ADG Nominees Include Sets for 'Fences,' 'Jackie'

The Art Directors Guild has weighed in with their nominations for the year's best production design. They have genre splits here, so they never totally match five for five with the Oscars. There are sometimes left field choices that spring up from the Academy's set designers branch (BAFTA nominees can be helpful in figuring out these techs as well, which we'll get next week). I think this is a pretty tough category this year actually- not a lot of choices with Best Picture heat (that always helps) behind them. If I had to guess right now I'd say maybe La La Land, Jackie, Fantastic Beasts, Hail Caesar and a surprise pick like The Handmaiden for the Oscar five.

PERIOD FILM

• Cafe Society
• Fences
• Hacksaw Ridge
• Hail, Caesar!
• Hidden Figures
• Jackie

FANTASY FILM

• Arrival
• Doctor Strange
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Passengers
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

CONTEMPORARY FILM

• Hell or High Water
• La La Land
• Lion
• Manchester By the Sea
• Nocturnal Animals

A production still from the set of 'Fences'

'Deadpool' Lands a WGA Nomination

The Writers Guild is the least important guild, since so many of the inevitable nominees were never eligible, and in the case of this year, two are eligible only in the other category from which they were considered by the WGA. But you can kinda suss things out if you try, so let's look at what ended up in the nominations that came down this morning.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

'Loving' is nominated for original screenplay at WGA, but is only eligible for the packed adapted category at the Oscars

• Hell or High Water
• La La Land
• Loving
• Manchester By the Sea
• Moonlight

Okay, so here's the thing. Both Loving and Moonlight are only eligible at the Oscars in the adapted screenplay category, so that leaves two open slots right there. The other three are virtual locks, as they have been performing well all season and are guaranteed Best Picture nominees, so this leaves the open slots to be filled with several different options. We've got Jackie, Toni Erdmann, 20th Century Women, The Lobster and Zootopia as the most likely candidates. I'll go ahead and predict The Lobster and Zootopia. It's a shot in the dark, but The Lobster has been singled out by critics for its very original screenplay for months, and popular animated films have a long history of making it in for screenplay when acclaimed enough, even though it's always been a slot reserved for Pixar only (with the exception of the original Shrek way back in 2001). But I think with the love shown for Zootopia this year, and especially its clever screenplay, this could be Disney's first nod in the category.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Can 'Deadpool' get a surprise Oscar nod for screenplay?

• Arrival
• Deadpool
• Fences
• Hidden Figures
• Nocturnal Animals

First off, we've got to make way for Moonlight here, so that knocks off Nocturnal Animals for sure. And some would say Deadpool's an obvious non-starter as well, but I'm not so sure about that. It would be a surprise, yes, but this nomination coupled with the ACE nod yesterday, and the movie's starting to look pretty strong. If it gets a PGA nomination, I'd stick with it to land a surprise screenplay nod at the Oscars as well. But of course, a superhero movie is always a long shot, so other options would be Loving, Silence, and perhaps Sully. But I'm not sure any of those movies have the enthusiasm or passion needed to get in, so don't count Deadpool out on this one.

REVIEW: "La La Land" (2016) Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone. Dir. Damian Chazelle

As a rather obsessive fan of old Hollywood musicals of the 40’s and 50’s, I can appreciate Damian Chazelle’s love for the genre, especially of the way in which the directors of the time, like Vincent Minnelli and Stanley Donen, used the brilliance of technicolor and lighting and fantasy ballet sequences to stage the spectacular musical numbers performed by the likes of such master entertainers as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, professional dancers recruited by Hollywood in the vein of Cyd Charisse or Eleanor Powell, and of course singers and showmen like Bing Crosby, Judy Garland and her daughter Liza Minelli. But in Chazelle’s devotion to recreating the look of those old movies in La La Land, he does so purely on a surface level, forgetting what the main attraction really was in those films, why it is they were made in the first place. It was the performers themselves.

In place of the greats who usually came from vaudeville or Broadway, we have…Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Great. I have nothing against either of them, both good actors and appealing screen presences when cast in the right roles. But every movie Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly made was a celebration and showcase of their professional acumen, their technical expertise, the joy of the incredible routines they were able to choreograph and perform themselves and with capable colleagues. The numbers, people, the numbers! Gosling and Stone can neither sing nor dance. And of course, the filmmakers know this, so each song is written for an amateur singer and what dancing there is is choreographed with inevitable stiffness in mind, which means nothing too fancy, of course. So what are we celebrating here? What we’re celebrating is nostalgia, with a lovely looking throwback to old movie musicals in the same way that 2011's The Artist was a valentine to silent films. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with doing this, but what it amounts to is an exercise in style rather than anything with a beating heart of its own.

That’s not to say there’s nothing to like about the movie. The cinematography is beautiful, the sets and costumes are gorgeous, and the two actors are appealing in what amounts to a love story about people trying to make it in Hollywood’s dream factory while staying true to their integrity (which is apparently their love and appreciation for the past, in his case jazz, in her case old movies). But the fizzy romance here isn’t enough to hang a movie on, since the other genre Damian Chazelle wants to tribute is the Jacques Demy musicals from the early 60’s (particularly The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), so that requires introducing a bit of working class struggle and melancholy into the proceedings. But when you steal the element that made those French films (which were themselves an homage to old Hollywood musicals) their own, it better feel earned. This one doesn’t, particularly in its inorganic and falsely constructed ending, designed to lead to a beautiful fantasy epilogue sequence that while technically impressive, hasn’t done the work it takes to get there in terms of storytelling.

Chazelle, whose last movie was Whiplash, has an undeniable talent, a feel for cinematic showmanship and elegantly staged tracking shots, as well as a sincere love for the movies of Hollywood and France’s golden ages. But nothing in La La Land, from the mediocre music to the just “fine” performances from actors who cannot sing or dance yet are required to try it anyway, to the artificially high stakes attributed to a very low stakes love story, stands completely on its own. It’s a tribute movie that’s simply not as good as any of the movies it’s tributing. So I’ll take this opportunity right now to give you a quick list of what to watch if you want to see the real thing: Holiday Inn (1942), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Singin’ in the Rain (1951), An American in Paris (1952), The Band Wagon (1954), West Side Story (1962) and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). Once you’ve seen those, you’ll see La La Land through the same lens that I do, and wonder how Chazelle could have missed the whole point.

* * 1/2

ACE Eddie Nominees Include 'Hacksaw Ridge,' 'The Jungle Book'

Finally, the guilds are weighing in! SAG was early, but now is when the industry guilds start coming out with all their nominees and we can actually see what films are favored within the industry, not just by critics. This is far more important for what the Academy will do. So we start with the all important editors guild, one of the most crucial ones, and it looks like all the frontrunners got in, although films like Deadpool, The Lobster and Hail, Caesar! are a surprise on the comedy side. Actually come to think of it, the entire comedy category besides La La Land is a surprise. For the Oscars, I would bet on the five being Arrival, Manchester, La La Land, Moonlight and either Hell or High Water or Hacksaw Ridge. I'm wary of the fifth slot, because my gut's telling me the editors love their action and war scenes, so I'm leaning towards Hacksaw Ridge, believe it or not. If that movie shows up in all the guilds it could be much stronger in the Oscar race than anyone would have thought.

Best Edited Feature Film (Drama)
“Arrival” 
“Hacksaw Ridge” 
“Hell or High Water” 
“Manchester by the Sea” 
“Moonlight” 

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy)
“Deadpool” 
“Hail, Caesar!” 
“The Jungle Book”
“La La Land” 
“The Lobster” 

Best Edited Animated Feature Film
“Kubo and the Two Strings” 
“Moana” 
“Zootopia” 

Best Edited Documentary (Feature)
“13th” 
“Amanda Knox”
“The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years” 
“O.J.: Made in America” 
“Weiner” 

Jump Scares in Trailer for 'Alien: Covenant'

For those who were interested in a sequel to Prometheus, here's the latest prequel to the Alien franchise. I'm not exactly blown away by this trailer, but that could be my Prometheus hate bias showing. If it's more like the original Alien movies then I'd be interested (and with no Damon Lindelof scripting, it actually might be, so here's hoping).

More Critics Awards for 'La La Land,' 'Moonlight'

They were all coming like crazy for a few weeks and then suddenly they took a breather, but the critics aren't quite done yet, with at least a few more organizations to come. Today we've got two from Texas weighing in, along with North Carolina and Oklahoma.

NORTH TEXAS

Michael Shannon picks up a surprise supporting actor prize for 'Nocturnal Animals'

• Best Film: La La Land
• Best Director: Damian Chazelle, La La Land
• Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Jackie
• Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester By the Sea
• Best Supporting Actress: Michelle Williams, Manchester By the Sea
• Best Supporting Actor: Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
• Best Cinematography: La La Land
• Best Animated Film: Zootopia
• Best Documentary: Gleason
• Best Foreign Language Film: Elle

What I find odd about these is their lack of screenplay awards- why is cinematography literally the only tech category given out? That's weird, but their choices are conventional down the line, except for Michael Shannon in supporting, for a movie that's not getting a whole lot of attention otherwise.

AUSTIN

'Kubo' wins another animated film award, but still sits behind 'Zootopia'

• Best Film: Moonlight 
• Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight 
• Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea 
• Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, Elle 
• Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight 
• Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Fences 
• Best Original Screenplay: Moonlight 
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Arrival 
• Best Cinematography: La La Land 
• Best Score: La La Land 
• Best Foreign-Language Film: The Handmaiden 
• Best Documentary: Tower 
• Best Animated Film: Kubo and the Two Strings 
• Best First Film: The Witch

The Austin critics don't do anything worth noting here, with more of the expected Moonlight love, and Kubo stays in second behind Zootopia for animated film.

NORTH CAROLINA

Emma Stone adds to her mini-momentum with later critics groups

• BEST FILM: La La Land
• BEST DOCUMENTARY: O.J.: Made in America
• BEST ANIMATED FILM: Zootopia
• BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Handmaiden
• BEST DIRECTOR: Damien Chazelle — La La Land
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: La La Land
• BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS: Doctor Strange
• BEST ACTOR: Casey Affleck — Manchester by the Sea
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jeff Bridges — Hell or High Water
• BEST ACTRESS: Emma Stone — La La Land
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Viola Davis — Fences
• BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Hell or High Water
• BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Arrival

North Carolina added to Emma Stone's late breaking Best Actress haul, an award I believe will come down to SAG in the Oscar race, while going for the expected winners elsewhere.

OKLAHOMA

Actress prizes split up again, with these 4 critics groups going for Huppert, Portman, Stone and Adams

• Film - La La Land
• Actress - Amy Adams (Arrival)
• Actor - Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
• Supporting Actress - Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)
• Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) 
• Director - Damien Chazelle (La La Land) 
• Animated film - Zootopia
• Documentary - OJ: Made in America
• Foreign film - The Handmaiden
• Ensemble - Manchester by the Sea
• First Feature - The Witch
• Original screenplay - Manchester by the Sea
• Adapted Screenplay - Arrival
• Body of Work - Amy Adams 

And the OK critics spread the wealth, giving a big appreciation for Amy Adams in Best Actress, while Arrival picked up a few adapted screenplay prizes at all these groups.

REVIEW: "Jackie" (2016) Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard. Dir. Pablo Larrain

Pablo Nerrain’s Jackie is something most unexpected- a biopic that thrills, transplanting you into the immediate aftermath of an event known the world over through images, video footage and history books. Jacqueline Kennedy remains mythologized as a fashion icon and the picture of dignity and grace, an early celebrity First Lady whom we nonetheless don’t really know in any intimate sense- we only have the picture and image of her as a beautiful, young, sophisticated wife of a glamorous president who for a couple of years was raising toddlers in the White House while working as just as glamorous a hostess to transform it into a hotspot for spectacular parties and gatherings of artists. But what she went through in the aftermath of a deeply traumatic event, how she swiftly moved to prop up her husband’s legacy before it could be swept away, it’s all brought vividly to life in this new film, as is the era and the pageantry of the presidency in the relatively new media age of the early 1960’s.

Larrain is a Chilean director who nonetheless has a handle on the ways the presidency, the first family, and the White House are seen by both the American and international public. The Kennedys were the “beautiful people,” as Bobby Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard) notes in the film, the young, fashionable first family who made the position seem hip and attractive after the stuffy Eisenhower years. Jackie Kennedy was an integral part of the myth making, as she invited the public into the White House by hosting a televised tour in 1962, to let everyone in on her plans for redecorating and modernizing a place that she referred to as the “people’s house.” Natalie Portman embodies the former first lady with a detailed, specific impersonation and a depth of the feelings that rage through her in the days immediately following her husband’s death in her arms from an assassin’s bullet. She goes for the peculiar, unique and inimitable cadence Jackie spoke in, but once you get used to that it hardly matters as Portman brings us in entirely through each wave of grief as emotions and actions carry through her.

We feel as if we are in the moment with her and others in the inner circle- from the piercing of the bullet to the back of the plane as LBJ takes the oath of office, to the White House once more as Jackie must pack her things, plan the funeral and grapple with securing a media spectacle to enshrine her husband’s legacy when a promising presidency is cut short after less than three years in office. Her savvy and know how in manipulating her family’s image is exposed, when we see how the Johnson administration wanted her out of the White House in rapid fashion, how Bobby Kennedy’s frustration with the waste of his brother’s life is brought into focus, and how she dealt with not just the pain of losing a husband and becoming a young widow, but also an ex-first lady in a matter of days. Jackie’s thoughts are verbalized in the form of the controlled and famous interview with a reporter from Life magazine (Billy Crudup) from the Kennedy residence in Massachusetts a week after the funeral.

It’s through Portman’s impressive resolve, Micah Levi’s unconventional and impactful score, and Larrain’s close, circular and intimate filming style that we are mesmerized by the intensity of those few days and Jackie’s tenacity, vulnerability and determination to insure her and her husband’s place in history. We are also mesmerized by the romanticizing of our presidents and the way certain of them come to be remembered, as Jackie’s relevance is in reminding us that it’s often through the media age and environment, where the “truth” is seen only in what people choose to believe through select reading of the facts, most of which can never be known, as every person has their own version to relay. This movie is Jackie’s version, which was attractive enough to take on a life of its own in the public’s preservation of the memory and popular imagination of the Kennedys- whether the man himself or his family deserved it is for another time. And perhaps another movie.

* * * *

Debbie Reynolds 1932-2016

And just like that, 32 hours after her daughter's death, Debbie Reynolds has died at the age of 84. The stress of her daughter Carrie's death was too much for her, as she had had several strokes in recent years, and according to her son Todd, her last words were "I want to be with Carrie." Debbie Reynolds was a Hollywood icon who starred as the ingenue in many films from the 1950's, most famously Singin' in the Rain at the age of 19, then How the West Was Won, The Unsinkable Molly Brown (for which she was Oscar-nominated for Best Actress), The Singing Nun, Divorce, American Style, the voice of Charlotte in the animated Charlotte's Web, Mother and In & Out. She was known as Hollywood's original "sweetheart," earning the title for her sunny disposition and the famous tabloid scandal that saw her be left by her husband Eddie Fisher for Elizabeth Taylor in 1959. A singer, dancer, and actress, Reynolds was a true performer who was known for her stage, film and television work over the years, she was nominated for an Oscar, an Emmy (for playing Debra Messing's mother on Will & Grace from 1999-2006) and a Tony (for the 1973 musical Irene), her hand and footprints are preserved at Graumann's Chinese Theatre, and she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from SAG in 2014 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from AMPAS in 2015. This holiday has left the family with unimaginable grief, as Billie Lourd has lost her mother and grandmother, and Todd Fisher his mother and sister in just two days.

The famous scene from 1952's Singin' in the Rain, where Debbie holds her own against two of the greatest dancers to ever appear in film:

Carrie and Debbie's interview with Oprah in 2011:

Carrie Fisher 1956-2016

A pop culture icon, an actress, a writer and a comedienne- Carrie Fisher was a true original. She died on Tuesday at the age of 60, after suffering a massive heart attack on a plane returning to LAX from London and spending three days in the hospital in intensive care. This shocking death was another in a long list of Hollywood icons taken from us in 2016, and one of the most heart wrenching. Carrie was the daughter of Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, who grew up in Tinseltown before landing the role she would forever be fused with in 1977 as Princess Leia, the sci-fi heroine for generations of moviegoers to come. The original Star Wars trilogy made her eternally a part of pop culture and movie history, and it was a role she reprised just last year in The Force Awakens (and is set to do in next year's untitled Episode VIII, for which her scenes are already wrapped).

We may all remember her as the fierce and feisty Leia, but she had other performances in her filmography, including parts in Shampoo (see her hold her own against Warren Beatty as a mere teenager), When Harry Met Sally (Jess and Marie forever!), and The Blues Brothers (one of the funniest cameos ever). She made countless guest appearances on television shows over the years, which included her hilarious most recent role as Rob Delaney's mother on Catastrophe, on which she had just returned from filming the upcoming third season (a must-see for everyone). Fisher was also a prolific writer who published several novels, including Postcards From the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay for the 1991 Meryl Streep starring film, which was based on the real life relationship between her and her mother Debbie Reynolds. Other published works included memoirs like the just released The Princess Diarist, and the play for her one woman show Wishful Drinking. A rare wit and a dear friend to all who worked with and knew her over the years, she will be missed. May the Force be with her.

In 1989's When Harry Met Sally, which I'm sure many will be watching this New Year's Eve:

Her roast of George Lucas at his AFI Lifetime Achievement Award win in 2009:

Carrie's original audition for Star Wars at age 18:

Nevada, Florida and The Alliance of Women Film Journalists Like 'The Lobster,' Annette Bening

More critics, but happily, there are some surprises from the Nevada and Florida groups, which went against the grain in Best Picture.

NEVADA

Will Annette Bening get her fifth Oscar nomination?

• Best Film – Hell or High Water 
• Best Actor – Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea 
• Best Actress – Annette Bening, 20th Century Women 
• Best Supporting Actor – Ben Foster, Hell or High Water 
• Best Supporting Actress – Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women 
• Best Youth Performance – Alex Hibbert, Moonlight 
• Best Director – David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water 
• Best Original Screenplay – Hell or High Water 
• Best Adapted Screenplay – Arrival 
• Best Ensemble – Moonlight 
• Best Documentary – O.J.: Made in America
• Best Animated Movie – Moana 
• Best Production Design – La La Land 
• Best Cinematography – La La Land 
• Best Visual Effects – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Hell or High Water ruled the day here, with some love shown for 20th Century Women in two acting races, and Ben Foster in supporting actor, who gave a better performance than Jeff Bridges, even though I'm sure he'll be the Oscar nominee. Good on NV for standing out from the pack.

FLORIDA

The offbeat sci-fi comedy 'The Lobster' wins Best Picture from the FL film critics

• BEST PICTURE: The Lobster 
• BEST DIRECTOR: Damien Chazelle – La La Land 
• BEST ACTOR: Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea 
• BEST ACTRESS: Isabelle Huppert – Elle 
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water 
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea 
• BEST ENSEMBLE: American Honey 
• BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Lobster 
• BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Love & Friendship 
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: La La Land 
• BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Arrival 
• BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION: La La Land 
• BEST SCORE: La La Land 
• BEST DOCUMENTARY: Cameraperson 
• BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Elle 
• BEST ANIMATED FILM: Kubo and the Two Strings 
• BEST FIRST FILM: The Edge of Seventeen 
• PAULINE KAEL BREAKOUT AWARD: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight

The Lobster wins a Best Picture award! That's awesome. Well, why not? It's certainly one of the most original movies I've seen in a long time, and it looks like FL wanted to spread the love around to several of the different frontrunners. Cool choice.

ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Ruth Negga is also on the cusp of a Best Actress nomination

• Best Film: Moonlight
• Best Director: Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
• Best Screenplay, Original: Manchester by the Sea 
• Best Screenplay, Adapted: Moonlight
• Best Documentary: 13th 
• Best Animated Film: Zootopia
• Best Actress: Ruth Negga – Loving
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis – Fences
• Best Actor: Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
• Best Ensemble Cast – Moonlight 
• Best Cinematography: Moonlight 
• Best Editing: Moonlight 
• Best Non-English-Language Film: The Handmaiden 
• Best Woman Director: Ava DuVernay – 13th 
• Best Woman Screenwriter: Kelly Reichardt – Certain Women 
• Best Animated Female (tie): Judy in Zootopia – Ginnifer Goodwin & Moana in Moana – Auli’i Cravalho 
• Best Breakthrough Performance: Ruth Negga – Loving
• Outstanding Achievement by A Woman in The Film Industry: Ava DuVernay – For 13th and raising awareness about the need for diversity and gender equality in Hollywood
• Actress Defying Age and Ageism (tie): Annette Bening – 20th Century Women & Isabelle Huppert – Elle and Things to Come
• Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Lead and The Love Interest Award: Rules Don’t Apply – Warren Beatty (b. 1937) and Lily Collins (b. 1989) 
• Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent: Jennifer Aniston – Mother’s Day and Office Christmas Party
• Bravest Performance: Isabelle Huppert – Elle
• Remake or Sequel That Shouldn’t have been Made: Ben Hur
• AWFJ Hall of Shame Award: Sharon Maguire and Renee Zellwegger for Bridget Jones’s Baby

The women film journalists loved Moonlight the most, but their best choices are the unconventional stuff, like actress in need of a new agent, which goes to Jennifer Aniston for what's either the second or third time. The age difference award is great too- god, did Warren Beatty really pair himself up with a 27 year old (who looks 16)? 

Lots of Love for 'Manchester By the Sea' From Vancouver Critics

Three more critics groups come in today, with results from Vancouver, the other Phoenix critics team, and the Black Film Critics Circle.

VANCOUVER

Michelle Williams has racked up the second most supporting actress wins next to Viola Davis

• BEST FILM: Manchester by the Sea
• BEST ACTOR: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
• BEST ACTRESS: Isabelle Huppert, Elle
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
• BEST DIRECTOR: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
• BEST SCREENPLAY: Manchester by the Sea
• BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Toni Erdmann
• BEST DOCUMENTARY: Cameraperson

Wow, these guys really fell all over themselves for Manchester, giving it Picture, Director, two acting awards and screenplay. Aside from that it appears Isabelle Huppert remains a critics darling still, but I wonder if her Oscar nomination is secure at this point.

PHOENIX FILM CRITICS SOCIETY

Viola Davis remains on her cruise to the Oscar stage for 'Fences'

• Best Picture: La La Land 
• Best Director: Damien Chazelle (La La Land) 
• Best Actress in a Leading Role: Emma Stone (La La Land) 
• Best Actor in a Leading Role: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) 
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Viola Davis (Fences) 
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water) 
• Best Original Screenplay: Hell or High Water 
• Best Screenplay Adapted from Other Material: Hacksaw Ridge 
• Best Cinematography: La La Land 
• Best Film Editing: Hacksaw Ridge 
• Best Production Design: La La Land 
• Best Costume Design: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
• Best Visual Effects: Doctor Strange 
• Best Original Score: La La Land 
• Best Original Song: 'City of Stars' (La La Land) 
• Best Ensemble Acting: Hell or High Water 
• Best Animated Film: Zootopia 
• Best Documentary: Gleason 
• Best Foreign Language Film: Elle 
• Best Breakthrough Performance: Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) 
• Best Performance by a Youth: Alex R. Hibbert (Moonlight) 
• Overlooked Film of the Year: Sing Street

Like I said, there's a Phoenix Critics Circle and a Phoenix Film Critics Society, and I have no idea why. Judge for yourself which of them has better taste. This does mark Emma Stone's third win in as many days, so she appears to have some mini-momentum going now.

BLACK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE

Barry Jenkins could make history if he wins the Best Director Oscar for 'Moonlight'

• Best Film: Moonlight
• Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
• Best Actor: Denzel Washington, Fences
• Best Actress: Ruth Negga, Loving
• Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
• Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Fences
• Best Original Screenplay: Moonlight
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Fences
• Best Cinematography: Moonlight
• Best Foreign Film: Elle 
• Best Documentary: 13th
• Best Animated Film: Zootopia
• Best Ensemble: Fences

So these three groups today split between the big three movies- Manchester, La La Land, and Moonlight. Aside from Best Actress, the other three acting frontrunners remain in place before the televised awards (Affleck, Ali and Davis), and I think the two screenplay awards are now solidified as well, with Moonlight having been moved into adapted, giving it an easy win there as well as Manchester in Original. I may do much better on my Oscar predictions this year.

The Rock Teams Up with Zac Efron for 'Baywatch' Movie

Well, I don't know who was clamoring for this, but since it really doesn't seem to even resemble the old show in anything but the title and occasional shots of random girls running in swimsuits, I guess they might as well take a mismatched buddy movie and slap it with a recognized brand name for a title, right? Basically, this looks like shit, which is most movies starring The Rock. Sorry if you're a fan but he hasn't starred in a decent movie since 2003's The Rundown.