"
"Hustle & Flow"

Ludacris now has two SAG nominations.