Catching up w/ Critics Prizes: Chicago, London, Kansas City, and SEFCA

Another week another big round of critics prizes. As previously noted we only cover about 16 groups (for sanity purposes) so here were a fourth of them as announced these past few days.

CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

Chicago's association was first established in 1988 with a Best Picture prize for Mississippi Burning of all things. This year they liked The Handmaiden so much that it even broke into their Best Picture nomination, a rarity for the group. The last foreign language film to do so with Chicago was Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon back in 2000. It won three prizes, just shy of what Manchester by the Sea managed...

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We link up again... over and over

So hard to keep up each December! But we get by with a little help from our links...

Variety we hadn't noticed this but it's true - Major studios were nearly entirely shut out of the Best Picture lineups. 
TFE in case you missed it our SAG Ensemble predictions... they announce tomorrow morning
AV Club talks to 80s funny lady Terri Garr of Tootsie and Mr Mom fame
Screencrush forever undervalued Patrick Wilson just got a possibly big deal role. He'll play the villain of sorts Orm in Aquaman

Lots more after the jump including the NAACP Image Award nominations, Madonna, men's tuxes on the red carpet, and The Accused...

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We ♥︎ the San Diego Film Critics Society

I want to make out with every member of the San Diego Film Critics Society right now. Why? It's not for their individual choices, no, though some of them are good. It's for this simple fact: they looked at the entire film year and not just movies that are just now hitting theaters. And, my friends, that is EXACTLY what film critics are not only supposed to do but best suited to do. The publicity teams and Oscar campaigns are already on the job of reminding people about which movies are coming out. Critics should notice more than what's being shoved at them minutes before they vote. 

Hell or High Water is their big winner but other pre-November releases in their mix include Aquarius, The Nice Guys, Love & Friendship and more. Good work San Diego! You can see the full list after the jump...  

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Critics Choice Winners 2016: La La Land, Moonlight, and More...

More commentary tomorrow if there's time given all the Golden Globe announcement hoopla and such. But for now all the winners and a couple of notes after the jump. 

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Boston Loves "Manchester"

The Boston Film Critics Society formed in 1980 divvying up their first year of prizes largely between Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull and Jonathan Demme's undeappreciated Melvin & Howard. (Both auteurs would reign again with the BFCS via The Departed and Silence of the Lambs). While they don't often out on stylish limbs and aren't as invested in foreign films as they once did and were, when they return to either of those impulses it's often exciting. Our absolute favorite thing they occassional do is a weirdo but "why, yes, actually!" supporting performance pick like Toni Collette for The Hours, Juliette Lewis in Conviction or Ezra Miller in Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Here's what they chose as Best for 2016 along with several trivia notes...

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