Yada Yada Yada...more critic awards

There's a number of Texas critics' awards groups. I don't understand why they just don't come together to form one Texas Film Critics Association. There's also the Toronto critics, who seem to be the only group to go off in their own direction, rather than following the consensus.

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: The Dark Knight

Austin Film Critics
Picture: The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Adapted Screenplay: The Dark Knight
Original Screenplay: Synecdoche, New York
Cinematography: The Fall
Score: The Dark Knight


Top Ten:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. Milk
4. Synecdoche, New York
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. The Wrestler
7. WALL-E
8. Frost/Nixon
9. Let the Right One In
10. Gran Torino

Houston Film Critics
Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Score: Miracle at St. Anna
Ensemble: Doubt

Toronto Film Critics
Picture: Wendy and Lucy
Director: Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Actress: Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married

And Then There Were These...

Southeastern Film Critics
Picture: Milk
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: Milk

Top 10:
1. Milk
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Wrestler
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. The Reader
8. The Visitor
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Revolutionary Road

St. Louis Film Critics
Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Frost/Nixon (really?)
Cinematography: Australia
Special Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

San Francisco Film Critics
Picture: Milk
Director: Gus Van Sant, Milk
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (tie)
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Frost/Nixon
Original Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: The Dark Knight

San Diego Film Critics
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: The Visitor
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Production Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Frost/Nixon

Phoenix Film Critics Society
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Meryl Streep, Doubt
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: In Bruges
Cinematography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Production Design: The Dark Knight
Costume Design: The Duchess
Score: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Visual Effects: The Dark Knight
Ensemble: Milk

Top 10:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
In Bruges
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
The Visitor
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Even More Precursors - BSFC, NYFCO, AWFJ

It's becoming a Slumdog Millionaire orgy. Yeesh. Also, what's with the ties? Just pick one winner and list the other as the runner-up. That way they both get mentions.

Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC)
Picture: WALL-E and Slumdog Millionaire (tie)
Director: Gus Van Sant, Milk & Paranoid Park
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (tie)
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: Paranoid Park
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Tropic Thunder

New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO)
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Milk

Top 10:
Che
A Christmas Tale
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ)
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky and Kate Winslet, The Reader & Revolutionary Road (tie)
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Adapted Screenplay: Frost/Nixon
Original Screenplay: WALL-E
Editing: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ensemble: Rachel Getting Married

Sunday Blessings - Christian Bale

This week's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to none other than Batman himself, Christian Bale, in honor of The Dark Knight's DVD release. Bale is one of those guys whose sexiness would actually make me giggle like a school girl if I were to ever see him in person. There's very few men who could do that to me. He just has this large, imposing presence about him, which probably explains his capability at playing Batman so well. Although, to be perfectly honest, the gruff voice he does while in Batman mode, starts to get irritating about halfway through the film. Just saying. I was of course well aware of Bale before he ever started doning the caped crusader's costume, having first taken interest in him in American Psycho. I genuinely love that film and his performace, still his best to date. You have to give the man credit for creating a character that you are both terrified by and sexually attracted to. You also have to appreciate his willingness to bare all - oh that ass and those six-pack abs, always in my mind. Since then, his performances have always been good, but none of them have reached the heights of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman. The body of course is still rocking, but I guess if you're going to save Gotham City you're going to need some muscle. This isn't Tim Burton's Gotham afterall, where Michael Keaton can save the day. Although, I actually do prefer Burton's Gotham to Nolan's, but whatever. Before I close out, let me put a wish out there. Last week's edition of Sunday Blessings featured Scott Caan. There was no real reason, I just find him hot, so I did a post about him. Later that week paparazzi photos of him changing into a wetsuit in public, with his naughty bits hanging out, surfaced on the internet. What are the chances and what a gift! Now I find the paparazzi disgusting, but I wouldn't mind if the same thing happened to this week's man. I'm just putting it out there. But anyway, praise Jesus!

Hugh Jackman to Host Oscars

Hugh Jackman will be the next Oscar host, and I couldn't be more excited, unless of course, it was announced that he would do the show in his underwear. Imagine the ratings for that spectacle. He did a great job hosting the Tonys a few years back, hell, he won an Emmy for it, and he's a talented song-and-dance man. One of the things people enjoyed most about Billy Crystal's hosting, was his opening song, where he'd poke fun at the films of the past year. Jackman could do just as memorable a job as Crystal, and he'd be able to dance while doing it. Overall, I think it's a good decision. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to stare at the man for three and a half hours.

Golden Globes Here! Get Your Golden Globes!

The nominations were announced this morning, and as per usual, you never really know what surprises they're going to throw our way. Tom Cruise for Best Supporting Actor? Now I know they're a bunch of starf****ers, but still, did anyone actually predict that nomination? I doubt it. The surprise omissions this year are, of course, the lack of Best Picture nods for Milk and The Dark Knight. Those films were almost completely shut out, each receiving only one acting nomination, Best Actor for Sean Penn, and Besy Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger. I can kind of understand them not going for a blockbuster superhero movie, but the Milk snub is almost shocking.
Anway, the nods:

Picture, Drama:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Picture, Musical/Comedy:
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Actor, Drama:
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actor, Musical/Comedy:
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
James Franco - Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman - Last Chance Harvey

Actress, Drama:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Actress, Musical/Comedy:
Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey

Supporting Actor:
Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road

Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Doubt
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

NYFCC Winners

Announced today. So many awards are crammed into this week. Sally Hawkins wins her second critic's award in a row, and with the win for Best Director also, Happy-Go-Lucky is doing very well this season. Milk is all but locked up for a Best Picture nom at the Oscars, and Penelope Cruz seems to be the frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress prize.

Picture: Milk
Director: Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Supp. Actor: Josh Brolin - Milk
Supp. Actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire