Quick Notes on the SAG Awards

by Nathaniel R

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are so frontloaded, you know. Their famous tradition of beginning the awards show with mini monologues from thespians that always end with "I am _____ and I am an actor" is bliss. But after this hokey and delicious ritual, the awards often feel like something of a chore unless one of the winners gets kooky (remember when Meryl ran through the crowd with her arms up like she was a game show contestant?) because they so often merely rubber-stamp all the other awards shows or themselves. Note Allison Janney's 8 wins here over the years. 

Kristen Bell served as the first ever host and was funny and sparsely deployed (since the show doesn't really need a host since it's all just awards-awards-awards. But bless her for spiking the punch right at the start.

I am Kristen Bell and I am a narcissist. Sorry... I am an actor. And tonight also your host"

After the jump a few notes from the show and the list of winners.

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US Scripters Nominations (Gloriously) Add to the Adapted Screenplay Confusion

by Nathaniel R

Lost City of Z finally makes a precursor markOne of the funniest developments this awards season is how weirdly empty the Adapted Screenplay became in the wake of so many top contenders being "originals". The balance is way off. Even the 'true' stories, the ones adapted from history or people's lives this year were mostly originals (Some have argued in the past should be considered for the Adapted category since they're not originating the stories and characters... though we've never come to a definitive conclusion as to whether or not we agree).

Today the US Scripters chaired by USC professor and past president of the Writers Guild of America, West, Howard Rodman, and a selection committee chose the nominees from a field of 91 film and 28 television adaptations. Because of a three way tie in voting they have SEVEN film nominees this year. Which is hilarious since most people though the category "weak" in terms of Oscar candidates. In spreading their net so wide they've done little to clear up the confusion as to which five films will receive Oscar nominations. More after the jump...

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'The Shape of' the Critics Choice Winners List

by Nathaniel R

The Critics Choice Movie and Television Awards voted on by the BFCA members were held last night in California with Olivia Munn hosting. Aside from the color of the dresses and the Best Picture winner (Shape of Water) the night was faithful to the template set by the Golden Globes on Sunday in terms of the winners list and the political slant. Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot,  even got to make a speech with a special award (now that they've axed the acting in action film prizes).

In the night's most predictable turn of events, James Franco was a no-show (despite winning Comedy Actor again) after this past week of sexual misconduct claims. In the night's most upsetting development Lady Bird was entirely shut out of the winner's circle. In the night's "Biggest Waste of a Prize" moment, for some reason the group chose Three Billboards for Best Ensemble despite awarding McDormand and Rockwell trophies. (Aside from Woody Harrelson does anyone else in the cast demand a kind of "well, we gotta give this an ensemble prize, too!" enthusiasm? Especially when they had Mudbound, The Post, Dunkirk and Lady Bird right there as the other options!). Winners and a few more comments are after the jump...

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Directors Guild Nominations - Greta & Jordan, Yay!

by Nathaniel R

This year's 70th annual DGA Awards will be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 3rd a month before the Oscars. The winner for Directing in Theatrical Features usually goes on to win the Oscar though historically there's about one exception a decade (Ben Affleck for Argo, Rob Marshall for Chicago, Ron Howard for Apollo 13,  etcetera-- basically don't have the "oh" sound in your movie title!-- did not repeat their wins at the Oscars and some of them weren't even nominated for the Academy Award). 

This year's lucky five nominees -- statistically you can expect four of them to pop up again with Oscar -- are:

THEATRICAL FEATURE

• Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
• Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
• Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards...
• Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
• Jordan Peele, Get Out

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Costume Design and Cinematography Guild Honors

by Nathaniel R

Sometimes all it takes is one killer lewk. You might not have thought of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri as a "costume" movie but the Costumer Designer Guild gave it one of their contemporary nominations all the same. Must've been that already famous janitor jumpsuit with bandana on Frances McDormand. It's so very "Mildred". Either that or, you know, the Guilds are just voting on their favorite movies (as they are also prone to do) without thinking too much on their own fields within those movies. Who knows what lurks in the hearts of awards voters? No one truly as they're non monolithic.

More on their nominations (and the Cinematography guild also) with commentary after the jump...

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