First Trailer for the Oscars

Ellen dances in the first ad for the Oscars, airing March 2nd.

Movie of the Day: "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993)

A beloved cult classic from director Henry Selig and producer Tim Burton that's the perfect alternative Christmas choice. Jack Skellington (voiced by Danny Elfman), leader of Halloween Town, grows tired of the holiday and decides he wants to take over Christmas instead, so he and his gang kidnap Santa and proceed to do Christmas their way. It's a macabre delight, filled with memorable songs and a terrific score (probably Danny Elfman's best ever). This is also a good Halloween movie, but it's meant to work as a dark, weird alternate Christmas choice too, and for that reason it's essential to this list.

Original 1993 Trailer:

Alliance of Women Film Journalists and Black Film Critics Circle Choose "12 Years," Village Voice Goes for "Inside Llewyn Davis"

The 12 Years train keeps on rolling, with wins today from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists and the Black Film Critics Circle, but the Village Voice Film Poll (comprised of 96 critics) weighed in and honored Inside Llewyn Davis instead:

VILLAGE VOICE FILM POLL

• Film: Inside Llewyn Davis
• Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Actress: Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
• Supporting Actor: James Franco, Spring Breakers
• Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• Screenplay: Before Midnight
• Undistributed Film: Stray Dogs
• First Feature: Fruitvale Station
• Documentary: The Act of Killing
• Animated Feature: The Wind Rises

BLACK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE

• Picture: 12 Years a Slave
• Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Actress: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
• Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
• Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave
• Original Screenplay: American Hustle
• Cinematography: Gravity
• Animated Film: Frozen
• Documentary: 20 Feet From Stardom
• Foreign Film: Blue is the Warmest Color
• Ensemble: 12 Years a Slave

ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

• Film: 12 Years a Slave
• Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• Original Screenplay: Her
• Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave
• Documentary: Stories We Tell
• Animated Film: The Wind Rises
• Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
• Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
• Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
• Ensemble: American Hustle
• Editing: Gravity
• Cinematography: Gravity
• Music or Score: Inside Llewyn Davis
• Foreign Language Film: The Hunt
• Woman Director: Nicole Holofcener, Enough Said
• Woman Screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener, Enough Said
• Female Action Star: Sandra Bullock, Gravity
• Animated Female: Anna (Kristen Bell), Frozen
• Breakthrough Performance: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Actress Defying Age and Ageism: Sandra Bullock
• Female Icon Award: Angelina Jolie
• Outstanding Achievement by a Woman in the Film Industry: Haaifa Al-Mansour, Wadjda

14th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominations

Here are the nominees for the Black Reel awards, in a what was a very competitive year for black filmmakers and films:

Picture

• 12 Years a Slave
• 42
• Fruitvale Station
• Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Lee Daniels' The Butler

Actor

• Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station
• Isaiah Washington, Blue Caprice
• Forest Whitaker, The Butler

Actress

• Halle Berry, The Call
• Rosario Dawson, Trance
• Daniel Gurira, Mother of George
• Lisa Gay Hamilton, Go for Sisters
• Nia Long, The Best Man Holiday

Supporting Actor

• Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
• David Oyelowo, The Butler
• Nate Parker, Ain't Them Bodies Saints
• Tequan Richmond, Blue Caprice
• Keith Stanfield, Short Term 12

Supporting Actress

• Melonie Diaz, Fruitvale Station
• Naomie Harris, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale Station
• Oprah Winfrey, The Butler

Director

• Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station
• Lee Daniels, The Butler
• Malcolm D. Lee, The Best Man Holiday
• Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• George Tilman, Jr., The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

Screenplay

• Fruitvale Station
• The Best Man Holiday
• Black Nativity
• 12 Years a Slave
• The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

Documentary

• 20 Feet From Stardom
• Free Angela and All Political Prisoners
• God Loves Uganda
• The Trials of Mohammed Ali
• Venus & Serena

Ensemble

• 12 Years a Slave
• 42
• The Best Man Holiday
• Fruitvale Station
• The Butler

Foreign Film

• Better Mus Come
• Home Again
• Nairobi Half Life
• Storage 24
• War Witch

Score

• The Best Man Holiday
• Fruitvale Station
• 42
• The Butler
• 12 Years a Slave

Song

• "Desperation," 20 Feet From Stardom
• "Happy," Despicable Me 2
• "In the Middle of the Night," The Butler
• "Queen of the Field (Patsey's Song)," 12 Years a Slave
• "You and I Ain't No More," The Butler

Breakthrough Actor

• Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
• Chadwick Boseman, 42
• Skylan Brooks, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete
• Tequan Richmond, Blue Caprice
• Keith Stanfield, Short Term 12

Breakthrough Actress

• Melonie Diaz, Fruitvale Station
• Danai Gurira, Mother of George
• Lindiwe Matshikiza, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Tashiana Washington, Gimme the Loot

Voice Performance

• Keith David, Free Birds
• Snoop Dogg, Turbo
• Samuel L. Jackson, Turbo
• Beyonce Knowles, Epic
• Maya Rudolph, Turbo

TRAILER: "How to Train Your Dragon 2"

The trailer for the sequel to the Dreamworks hit How to Train Your Dragon is here. The movie's coming out next June:

Movie of the Day: "Die Hard" (1988)

The 1988 classic Die Hard is one of the best holiday action movies you can watch this Christmas Eve. The whole thing takes place the night before Christmas, as ordinary, off-duty cop John McClane (Bruce Willis in the role that made him a superstar) is called into action by accident when a bunch of European terrorists seize the building in L.A. he just happens to be visiting in order to win back his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia). The situation provides a pretty surefire way to them to reunite as McClane battles bad guys in a wife beater and all but singlehandedly saves the day. Alan Rickman is one of the most memorable movie villains ever, sneering his way through campy one-liners and getting one unforgettable death scene. The movie may be corny in places now, but it's still a lot of fun and a perfect alternative Christmas choice this week.

Original 1988 Trailer:

Florida, Las Vegas & Dublin

While the regional groups across the country are looking more and more like they're starting to copy/paste each other's winners (seriously, why even bother voting?), the Dublin Film Critics Circle is a nice batch of variation, as the Irish film critics really seemed to like Gravity.

DUBLIN

• Film: Gravity
• Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
• Screenplay: Before Midnight
• Actor: Bruce Dern, Nebraska
• Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
• Documentary: The Act of Killing
• Irish Film: Good Vibrations
• Newcomer: Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
• Breakthrough: Lake Bell, In a World...

LAS VEGAS

• Film: 12 Years a Slave
• Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
• Actress: Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
• Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
• Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Screenplay: Her
• Cinematography: Gravity
• Editing: Gravity
• Costume Design: 12 Years a Slave
• Art Direction: Gravity
• Visual Effects: Gravity
• Score: 12 Years a Slave
• Song: "Please Mr. Kennedy" (Inside Llewyn Davis)
• Documentary: Blackfish
• Animated Film: Frozen
• Foreign Language Film: Blue is the Warmest Color
• Action Film: Lone Survivor
• Comedy Film: This is the End
• Horror/Sci-fi Film: Pacific Rim
• Family Film: Saving Mr. Banks
• Young Actor: Tye Sheridan, Mud
• Breakthrough Director: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station

FLORIDA

• Picture: 12 Years a Slave
• Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
• Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
• Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave
• Original Screenplay: Her
• Cinematography: Gravity
• Visual Effects: Gravity
• Art Direction/Production Design: The Great Gatsby
• Foreign Language Film: Blue is the Warmest Color
• Animated Film: Frozen
• Documentary: The Act of Killing
• Breakout Performer: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

25 Films Added to the National Film Registry

Every year there are 25 films selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress, deemed worthy due to "cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance." As usual, there are selections among this year's entries that are hard to believe weren't in there already, like Mary Poppins, Pulp Fiction, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Gilda. But choosing Michael Moore's first film Roger and Me is pretty cool.

25 Movies Added to the National Film Registry:

• Bless Their Little Hearts (1984)
• Brandy in the Wilderness (1969)
• Cicero March (1966)
• Daughter of Dawn (1929)
• Decasia (2002)
• Ella Cinders (1926)
• Forbidden Planet (1956)
• Gilda (1946)
• The Hole (1962)
• Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
• King of Jazz (1930)
• The Lunch Date (1989)
• The Magnificent Seven (1960)
• Martha Graham Early Dance Films (1931-1944)
• Mary Poppins (1964)
• Men and Dust (1940)
• Midnight (1939)
• Notes on the Port of St. Francis (1951)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• The Quiet Man (1952)
• The Right Stuff (1983)
• Roger and Me (1989)
• A Virtuous Vamp (1919)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
• The Wild Boys of the Road (1933)

London Critics' Circle Film Nominations- "12 Years a Slave" Leads

The London Film Critics have released their nominations- these could be important for the BAFTA nominations later on, or the British Academy Awards. The reason BAFTA matters is because there is a large British/European voting bloc in the Academy that overlaps with BAFTA, and often that is a clue for certain nominations and wins that you might not see coming. It's the reason the Academy tends to actually be a bit more adventurous and foreign-film friendly than places like SAG or the other guild awards.

Picture

• Blue is the Warmest Color
• Blue Jasmine
• Frances Ha
• Gravity
• The Great Beauty
• Her
• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Nebraska
• The Wolf of Wall Street

Director

• Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
• Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
• Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
• Paolo Sorrentino, The Great Beauty
• Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Actor

• Bruce Dern, Nebraska
• Leonardo Dicaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
• Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
• Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips

Actress

• Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
• Sandra Bullock, Gravity
• Judi Dench, Philomena
• Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
• Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha

Supporting Actor

• Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
• Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
• James Gandolfini, Enough Said
• Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks
• Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Supporting Actress

• Naomie Harris, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
• Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
• Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• June Squibb, Nebraska

Screenplay

• Inside Llewyn Davis
• Her
• Philomena
• 12 Years a Slave
• The Wolf of Wall Street

Foreign-Language Film

• Blue is the Warmest Color
• Caesar Must Die
• Gloria
• The Great Beauty
• A Hijacking

Documentary

• The Act of Killing
• Beware of Mr. Baker
• Leviathan
• Stories We Tell
• We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks

British Picture

• A Field in England
• Filth
• Philomena
• Rush
• The Selfish Giant

British Actor

• Christian Bale (American Hustle & Out of the Furnace)
• Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, The Look of Love, Philomena & What Maisie Knew)
• Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
• Michael Fassbender (The Counselor & 12 Years a Slave)
• James McAvoy (Filth, Trance & Welcome to the Punch)

British Actress

• Judi Dench (Philomena)
• Lindsay Duncan (About Time, Last Passenger & Le Week-end)
• Naomie Harris (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
• Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
• Emma Thompson (Beautiful Creatures & Saving Mr. Banks)

Young British Performer

• Conner Chapman (The Selfish Giant)
• Saoirse Ronan (Byzantium, The Host & How I Live Now)
• Eloise Laurence (Broken)
• George MacKay (Breakfast with Johnny Wilkinson, For Those in Peril, How I Live Now & Sunshine on Leith)
• Shaun Thomas (The Selfish Giant)

Breakthrough British Filmmaker

• Jon S. Baird, Filth
• Scott Graham, Shell
• Marcos Markoou, Papadopoulos & Sons
• Rufus Norris, Broken
• Paul Wright, For Those in Peril

Technical Achievement Award

• American Hustle- Production Design
• Behind the Candelabra- Production Design
• Filth- Editing
• Frances Ha- Cinematography
• Gravity- Visual Effects
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire- Costumes
• Inside Llewyn Davis- Music
• Stoker- Costumes
• 12 Years a Slave- Cinematography
• Upstream Color- Sound Design

So, not a lot of love for American Hustle from the London Critics, who seem to be on the Wolf of Wall Street divide. Behind the Candelabra was a theatrical release in England, so that's why it's eligible for film awards there, and the Italian film The Great Beauty was singled out for Picture and Director (that's sure to be one of the foreign film nominees at the Oscars). Other than that, no Emma Thompson in Best Actress, making me wonder if she's a tiny bit vulnerable in that category (we'll see if she gets a BAFTA nom, but I still think someone new's going to break into that Actress category, taking the spot of either Meryl Streep, Judi Dench or Emma Thompson). And Leo Dicaprio's Best Actor hopes remain alive if the Brits are passionate about his Wolf performance, and it's looking more and more like Robert Redford could be the vulnerable one in that Best Actor category.

TEASER: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

It's here! The first teaser for the Planet of the Apes sequel, coming out next summer.

Movie of the Day: "Bad Santa" (2003)

Our Movie of the Day series returns this week with what I like to think of as some "alternative" Christmas movie titles. I've already posted my traditional ten favorite Christmas movies on the December movie page, so this week here are some darker, weirder, but nonetheless Christmas-themed films to watch at the holidays. Bad Santa is one of the best, a hilarious and hilariously dark comedy starring Billy Bob Thornton in what's probably my favorite performance of his ever. He's fall down drunk and small time crook Willie T. Stokes, partnered with Tony Cox to rob department stores during the holidays by posing as Santa and his elf. He puts not even the minimum effort into it of course and insults and depresses everyone he meets, even a mentally handicapped kid. There are no holds barred with the crudeness of it all, and without compromising a single ounce of the black comedy hilarity (he even beats up some junior high bullies and is proud of himself for it), a sweet and heartwarming message is preserved in the end, if in a rather perverse way. I love this movie, even though it's not for everyone- it never fails to make me laugh. The great cast includes the late Bernie Mac and John Ritter.

Trailer:

Austin and Phoenix Critics: One for "Her," One for "12 Years"

The Austin critics go for Spike Jonze's Her, while Phoenix sticks with 12 Years a Slave, and both give Alfonso Cuaron directing honors, which seems to be the trend among all the critics, possibly indicating a potential split at the Oscars.

AUSTIN

• Film: Her
• Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
• Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
• Actress: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
• Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
• Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Original Screenplay: Her
• Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave
• Cinematography: Gravity
• Score: Her
• Foreign Language Film: Blue is the Warmest Color
• Documentary: The Act of Killing
• Animated Film: Frozen
• First Film: Fruitvale Station
• Breakthrough Artist: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
• Austin Film: Before Midnight
• Special Honorary Award: Scarlett Johansson, Her

PHOENIX

• Picture: 12 Years a Slave
• Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
• Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
• Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
• Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
• Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
• Ensemble Acting: American Hustle
• Original Screenplay: Nebraska
• Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave
• Live Action Family Film: Oz the Great and Powerful
• Overlooked Film of the Year: The Kings of Summer and The Spectacular Now (tie)
• Animated Film: Frozen
• Foreign Language Film: Blue is the Warmest Color
• Documentary: 20 Feet From Stardom
• Original Song: "Let it Go," Frozen
• Original Score: Frozen
• Cinematography: Gravity
• Editing: Gravity
• Production Design: Gravity
• Costume Design: The Great Gatsby
• Visual Effects: Gravity
• Stunts: Fast & Furious 6
• Breakthrough Performance on Camera: Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
• Breakthrough Performance Behind the Camera: Lake Bell, In a World...
• Youth Performance- Male: Tye Sheridan, Mud
• Youth Performance- Female: Sophie Nelisse, The Book Thief