Quentin Tarantino Takes Shot At 'Selma', Has Choice Words for "Black Critics"

Courting controversy is something that comes naturally to Quentin Tarantino, and he doesn't need to be directing a film to do it. He's perfectly capable of causing a stir just by opening his mouth, especially on the subject of race, and in an interview with Bret Easton Ellis for The New York Times that is exactly what he's done with a sharp critique of "black critics".

Not surprisingly, it has to do with the response to his racially-charged Western, Django Unchained, which drew a ton of heat from African-American critics for its depiction of slavery. Tarantino says..

“If you’ve made money being a critic in black culture in the last 20 years you have to deal with me.You must have an opinion of me. You must deal with what I’m saying and deal with the consequences.”

Okay, nothing wrong with that. Of course, any critic over the last 20 years has to contend with Tarantino's movies. So what's his beef?

“If you sift through the criticism you’ll see it’s pretty evenly divided between pros and cons. But when the black critics came out with savage think pieces about Django, I couldn’t have cared less. If people don’t like my movies, they don’t like my movies, and if they don’t get it, it doesn’t matter. The bad taste that was left in my mouth had to do with this: It’s been a long time since the subject of a writer’s skin was mentioned as often as mine. You wouldn’t think the color of a writer’s skin should have any effect on the words themselves. In a lot of the more ugly pieces my motives were really brought to bear in the most negative way. It’s like I’m some supervillain coming up with this stuff.”

Tarantino has always taken flack for his approach to writing African-American characters or how he deals with certain issues, so it's not surprising he's got some strong words for his harsher critics. However, he may have less of a defense for his comments on Ava Duvernay's Martin Luther King  drama, Selma. Speaking on the Oscar snubbing of the film, Tarantino asserts that it didn't even deserve to be up for nomination, stating  "She did a really good job on ‘Selma’ but ‘Selma’ deserved an Emmy." 

When he wasn't busy ripping the acclaimed Selma as basically a made-for-TV movie, Tarantino touches on a number of interesting topics, from losing to The Hurt Locker in 2008 to his opinions of fellow filmmakers Judd Apatow, David Fincher, and more.

Tarantino's next film is The Hateful Eight which opens on Christmas Day.

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'Selma' to be Re-Released in Theaters this Week with Special Ticket Deal

Ava Duvernay's Selma may not have gotten the love from the Oscar voters that many believe it deserved, but it may be film remembered most fondly in the future. Certainly its importance in honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and those who fought and died for equal rights is undeniable, especially right now as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic march. And to further honor that anniversary, Selma is being re-released into theaters this weekend.

Paramount is bringing Selma back to theaters beginning Friday, March 20th, and they've included a special to ensure as many people see it as possible. For a limited time there's a two-for-one ticket offer at any of the 702 theaters showing the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning drama. So bring a friend, bring a neighbor, or better yet bring someone who may have lived through that tumultuous time. 

Maybe this is Paramount's way of making up for an extremely poor awards campaign that saw it win only one Oscar for Best Original Song. Mostly through the promotional efforts of DuVernay and the cast (which some found controversial), the $20M film has still managed to earn $51M at the box office. Selma was my top film of 2014 and I think its impact will be long lasting. Do yourself a favor and take advantage of this opportunity to see it if you haven't already. 

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'Birdman' Wins Best Feature at the Indie Spirits; Richard Linklater Earns Best Director

So they aren't really about indies anymore, or at least not like they used to be, but the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards took place tonight to honor those films we consider smaller than the rest. But for an indicator of how just how far things have changed, just note that the big winners tonight are likely to be the same winners tomorrow at the Oscars.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman took the most wins with three, including Best Feature, Best Cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki, and Best Actor for Michael Keaton. Richard Linklater walked away with Best Director for Boyhood, while Patricia Arquette continued her run of dominance in the Best Supporting Actress category. The same can be said of Julianne Moore winning Best Actress for Still Alice, and JK Simmons' victory for Whiplash in the Best Supporting Actor category.

A couple of first-time filmmakers were honored as Dan Gilroy won Best First Feature and Best Screenplay for Nightcrawler, and Justin Simien's race comedy Dear White People won Best First Screenplay. Selma, which led with five nominations, came away with zero wins.

What does all of it mean for the Academy Awards? Probably nothing.

The full list of winners is below:
 Best Feature – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Director – Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Lead Male – Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Lead Female – Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Supporting Male – J.K. Simmons for Whiplash
Supporting Female – Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
Screenplay – Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler
Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Editing – Tom Cross for Whiplash
Best First Feature – Nightcrawler
First Screenplay – Justin Simien for Dear White PeopleJohn Cassavetes Award – Land Ho!Documentary – CitizenFourInternational Film – IdaRobert Altman Award – Inherent Vice
Special Distinction Award to Foxcatcher
Piaget Producers Award –  Chad Burris, Elisabeth Holm and Chris Ohlson
Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award – H., directors Rania Attieh & Daniel Garcia
Lenscrafters Truer Than Fiction Award – The Kill Team, director Dan Krauss

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Anonymous Oscar Voter Rips 'Selma' Cast for 'Stirring Up Sh*t', but Praises 'American Sniper'

The Oscars are right around the corner, people, and every year we can count on one thing; anonymous voters saying crap they wouldn't dare say in public. This year it's particularly dicey to be the vocal one as the Academy is facing heightened scrutiny for the lack of diversity in the nominations, mostly due to the complete lack of minorities in the acting categories and the general snubbing of Martin Luther King film, Selma. But one anonymous voter went there anyway in a conversation with THR, and in so doing has opened the Academy to even greater criticism; not just for racial bias but for being generally uninformed and petty.

The voter, who happens to be female, ripped into those who feel Ava DuVernay's Selma has been unfairly snubbed by the Oscars. The film only received two nominations, one for Best Picture and another for Original Song, despite holding a 98% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Not that it matters because this voter REALLY just wants people to shut up about the film already, and stop questioning if the mostly-white membership is perhaps a bit out of touch...

"First, let me say that I'm tired of all of this talk about "snubs" — I thought for every one of [the snubs] there was a justifiable reason. What no one wants to say out loud is that Selma is a well-crafted movie, but there's no art to it. If the movie had been directed by a 60-year-old white male, I don't think that people would have been carrying on about it to the level that they were. And as far as the accusations about the Academy being racist? Yes, most members are white males, but they are not the cast of 'Deliverance' — they had to get into the Academy to begin with, so they're not cretinous, snaggletoothed hillbillies. When a movie about black people is good, members vote for it. But if the movie isn't that good, am I supposed to vote for it just because it has black people in it?"

While it's perfectly fine that this particular voter may not have liked Selma all that much (saying it has "no art" was a bit much), her words began to take a nasty turn that has nothing to do with the movie. Specifically she was offended that the cast showed up to the New York premiere wearing "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts out of respect to the family of Eric Garner who died while in a chokehold by the NYPD.

 “I’ve got to tell you, having the cast show up in T-shirts saying ‘I can’t breathe’—I thought that stuff was offensive. Did they want to be known for making the best movie of the year or for stirring up s**t?”

That they were helping to create further discussion on the racially-charged issue of police brutality, something Dr. King faced in his life and is presented in the movie, apparently didn't matter to this voter.

For me, I find it interesting that this voter takes such offense to the Selma cast getting involved political/social issues, while at the same time praising American Sniper, saying that the pro-war film about the controversial Chris Kyle galvanized the country...

"American Sniper is the winner of the year, whether or not it gets a single statuette, because for all of us in the movie industry — I don't care what your politics are — it is literally the answer to a prayer for a midrange budget movie directed by an 84-year-old guy [Clint Eastwood] to do this kind of business. It shows that a movie can galvanize America and shows that people will go if you put something out that they want to see. With regard to what it did or didn't leave out, it's a movie, not a documentary. I enjoyed it, I thought it was well done, and I can separate out the politics from the filmmaking."

She must have forgotten that American Sniper director Clint Eastwood famously attended the Republican National Convention and talked to an empty chair. Guess that kind of "stirring up shit" is okay.

What else did she have to say? She thought Inherent Vice was "terrible" and "incoherent", feels Julianne Moore is easily the Best Actress winner for Still Alice, and wasn't a big fan of Birdman's cinematography (it gave her a headache) although she's voting for Michael Keaton for Best Actor because he seems like a "sane person". Didn't know that was the criteria.

I'd be happy if outlets stopped talking to these people every year. What's the point in giving a platform to those who don't have the guts to give their opinions out in the open? If anything, the Academy probably isn't too proud of all this. Ironically, in this voter's zeal to present herself as above things like race, she's probably only added fuel to the fire.

 

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Oscar Nominations 2015: 'Birdman', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' with 9; 'Selma', 'The Lego Movie' Snubbed

Here we go. The weeks of  campaigning and schmoozing have all come down to this. This morning the nominations for the 87th Academy Awards were announced and much of what we expected to happen did happen, but there are also some significant shocks that will make the upcoming show very interesting, or less meaningful depending on who you ask.

Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel led the way with nine nominations, tied with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman. Both films made it into the Best Picture field along with Whiplash, Selma, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, American Sniper, and Richard Linklater's Boyhood which had six nominations total. American Sniper also performed well with six nominations, while The Imitation Game came away with eight.

And there's bound to be some controversy over a couple of decisions made this morning, specifically when it comes to the animation category and when it comes to overall diversity. The Lego Movie was shockingly left out of the Best Animated Feature race as lesser known films Songs of the Sea and The Tale of Princess Kaguya were selected. Also, the Academy could take some heat for the lack of praise for Selma, leaving out director Ava DuVernay and star David Oyelowo from the Martin Luther King Jr. drama. Also, the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself was snubbed for Best Documentary, which is surprising given the acclaim it has received.

The success of The Grand Budapest Hotel is notable because it puts to bed the notion that early season movies don't get remembered at the end of the year. Clearly, Wes Anderson has crafted a film that has stuck in the minds of both audiences and industry insiders.

The 87th Annual Academy Awards will be announced on February 22nd.

Best Picture
“Birdman”
“Boyhood”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
“The Imitation Game”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“American Sniper”
“Whiplash”

Actress in a Leading Role
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days One Night”

Actor in a Leading Role
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”

Directing
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game”
Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
Laura Dern, “Wild”

Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
Robert Duvall, “The Judge”

Foreign Language Film
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
“Wild Tales”
“Timbuktu”

Writing – Adapted Screenplay
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Damien Chazelle, “Whiplash”
Anthony McCarten, “The Theory of Everything”
Jason Hall, “American Sniper”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Inherent Vice”

Writing – Original Screenplay
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler”
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, “Foxcatcher”

Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”
Roger Deakins, “Unbroken”
Robert D. Yeoman, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lynzewski, “Ida”

Music – Original Score
Hans Zimmer, “Interstellar”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Imitation Game”
Johann Johannsson, “The Theory of Everything”
Alexandre Desplat, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Gary Yershon, “Mr Turner”

Makeup and Hairstyling
“Foxcatcher”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”

Costume Design
Colleen Atwood, “Into the Woods”
Anna B. Sheppard, “Maleficent”
Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Jacqueline Durran, “Mr. Turner”
Mark Bridges, “Inherent Vice”

Music – Original Song
“Glory” by Common and John Legend, “Selma”
“Lost Stars” by Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley and Nick Southwood, “Begin Again”
“Everything Is Awesome” by Shawn Patterson, “The LEGO Movie”
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” by Glen Campbell, “Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me”
“Grateful,” “Beyond the lights”

Visual Effects
“Interstellar”
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
“Guardians of the Galaxy”
“Captain America: Winter Soldier”
“X-Men: Days of Future Past”

Documentary Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”
“Joanna”
“Our Curse”
“White Earth”
“The Reaper”

Documentary Feature
“Citizenfour”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Virunga”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Finding Vivian Maier”

Film Editing
Sandra Adair, “Boyhood”
Tom Cross, “Whiplash”
William Goldenberg, “The Imitation Game”
Joel Cox and Gary Roach, “American Sniper”
Barney Pilling, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Sound Editing
“Interstellar”
“Unbroken”
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”

Sound Mixing
Mark Weingarten, “Interstellar”
Thomas Curley, ”Whiplash”
“Unbroken”
“American Sniper”
“Birdman”

Production Design
“Into the Woods”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Interstellar”
“The Imitation Game”
“Mr. Turner”

Short Film – Live Action
“Boogaloo and Graham”
“Aya”
“Butterlamp”
“Parvenah”
“The Phone Call”

Short Film – Animated
“Feast”
“The Bigger Picture”
“A Single Life”
“The Dam Keeper”
“Me and My Moulton”

Animated Feature Film
“Big Hero 6”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“The Boxtrolls”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
“Song of the Sea”

Documentary Feature
“Citizenfour”
“Last Days in Vietnam”
“Virunga”
“The Salt of the Earth”
“Finding Vivian Maier”

Documentary Short Subject
“Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”
“Joanna”
“Our Curse”
“White Earth”
“The Reaper”

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Box Office: 'Taken 3' Steals #1 with $40M; 'Selma' Opens with $11M

1. Taken 3- $40.4M
There was never any doubt that Taken 3 would be the first big hit of 2015. Of course that would be the case, and it's largely why these badly-reviewed movies keep opening when they do. Hyped as the final time for Liam Neeson to show off his "particular set of skills" as Bryan Mills, the film $40.4M opening is extraordinary given the poor response to Taken 2, which opened with $49M back in 2012 and ended up with $376M worldwide. These films have always had a strong international following and chances are Taken 3 will as well, and when all the numbers are added up it's going to be hard for Europa and 20th Century Fox to shut this franchise down no matter how much it needs to end.
2. Selma- $11.2M
After a modest Christmas Day debut to qualify for the Oscars, Ava DuVernay's Selma expanded to over 2000 theaters and earned a solid $11.2M. That's not bad given the $20M budget for the civil rights drama which centers on Martin Luther King's march for voting rights back in 1965. The film has had incredible word of mouth and a ton of Oscar buzz, and there seems to be a genuine movement to get people out to see it. For one thing, many people are pushing for DuVernay to succeed where so many other indie directors have failed when given the reigns to high-profile projects. While there has been some push back on some of the portrayals in the film that probably won't hurt its momentum. On the other hand Selma isn't quite the easy sell as last year's The Butler which had a marketable cast and could be positioned as less depressing than 12 Years a Slave.
3.Into the Woods- $9.7M/$105.2M
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $9.4M/$236.5M
5. Unbroken- $8.3M/$101.6M
6. The Imitation Game- $7.6M/$40.8M
7. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb- $6.7M/$99.5M
8. Annie- $4.9M/$79.4M
9. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death- $4.8M/$22.3M
10.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $3.7M/$329.5M

For an indication just how jam-packed the Oscar season can get, and how beneficial awards buzz can be, just take a look at the movie's on the bottom end of the scale. Reese Witherspoon's Wild continues to perform well with another $2.7M and $30.3M total; and American Sniper brought in another $555K in only four locations for a $3.1M haul before going wide release next week. Also debuting was Paul Thomas Anderson's druggie detective comedy Inherent Vice, which expanded and brought in $2.9M for a $4.8M total. Let's face it, Anderson's movies have never been big sellers (The Master only made $28M worldwide) and Inherent Vice comes with its own challenges such as the R-rating, genre, and '70s setting.

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Cinema Royale #86- 'Taken 3', 'Inherent Vice'; 'Selma' Interview with Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo

Happy New Year! Cinema Royale is kicking 2015 off right with a huge show! First off, my homie up north Christopher Bumbray joins me to talk about the latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson, the drugged-out detective comedy Inherent Vice! Plus it all ends here for Liam Neeson in Taken 3!

Plus, with the incredible Martin Luther King Jr. film Selma expanding into more theaters, Cinema Royale is joined by writer/director Ava DuVernay and star David Oyelowo to talk about the making of this important civil rights drama.

Follow Cinema Royale on Facebook and get automatically entered into our monthly Blu-Ray giveaway! Subscribe to the show at  www.cinemaroyaleshow.com or on ITunes, TuneIn, and the Cinema Royale app!

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'The Grand Budapest Hotel' Leads 2014 BAFTA Nominations with 11

While some of the U.S.-based guild awards are becoming less of an indicator in determining the Oscar nominations, the BAFTA Awards have been good at picking out a few dark horses. And if that's the case this year then Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel has suddenly become a real contender. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts have revealed their nominations for the 2014 BAFTA Awards, and The Grand Budapest Hotel leads all with a whopping eleven. Right behind it is Birdman with 10, and unsurprisingly The Theory of Everything also had 10 while The Imitation Game followed with 9.

Much of the other major categories follow the pattern of other awards but there are a couple of key surprises. Damien Chazelle entered the Best Director field for Whiplash, while also earning a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for his screenplay. Also the Outstanding British Film category gave some love to Under the Skin, '71, and surprisingly, Paddington. What you find anywhere is Ava DuVernay's Selma, which was completely shut out just days after the Producer Guild did the same. It's unclear if the film, which opens in the UK in February, didn't click with voters or if there was some other issue. Also left out were Angelina Jolie's Unbroken and Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice.

 Full list of nominees below.

Best Film
"Birdman"
"Boyhood"
"Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Imitation Game"
"Theory Of Everything"

Best Director
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - "Birdman"
Richard Linklater - "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
James Marsh - "The Theory Of Everything"
Damien Chazelle - "Whiplash"

Best Actor In A Leading Role
Benedict Cumberbatch - "The Imitation Game"
Ralph Fiennes - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Jake Gyllenhaal - "Nightcrawler"
Michael Keaton - "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne - "The Theory Of Everything"

Best Actress In A Leading Role
Amy Adams - "Big Eyes"
Felicity Jones - "The Theory Of Everything"
Julianne Moore - "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike - "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon - "Wild"

Best Actor In A Supporting Role
Steve Carell - "Foxcatcher"
Ethan Hawke - "Boyhood"
Edward Norton - "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo - "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons - "Whiplash"

Best Actress In A Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette - "Boyhood"
Keira Knightley - "The Imitation Game"
Rene Russo - "Nightcrawler"
Imelda Staunton - "Pride"
Emma Stone - "Birdman"

Best Original Screenplay
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu & co - "Birdman"
Richard Linklater - "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Dan Gilroy - "Nightcrawler"
Damien Chazelle - "Whiplash"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Jason Hall - "American Sniper"
Gillian Flynn - "Gone Girl"
Graham Moore - "The Imitation Game"
Paul King - "Paddington"
Anthony McCarten - "The Theory Of Everything"

Outstanding British Film
"'71"
"The Imitation Game"
"Paddington"
"Pride"
"Theory Of Everything"
"Under The Skin"

Best Documentary
"20 Feet From Stardom"
"20,000 Days On Earth"
"Citizenfour"
"Finding Vivian Maier"
"Virunga"

EE Rising Star Award
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Jack O'Connell
Margot Robbie
Miles Teller
Shailene Woodley

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer
Elaine Constantine - "Northern Soul"
Gregory Burke, Yann DeMange - "'71"
Hong Khaou - "Lilting"
Paul Katis, Andrew De Lotbiniere - "Kajaki: The True Story"
Stephen Beresford, David Livingstone - "Pride"

Best Film Not In The English Language
"Ida"
"Leviathan"
"The Lunchbox"
"Trash"
"Two Days, One Night"

Best Animated Film
"Big Hero 6"
"The Boxtrolls"
"The Lego Movie"

Best Original Music
Antonio Sanchez - "Birdman"
Alexandre Desplat - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Hans Zimmer - "Interstellar"
Johann Johannsson - 'The Theory Of Everything"
Mica Levi - "Under The Skin"

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki - "Birdman"
Robert Yeoman - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Lukasz Zal, Ryzsard Lenczewski - "Ida"
Hoyte van Hoytema - "Interstellar"
Dick Pope - "Mr. Turner"

Best Editing
Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione - "Birdman"
Barney Pilling - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
William Goldenberg - "The Imitation Game"
John Gilroy - "Nightcrawler"
Jinx Godfrey - "The Theory Of Everything"
Tom Cross - "Whiplash"

Best Production Design
Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau - "Big Eyes"
Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana McDonald - "The Imitation Game"
Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis - "Interstellar"
Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts - "Mr. Turner"

Best Costume Design
Milena Canonero - "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Sammy Sheldon Differ - "The Imitation Game"
Colleen Atwood - "Into The Woods"
Jacqueline Durran - "Mr. Turner"
Steven Noble - "The Theory Of Everything"

Best Makeup and Hair
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"Guardians Of The Galaxy"
"Into the Woods"
"Mr. Turner"
"The Theory Of Everything"
Best Sound
"American Sniper"
"Birdman"
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"The Imitation Game"
"Whiplash"

Best Special Visual Effects
"Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes"
"Guardians Of The Galaxy"
"The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies"
"Interstellar"
"X-Men: Days Of Future Past"

Best Short Film
"Boogaloo And Graham"
"Emotional Fusebox"
"The Karman Line"
"Slap"
"Three Brothers"

Best Short Animation
"The Bigger Picture"
"Monkey Love Experiments"
"My Dad"

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Review: Ava DuVernay's 'Selma' starring David Oyelowo

There's a scene in Ava DuVernay's stirring, remarkably resonant Selma that reflects perfectly its relevance. Its 1965 and unarmed activist Jimmie Lee Jackson (Keith Stanfield of Short Term 12) is shot and killed at close range while peacefully protesting in support of voting rights. Those who know the story know the cop wasn't charged for more than forty years, denying Jacksons' family the justice it deserved. Sound familiar? Selma is already an amazing film, a vitally important film that never falls into standard biopic clichés. But coming out now as racial tension seems to be at a new high, Selma shows the true power of grassroots activism to affect real change when a cause is just.

There's a good reason why the film refers to the titular Alabama city and not Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) himself. Set in the months leading up to the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965, Selma is about the movement more so than the man. It shows the push for equality from the streets to the dining houses, from the church pew to the White House itself.  When the film begins King is just receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his civil rights efforts, but that peace is contrasted by the deaths of four black girls in a 1963 bombing. The heinous attack brings startling focus to the reality of life for African-Americans, when their lives could be snuffed out at a moment's notice for no reason.

Violence is one thing, but King's real focus is the political and legal infrastructure that allows such actions to occur. Without the right to vote nothing else matters. Oprah Winfrey, in a small but pivotal role as Annie Lee Cooper, tries unsuccessfully to register to vote in Alabama only to face rejection by a racist putting her through an impossible impromptu quiz. But just because King and his supporters, which include Andre Holland as Andrew Young, Common as James Bevel, Tessa Thompson as Diane Nash, and Stephan James as a young John Lewis, can agree on the end result does not mean they agree on an approach. Help from President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) is slow going, despite their frequently combative conversations on the matter. King is shown to be a shrewd strategist, knowing when to step back and when to force the issue. A move to Alabama for a series of televised marches, which he knows will be met with violent resistance by racist governor George Wallace (Tim Roth), is the most effective way to bring global attention to the cause and force Johnson into action.

While the protest scenes are captured with urgency and energy by cinematographer Bradford Young, King's home life with wife Coretta (Carmen Ejogo) is depicted in subtle, tense strokes. There's a tenuous dynamic of loyalty, love, acceptance that plays out between the two. She loves her husband, supports the fight he champions, but endures death threats that put their kids in jeopardy. Through the machinations of the FBI she's also keenly aware of King's infidelities, and at times we can see her weighing whether all the fear and heartache is worth it.

It's that personal touch DuVernay brings that makes Selma so special. She's perfected her craft through a pair of well-regarded dramas, I will Follow and Middle of Nowhere, but you'd never know this was her first time working on such a large canvas. She digs into the details that make King great without idolizing the man, making him more human than we've ever seen him in a film like this. One can't help but wish we could have spent more time with others crucial to the movement. This is one film that could have used an extra hour. It would have meant more time spent watching Oyelowo's commanding performance, one that he's been working up to for years. Attached to the role since back when Lee Daniels was on board to direct (thank goodness how that turned out), we've seen Oyelowo's profile and confidence build until it seemed nobody else could be more perfect for the role. He lives up to the heavy burden, giving the rare performance that more than meets King's stature. The soaring, iconic speeches will leave you breathless and inspired.


Most important is that Selma is truly worthy of Dr. King's legacy. So many biopics this time of year have great performances with stories that feel diminished, inconsequential. Selma is a true triumph; a vitally important film with a legacy destined to endure. What can't be ignored is the sad truth that much of the work King and others fought for was undone recently when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. The greatest message Selma sends is that it doesn't matter how many years have passed, there is still reason to get out there and march.

 Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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New Clips from 'Selma' as Ava DuVernay Defends the Drama's Historical Accuracy

Is there some kind of concerted effort to discredit Ava DuVernay's Martin Luther King Jr. drama Selma just as Oscars voting has begun? It sure seems that way. Over the last few days she has been forced to defend the historical accuracy of her film, which chronicles the Civil Rights marches to Selma, Alabama. In particular it has been her depiction of President Lyndon Johnson as a waffler on the whole issue of Civil Rights that angered one of his former aides and the director of the LBJ Presidential Library. To her credit, DuVernay hasn't taken it lying down; she's come back swinging haymakers.

At a recent media gathering in New York, DuVernay responded that Selma is her version of the events as she saw fit to tell it....

“I think everyone sees history through their own lens, and I don’t begrudge anyone from wanting to see what they want to see. This is what I see…That should be valid. I’m not going to argue history. I could, but I won’t. This film is a celebration of people who gathered to lift their voices—black, white, otherwise, all classes, nationalities, faiths—to do something amazing.”

She elaborated on the subject in an interview with Rolling Stone last week...

 "Every filmmaker imbues a movie with their own point of view. The script was the LBJ/King thing, but originally, it was much more slanted to Johnson. I wasn't interested in making a white-savior movie; I was interested in making a movie centered on the people of Selma," she told the magazine. "You have to bring in some context for what it was like to live in the racial terrorism that was going on in the deep south at that time. The four little girls have to be there, and then you have to bring in the women. So I started adding women."

"This is a dramatization of the events. But what's important for me as a student of this time in history is to not deify what the president did. Johnson has been hailed as a hero of that time, and he was, but we're talking about a reluctant hero. He was cajoled and pushed, he was protective of a legacy — he was not doing things out of the goodness of his heart. Does it make it any worse or any better? I don't think so. History is history and he did do it eventually. But there was some process to it that was important to show."

Frankly, I didn't think there was any debate that Johnson needed to be encouraged to follow through on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 after the struggle he went through on the Civil Rights Act just a year earlier. I think Selma reflects the back-and-forth between King and Johnson pretty well. We can argue about the specifics of the actual conversations they had, but it doesn't paint Johnson as a bad guy. It makes him look like a politician weighing his options, no more no less. Whatever one thinks about the issue, Selma is expanding into more theaters this Friday and you most definitely need to check it out. If you need any more motivation here are a handful of clips, including one much talked about scene featuring Oprah Winfrey. [Deadline]


Selma Movie CLIP - Bingo (2015) - David Oyelowo Drama by Trailer-Addict


SELMA (2014) APPLICATION by Movie Trailers

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'Selma' Interview with Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo

Is Ava DuVernay's Selma the best picture of the year? Judging by the heaps of praise from critics, including from yours truly, and the multiple awards nominations, it certainly seems like it is. The road to DuVernay's inspiring look at a few months in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. has been a long and tough one. But it's also been immensely rewarding both for her and star David Oyelowo, who had the challenge of embodying the civil rights leader.

Along with my Addicted to Film partner in crime, Tim Gordon, I had a chance to talk with DuVernay (who is apparently a big fan of the show) and Oyelowo about the making of Selma, the changes the project underwent, and the privilege of telling King's incredible story.

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Box Office: Strong Debuts by 'Unbroken' and 'Into the Woods' can't Topple 'The Hobbit 3'

1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $41.4M/$168.5M
Turns out audiences haven't grown bored of Middle Earth quite yet. Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies dominated the 5-day Christmas holiday with $54M overall, $41M over the weekend. Overall it will have passed the $500M worldwide mark probably by tomorrow, and when all is said and done it should be right up there with Guardians of the Galaxy as the top earners of the year.
2. Unbroken- $31.7M/$47.3M
Angelina Jolie's sophomore directorial effort, Unbroken, got off to the kind of powerhouse opening Academy voters will love with $47M over the holiday. The film, which stars breakout actor Jack O'Connell as Olympian and WWII hero Louis Zamperini, was built for this time of season and it showed. In an extremely crowded week, its $47M debut counts as the third best ever for Christmas week. Jolie's name was pretty much what the movie was promoted on, not that she spends a single moment in front of the camera, and clearly she turned out to be just as much of a draw as the inspiring true story being told.
3. Into the Woods- $31M/$46.1M
Disney's star-studded musical Into the Woods nearly sang its way past Jolie but just fell short with $46M over the 5-day week. The film boasts more superstars than anything in theaters right now with Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, and more as iconic fairy tale characters. Does this count as a much-needed win for Depp, who has had four flops in a row? Probably not. He only appears in the film for a hot second as the Big Bad Wolf, and this one was all about the ensemble, anyway. Sorry, Depp. Better look forward to Mortdecai (which looks awful) for Depp's next chance to rebound. Anyway, it's a big win for Disney and a good month for musicals overall with the Annie remake also performing well. More on that later.
4. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb- $20.6M/$55.3M
Showing why so many family-friendly movies open around Christmas, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb bounded 20% from last week for $20.6M. Considering the mediocre start from last week this makes things look somewhat better.
5. Annie- $16.6M/$45.8M
And continuing to sing its way to our hearts is Annie, the hip-hop remake starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, and Cameron Diaz. It didn't seem to be fazed by having another high-profile musical like Into the Woods opening, as the film earned $16.6M, nearly 5% up from last week.
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $10M/$306.6M
7. The Gambler- $9.3M/$14.3M
A Mark Wahlberg-led remake of a 1974 James Caan film few remember? The Gambler was always going to have a tough go of it, especially this time of year with audiences looking for something relatively harmless, but the film still managed to perform well with $14M over the holiday. Once eyed as a potential Oscar contender, The Gambler probably won't meet those expectations, but the $25M flick has a solid performance by Wahlberg that has gained it some solid word of mouth. It's a good film, worth checking out if you can get away from the kiddies.
8. The Imitation Game- $7.9M/$14.6M
Booming to over 740 theaters, an increase of 800%(!!!), The Imitation Game is clearly being positioned as a Best Picture frontrunner. This is pretty much how things went with The King's Speech a few years ago, rolling out small in November before going huge a month later. We'll see if Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley can bring the story of heroic mathematician Alan Turing some gold.
9. Exodus: Gods and Kings- $6.75M/$52.5M
10. Wild- $5.4M/$16.3M

Told you this was a crowded week. There were a number of major films that had tiny platform releases worth mentioning. Ava DuVernay's MLK Jr. drama Selma opened in 19 sites for $912K, which isn't bad at all for a film many (like me) perceive as the best of the year. It will expand in a few weeks. Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper's American Sniper, in which Cooper gains a Texas accent and mad sharpshooting skills, got off to an incredible start with $610K at only 4 locations. That's another one many are looking at as an Oscar candidate, both for Eastwood and Cooper.

Tim Burton's art world dramedy Big Eyes earned $4.4M over the 5-day holiday, opening in just over 1300 theaters. That's pretty small by Burton standards, but consider that it was only supposed to get a small Christmas release by Sony until they were forced to scramble after the whole fiasco with The Interview.

Speaking of which, The Interview did $2.85M of business in its 331 locations. Of course the film also opened on VOD, and we won't have those numbers for awhile, but no matter what Sony is going to eat it big time on this one. If they had just left well enough alone and kept it in the original number of theaters (likely 3000 or more) it probably would have made back the $40M+ production budget. Now it doesn't have a prayer, not even when the Blu-Ray release hits.

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Travis Hopson's 20 Best Movies of 2014

Everybody calls their list the "best of the year" but don't we really mean our favorites? I'm less interested in what somebody thinks is the best film than learning about the movies that touched them personally. I think we'd see very different "end of the year" coverage if everybody took that approach, and it's what I always try to do when putting together my list.

At the time I'm putting this together I've seen 271 movies, the most I've ever seen by a fairly large margin. I saw 226 films in 2013, a personal record at the time. And seeing so many has both helped and hindered my ability to decide on my favorites. So I'm cheating a little bit and giving some love to my top 20 movies of the year, because I won't be able to sleep knowing some of these weren't mentioned in some small way. Besides, there were a lot of movies on my "Worsts List" so it's only fair to offer more that you might actually want to seek out.

Because I'm a big dork you probably guessed there are a few superhero movies that made the cut, obviously. The X-men bobble heads on my disk nodding their approval as I type that out. And it's not lost on me that a handful of my favorite flicks this year explored the personal connection between an artist and their craft. Some of these films I've been championing all year, some just snuck up on me in the last couple of weeks, but overall it's a pretty diverse range I think. So check out my top 20 films below, be sure to take a look at all of our end of the year review, and let me know your thoughts. Oh, and please spare me the "How could you leave this off??" emails! Just because a movie missed the list doesn't mean I hate it.

20. Begin Again (review here)
19. Whiplash (review here)
18. John Wick (review here)
17. Calvary (review here)
16. Big Hero 6 (review here)
15. Starred Up (review here)
14. Obvious Child (review here)
13. I Origins (review here)
12. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (review here)
11. God Help the Girl (review here)

10. Chef (review here)
Maybe it's thoughts of my own father that inspires my love for Jon Favreau's culinary comedy, Chef. While the film draws parallels with Favreau's filmmaking career, going from inspired indie stalwart to bored purveyor of blockbuster fluff, it's also the story of a father who hopes to pass on a meaningful legacy to his son. My father passed down his love of movies to me, the same way Favreau's character passes on a good grilled cheese, and for that I'm forever grateful. Favreau's film sees him returning to the art house world, bringing along some big names like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Sofia Vergara, for a mouth-watering road trip film that will make you laugh, cry, and book dinner reservations with the quickness. He plays a big time chef who has lost his creative mojo, but recaptures it after opening a food truck with his kid.

9. Top Five (review here)

Another movie about an entertainer coming to terms with his own popularity, Chris Rock's Top Five bristles with the energy of the streets and the comedian's scathing stand-up act. Rock plays essentially a version of himself as a funnyman looking to become a serious actor, but finding that nobody really cares about all that stuff. It's Rock's most personal film to date, and so it makes sense that it's also the one where he gets the most raw. He rips into Hollywood stereotypes and tears into issues of love, sex, politics, and race, all the while forging an unbreakable romantic bond with co-star Rosario Dawson. I even loved his top 5 list of hip-hop's greatest rappers. That's how deep my love of this movie goes.

8. The Fault in Our Stars (review here)
 I'm not supposed to want to watch a movie like this a bunch of times, right? And yet The Fault in Our Stars is a movie I could watch endlessly because it's not so much about the pain of dying, but the joys of life. With a wry sense of humor, a dash of teen angst, and two remarkable performances by Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, this adaptation of John Green's best-selling novel refuses to give in to cliches of the genre. While definitely a weeper requiring an entire box of Kleenex to endure, there is never a manipulative moment even when it would have been easier story-wise for there to be one.

7. Birdman (review here)
 I hate when people say Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's kinetic, virtuoso meta-comedy Birdman is Michael Keaton's big comeback. He's been great for a long time and his talents didn't diminish just because he's been out of the spotlight. Birdman is the most high-profile thing he's done in awhile (Need for Speed doesn't count because it sucks) and as Riggan Thompson, a former superhero actor looking to become a respected thespian (this is becoming a theme, isn't it?) he shows us levels of sadness, desperation, and rage we haven't seen from him in awhile. While his performance alone would be worthy of putting Birdman on anybody's list, one can't overlook the flawless cinematic contribution of DP Emmanuelle Lubezki who literally doesn't give us a moment to blink; his camera always moving. The supporting ensemble is equally great with Emma Stone and Edward Norton, the latter playing a manic, heightened version of himself. But what's most startling to me is the total change of gears this was for Inarritu. There is almost no connecting tissue between Birdman and the multi-tiered, heavy moral dramas of his past. It leaves me fascinated by what he'll attempt next.

6. X-men: Days of Future Past (review here)
You pretty much have me with anything involving the heroic, flawed, histrionic mutants in the X-men. I've been reading the comic for basically my entire life and have loved just about every movie (that wasn't an insult like X-men: The Last Stand), but X-men: Days of Future Past is the first one that gets everything right. With so much that could potentially go wrong with the massive cast and three time periods to juggle, Bryan Singer showed a skillful hand in giving every character their moment to shine and every era a unique flavor. The central "love" triangle between Professor X (James McAvoy), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) has all the soap opera elements fans of the comic will love, while the endless array of super powers flung around the screen is impressive.

5. Mommy (review here)

Oh hey, screw you, Academy voters. You may not want to put Xavier Dolan's hyperactive, gloriously unpredictable drama Mommy in the Oscar race, but it damn sure deserved to be there. In truth I wasn't sure I would be able to tolerate breakout star Antoine Oliver Pilon's performance as Steve, a walking powder keg fresh out of jail and into the life of his ill-prepared mother, Diane, played by Anne Dorval.  But this is a film that defies expectations on a character and technical level, with emotions that literally stretch beyond the boundaries of the screen. While Dolan's toying with the aspect ratio may come off as a cheap ploy it proves a crucial element, and paired with an impeccable soundtrack ("Wonderwall" has never been used better. Ever.) Mommy is a huge leap forward for the young filmmaker. As Diane and Steve settle into a messy but rewarding friendship with a mousy neighbor (Suzanne Clement), the mother/son bond bends but never breaks. Considering the mommy issues Dolan has sought to highlight in his previous films, it's refreshing to see him explore it from a more positive angle and in such an exhilarating way.

4. A Most Violent Year
I don't know how he does it, but JC Chandor has now made three movies that look like they come from three different filmmakers. Margin Call is as different from All is Lost which is a country mile from A Most Violent Year, one of the best crime dramas in recent memory. For me, there's The Godfather and nothing else need apply for the crown, but A Most Violent Year is the first film to make me reconsider. Set in 1981 during the most violent year in New York City history, the story follows a level-headed heating oil magnate played by Oscar Isaac. When outside forces begin to violently put a crimp in his business, he begins to find it hard to stay on an even keel, and it doesn't help that his wife (Jessica Chastain) seems to be pushing him to take aggressive action. As an exploration of the American Dream and the nasty, corrupt things one must do to attain it, A Most Violent Year is without peer. And it doesn't hurt that it features crisp, cold cinematography by Bradford Young, who will be mentioned again later on this list.

3. The Raid 2 (review here)
All year I've been telling people that Gareth Evans' jaw-jacking sequel The Raid 2: Berendal would end up in my top 3. Nobody believed me. Why is that so crazy? Is there a better action director anywhere than Evans right now? How can he keep finding news to thrill us? How does he keep finding unique angle to show star Iko Uwais bashing some guy's brains in? No other scene had my heart racing faster than the fight with Baseball Bat Guy and Hammer Girl, an intense cramped quarters rumble of impeccable stunt choreography. While some may balk at the 2 1/2 hour run time or the expanded gangster storyline, for me it only added to the franchise's charm. While The Raid was like one long video game, The Raid 2 has a different energy yet still gives us the hardcore brutality we love. How Evans can possibly top this is beyond me but I can't wait to see him try.

2. Frank (review here)

Frank, you had me at "Michael Fassbender under a giant papier-mache head". It's that kind of boldness, that willingness to embrace something so weird that makes Lenny Abrambson's exploration of creative genius and insanity so lovable. Domhnall Gleeson plays a hopeless musician who falls in with a quirky band of weirdos led by the titular masked singer, who may or may not be a complete lunatic. While he latches on to their creative energy without bringing much of his own, he also tries to push them into the mainstream, which doesn't go over so well with the band. From the searing soundtrack (performed live by the cast) to the off-kilter tone, Frank celebrates individuality in all its forms while quietly lamenting those who crave conformity.

1. Selma 
I worried about Selma from the moment it was announced. How could I not with Lee Daniels (briefly) at the helm? He had already squandered a wealth of talent and an amazing story with The Butler, and would probably do it again here. Thank goodness for Ava DuVernay. It's incredible that Selma is only her third film because she has the skill of a seasoned veteran, boiling down a few months in Martin Luther King's campaign for voting rights into a profound statement on the power of people to affect change. Refusing to conform to standard biopic pitfalls, Selma lets us in on the ground floor of King's movement, putting us in touch with the immediacy of his cause. Depicted with warmth and commanding presence by David Oyelowo, King is honored but never idolized; the cracks in his armor seen in tense struggles with his wife Coretta, President Lyndon Johnson, and his own supporters. But through all the human frailties arose a powerful leader. And chalk up another win for cinematographer Bradford Young, whose vivid imagery captures the urgency of the time. With so much going on in this country right now in terms of race relations, the importance of an inspiring, relevant, and yes extremely crowd-pleasing film like Selma can't be overstated.

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'Selma', 'Dear White People' Lead 15th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominations

The Black Reel Awards, of which I am a voting member and is run by my good friend +Tim Gordon, have announced their nominees honoring the best in African-American cinema and TV for 2014. Leading the way with 10 nominations apiece were Ava DuVernay's stirring Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, Selma; along with Justin Simien's debut feature, the racial satire Dear White People. Both DuVernay and Simien were nominated for Outstanding Director, joined by Chris Rock for Top Five, Gina Prince-Bythewood for Beyond the Lights, and Amma Asante for Belle.

Besides the strong showings by Dear White People and Selma, the greatest individual honors belongs to breakout star Gugu Mbatha-Raw who must compete against herself in the Outstanding Actress category for her performances in Belle and Beyond the Lights. She's joined in the race by Tessa Thompson for Dear White People, Quvenzhane Wallis for Annie, and Top Five's Rosario Dawson. Chadwick Boseman enters the Outstanding Actor field once again, this time for his role as James Brown in Get On Up. Others in the category include Chris Rock for Top Five, Denzel Washington's brutal turn in The Equalizer, Nate Parker for Beyond the Lights, and David Oyelowo for Selma.

The full list of nominations is below. The Black Reel Awards will be announced on February 22nd.

Outstanding Motion Picture

• Belle | Damian Jones (Fox Searchlight)
• Beyond the Lights | Stephanie Allain, Amar’e Stoudamire, Reggie Rock Bythewood & Ryan Kavanaugh (Relativity Media)
• Dear White People | Justin Simien, Angel Lopez, Lena Waithe, Ann Le, Effie Brown & Julia Lebedev (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
• Selma | Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner & Christian Colson (Paramount)
• Top Five | Scott Rudin & Eli Bush (Paramount)

Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture

• Chadwick Boseman | Get on Up (Universal Pictures)
• David Oyelowo | Selma (Paramount)
• Nate Parker | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
• Chris Rock | Top Five (Paramount)
• Denzel Washington | The Equalizer (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture

• Rosario Dawson | Top Five (Paramount)
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw | Belle (Fox Searchlight)
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
• Tessa Thompson | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
• Quvenzhane Wallis | Annie (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture

• Nelsan Ellis | Get On Up (Universal)
• David Oyelowo | A Most Violent Year (A24)
• Tyler Perry | Gone Girl (20^th Century Fox)
• Wendell Pierce | Selma (Paramount)
• Michael K. Williams | The Gambler (Paramount)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

• Viola Davis | The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (The Weinstein Company)
• Carmen Ejogo | Selma (Paramount)
• Teyonah Parris | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)
• Zoe Saldana | Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Octavia Spencer | Snowpiercer (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Director, Motion Picture

• Amma Asante | Belle (Fox Searchlight)
• Gina Prince-Bythewood | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
• Ava DuVernay | Selma (Paramount)
• Chris Rock | Top Five (Paramount)
• Justin Simien | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), Motion Picture

• Gina Prince-Bythewood | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
• John Ridley | Jimi: All is by My Side (XLrator Media/ Open Road Films)
• Chris Rock | Top Five (Paramount)
• Misan Sagay | Belle (Fox Searchlight)
• Justin Simien | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Documentary

• Anita: Speaking Truth to the Power | Freida Lee Mock (Samuel Goldwyn)
• I Am Ali | Clare Lewins (Focus World)
• Keep on Keepin’ On | Alan Hicks (Radius-TWC)
• Time is Illmatic | One9 (Tribeca Film)
• Virunga | Orlando von Einsiedel (Netflix)

Outstanding Ensemble (Awarded to Casting Directors)

• Belle | Toby Whale (Fox Searchlight)
• Dear White People | Kim Coleman (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
• Get On Up | Kerry Barden & Paul Schnee (Universal)
• Selma | Aisha Coley (Paramount)
• Top Five | Victoria Thomas (Paramount)

Outstanding Foreign Film

• Difret (Ethiopia)| Zeresenay Mehari  (Moving Turtle)
• The Double! (U.K.) | Richard Ayoade (Magnolia Films)
• Fishing Without Nets (Kenya) | Cutter Hodierne  (Drafthouse Films)
• Freedom Road (South Africa) | Shane Vermooten (Media Village Productions)
• Half of a Yellow Sun (Nigeria) | Biyi Bandele (Monterey Media)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male

• Brandon Bell | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
• David Gyasi | Interstellar (Paramount)
• Andre Holland | Selma (Paramount)
• Stephan James | Selma (Paramount)
• Tyler James Williams | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female

• Jillian Estell| Black or White (Relativity Media)
• Patina Miller | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (Lionsgate)
• Teyonah Parris | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)
• Amber Stevens | 22 Jump Street (Columbia/ MGM)
• Kuoth Wiel | The Good Lie (Warner Bros.)

Outstanding Voice Performance

• Vin Diesel | Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Morgan Freeman | The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Maya Rudolph | Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Zoe Saldana | The Book of Life (20^th Century Fox)
• Damon Wayans Jr. | Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

MUSIC

Outstanding Score

• Terence Blanchard | Black or White (Relativity Media)
• Kathryn Bostic | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
• Danny Bramson & Waddy Wachtel | Jimi: All is by My Side (XLrator Media/ Open Road Films)
• Mask Isham | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
• Jason Moran | Selma (Paramount)

Outstanding Original Song

• “It Ain’t Easy” from Top Five | Written & Performed by: Questlove & Elza Colby (Paramount)
• “It’s On Again” from The Amazing Spider-Man 2| Performed by: Alicia Keys & Kendrick Lamar; Written by: Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, Hans Zimmer & Kendrick Lamar (Sony Pictures)
• “Glory” from Selma | Performed by: John Legend & Common; Written by: John Legend, Common & Che Smith (Paramount)
• “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights | Performed by: Rita Ora; Written by: Diane Warren (Relativity Media)
• “What is Love” from Rio 2 | Performed by: Janelle Monae; Written by: Janelle Monae, Nathaniel Irvin III and Roman Irvin (20^th Century Fox)

INDEPENDENT

Outstanding Independent Feature

• 1982 | Tommy Oliver
• Christmas Wedding Baby | Kiara C. Jones
• CRU | Alton Glass
• The Retrieval | Chris Eska (Variance Films)
• Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind | Richie Adams

Outstanding Independent Documentary

• 25 to Life | Mike Brown (AAFRM)
• Evolution of a Criminal | Darius Clark Monroe
• Let the Fire Burn | Jason Osder
• Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood | Bayer Mack
• Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People | Thomas Allen Harris

Outstanding Independent Short

• #AmeriCan | Nate Parker
• Muted | Rachel Goldberg
• The Voodoo | Steven Alexander

TELEVISION

Outstanding Television Documentary or Special

• Finding the Funk | Nelson George (VH1)
• Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown | Alex Gibney (HBO)
• On the Run Tour: Jay-Z & Beyonce | Jonas Akerlund (HBO)
• The Tanning of America: One Nation Under Hip-Hop | Billy Corben & Alfred Spellman (VH1)
• Terror at the Mall | Dan Reed (HBO)

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series

• A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Tom Leonardis, Jeffrey M. Hayes, Bill Haber & Whoopi Goldberg (Lifetime)
• Gun Hill | Daniel Hank (BET)
• Rosemary’s Baby | Zoe Saldana, Cisely Saldana, Mariel Saldana, Tom Patricia & Robert Bernacchi (NBC)
• Seasons of Love | Joshua A. Green, Asger Hussain & Yaron Schwartzman (Lifetime)
• The Trip to Bountiful | Bill Haber, Cicely Tyson, Hallie Foote & Jeff Hayes (Lifetime)

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series

• Charles S. Dutton | Comeback Dad (UP)
• David Alan Grier | An En Vogue Christmas (Lifetime)
• Ving Rhames | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Keith Robinson | Lyfe’s Journey (UP)
• Larenz Tate | Gun Hill (BET)

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series

• Whoopi Goldberg | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Imani Hakim | The Gabby Douglas Story (Lifetime)
• Letoya Luckett | Seasons of Love (Lifetime)
• Zoe Saldana | “Rosemary’s Baby” (NBC)
• Cicely Tyson | The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series

• Richard T. Jones | Lyfe’s Journey (UP)
• Harry Lennix | The Fright Night Files (TVOne)
• Mekhi Phifer | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Blair Underwood | The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)
• Bokeem Woodbine | The Fright Night Files (TVOne)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series

• Tichina Arnold | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Kimberly Elise | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Aisha Hinds | Gun Hill (BET)
• Anika Noni Rose | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Vanessa L. Williams | The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Mini-Series

• Reggie Rock Bythewood | Gun Hill (BET)
• Stan Foster | My Other Mother (UP)
• Princess Monique | Seasons of Love (Lifetime)
• Russ Parr & R.L. Scott | The Fright Night Files (TVOne)
• Ryan Richmond | Lyfe’s Journey (UP)

Outstanding Writing, TV Movie or Mini-Series

• Reggie Rock Bythewood | Gun Hill (BET)
• Shernold Edwards | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
• Dayna Lynne North | An En Vogue Christmas (Lifetime)
• Peres Owino & Sharon Brathwaite-Sanders | Seasons of Love (Lifetime)
• Kimberly Walker | Comeback Dad (UP)

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'Birdman' Tops the 2015 Golden Globes with Seven Nominations

Not to disparage our own WAFCA Awards or any other critic group awards, but now the big boys are coming out to play. This morning the Hollywood Foreign Press Association revealed their nominees for the 2015 Golden Globes, and while there were a few surprises to be found it was Birdman and Boyhood maintaining their strong momentum.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's meta Hollywood satire led all with seven nominations, including Best Director, Best Picture- Comedy or Musical, Best Actor-Comedy or Musical for star Michael Keaton, and Best Supporting Actress for Emma Stone. Boyhood was tied with The Imitation Game with five nominations, while David Fincher's Gone Girl came away with four. Also with four was Ava DuVernay's Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, Selma, which only yesterday was completely snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild. DuVernay becomes the first African-American woman ever nominated for a Golden Globe in the category.

Jennifer Aniston earned a Best Actress nod for her performance in Cake, although much of the attention seems focused on how unglamorous the role is. The British gay rights comedy Pride surprisingly was nominated for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), while Julianne Moore earned Best Actress nominations for both comedy and drama for Maps to the Stars and Still Alice. Full list of nominees is below.

The Golden Globes will be hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on January 11th.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
“Boyhood”
“Foxcatcher”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

Jennifer Aniston, “Cake”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
David Oyelowo, “Selma”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Best Picture — Comedy or Musical


“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Into the Woods”
“Pride”
“St. Vincent”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical
Amy Adams, “Big Eyes”
Emily Blunt, “Into the Woods”
Helen Mirren, “The Hundred-Foot Journey”
Julianne Moore, “Maps to the Stars”
Quvenzhané Wallis, “Annie”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical

Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Bill Murray, “St. Vincent”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Inherent Vice”
Christoph Waltz, “Big Eyes”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
Keria Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”

Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Best Director — Motion Picture

Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
David Fincher, “Gone Girl”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Best Animated Feature Film
“Big Hero 6″
“The Book of Life”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2″
“The LEGO Movie”
Best Foreign Language Film
“Force Majeure”
“Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem”
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
Best Original Score from a Motion Picture
“The Imitation Game,” by Alexandre Desplat
“The Theory of Everything,” by Jóhann Jóhannsson
“Gone Girl,” by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“Birdman,” by Antonio Sanchez
“Interstellar,” by Hans Zimmer
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“Big Eyes,” from “Big Eyes,” by Lana Del Ray
“Glory,” from “Selma,” by John Legend and Common
“Mercy Is,” from “Noah,” by Patty Smith and Lenny Kaye
“Opportunity,” from “Annie”
“Yellow Flicker Beat,” from “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” by Lorde
Best Television Series – Drama
“
The Affair,” Showtime
“Downton Abbey,” PBS
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“The Good Wife,” CBS
“House of Cards,” Netflix
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Ruth Wilson, “The Affair”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Clive Owen, “The Knick”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
James Spader, “The Blacklist”
Dominic West, “The Affair”
Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy
“Girls,” HBO
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Orange is the New Black,” Netflix
“Silicon Valley,” HBO”
“Transparent,” Amazon Instant Video
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Lena Dunham, “Girls”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Julia Louis Dreyfus, “Veep”
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”
Taylor Schilling, “Orange is the New Black”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Louis C.K., “Louie”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Fargo,” FX
“The Missing,” Starz
“The Normal Heart,” HBO
“Olive Kitteridge,” HBO
“True Detective,” HBO
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Honorable Woman”
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Francis McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge”
Frances O’Connor, “The Missing”
Allison Tolman, “Fargo”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Martin Freeman, “Fargo”
Woody Harrelson, “True Detective”
Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective”
Mark Ruffalo, “The Normal Heart”
Billy Bob Thornton, “Fargo”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black”
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Michelle Monaghan, “True Detective”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Matt Bomer, “The Normal Heart”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Colin Hanks, “Fargo”
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge”
Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan”

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