Review: "Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN" is a Serious and Sexy Standout

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 of 2024 (No. 1993) by Leroy Douresseaux

Y tu mamá también (2001)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Mexico; Language:  Spanish

Running time:  106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)

MPAA – initially not rated

DIRECTOR:  Alfonso Cuarón

WRITERS:  Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón

PRODUCERS:  Alfonso Cuarón and Jorge Vergara

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Emmanuel Lubezki (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Alfonso Cuarón and Alex Rodríguez

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring:  Maribel Verdú, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Ana López Mercado, Nathan Grinberg, Verónica Langer, María Aura, Silverio Palacios, Mayra Serbulo, and Daniel Giménez Cacho (narrator)

Y tu mamá también is a 2001 Mexican coming-of-age comedy-drama and road film from director Alfonso Cuarón.  The title is Spanish for “And Your Mother Too.”  Y tu mama también follows two teenage boys and an older woman as they embark on a road trip with Mexico's late 1990s political upheaval as a backdrop.

Before Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) and Children of Men (2006) brought him mainstream acclaim, Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón burst onto the international film scene with Y tu mama también.  It became one of the most talked about movies of 2002.

Y tu mamá también introduces rich teenage friends, Tenoch Iturbide (Diego Luna) and Julio Zapata (Gael García Bernal).  Abandoned by their girlfriends for the summer, they are on the prowl for new sexual experiences.  At a wedding, they meet the alluring Luisa Cortes (Maribel Verdú), the Spanish wife of one of Tenoch's relatives.  Both boys are smitten with her and try to impress her by weaving tales of Boca del Cielo – Heaven’s Mouth, a beautiful, secret beach.

Of course, there is no such place, but the boys are trying to get Luisa to join them on a road trip to the fictitious locale.  Although she at first declines the sweet offer, Luisa changes her mind when she receives two pieces of bad news practically simultaneously.  Once on the journey, however, the trio finds that their little escapade is riddled with conflict and sometimes interrupted by moments of seduction.

Y tu mama también is an original take on the road movie.  Occasionally harsh (lots of painful revelations and venomous quarrels between the two boys) and often funny (the good-matured ribbing and frank conversations among the trio), the film is filled with witty banter.  The poignancy is found in the fact that this coming of age journey that both strengthens and builds bonds also means that things are coming to an end.  The sense of death, finality, and dissolution infuses this film giving even the sun-drenched Mexican locale a melancholy air.

Y tu mama también is also politically astute, with Cuarón and his co-writer Carlos Cuarón nimbly and skillfully dropping in commentary about political corruption and fraud rampant throughout the corruption (via the narrator).  Cuarón also presents the rampant and widespread poverty among Mexican citizens offering it as a veritable visual feast.  Everywhere the boys go, there is abundant evidence of the impoverished lives of so many people.

Perhaps, Cunard's best choice as director is allow his film to feel so natural, especially in the acting of the three main actors: Maribel Verdú, Diego Luna, and Gael García Bernal who give smooth, flowing performances.  Cuarón doesn’t portray anything as being stages, and he presents this film as if we were peaking through a window that gives us an intimate view of these three lives in transition.  Cuarón doesn’t just put us there; he makes us feel.  That makes Y tu mama también such a wonderfully entertaining film that reaches out to touch the viewer on a personal level.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, November 15, 2024

NOTES:

2003 Academy Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón)

2003 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations:  “Best Film not in the English Language” (Alfonso Cuarón and Jorge Vergara) and “Best Screenplay – Original” (Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón)

2002 Golden Globes:  1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (Mexico)

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 24th to 31st, 2022 - Update #18

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/29 to 7/31/2022 weekend box office is "DC League of Super-Pets" with an estimated domestic take of 23 million dollars.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Will Smith releases new video in which he apologizes to Chris Rock for slapping him during this year's Oscars telecast.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  HBO Max is pulling back on live-action kids and family programming.  Thus, it will not review the 1980's coming-of-age comedy, "The Gordita Chronicles" for a second season.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Alfonso Cuaron are among the people behind "Jane," a film about the family life of the one of the 20th century's greatest and most influential authors, Philip K. Dick, who works inspired the "Blade Runner" films.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  MGM is developing "Drago," a spin-off of the "Creed" film series.  Robert Lawton is writing.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Netflix, Anthony & Joe Russo, and star Ryan Gosling are already plotting a sequel to "The Gray Man," the recently released streaming film that may have set some streaming records.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Writer, producer, and comic book creator, Rodney Barnes, has extended his overall deal with HBO for another three years and will continue to develop, write and produce under his "Rodney Barnes Productions" banner.  Barnes most recently co-wrote 9 of the 10 episodes of HBO'S prestige miniseries, "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," and executive produced it.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/22 to 7/24/2022 weekend box office is director Jordan Peele's "Nope" with an estimated take of 44 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Nope."

SDCC/MARVEL STUDIOS - From Variety:  Finally, there is a trailer for and some details about Disney/Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which is due in theaters, November 11, 2022.

From IGN:  This article has "everything announced at the Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Panel."

OBITS:

From NYTimes:  Former professional basketball player and NBA legend, Bill Russell, has died at the age of 88, Sunday, July 31, 2022.  He played for the Boston Celtics from 1956-69, the team that drafted him.  Russell was an 11-time NBA champion (including 2 when he was a player-coach), 5-time league MVP, 2-time NCAA champ (University of San Francisco), Olympic gold medalist (1956 Melbourne Games).  He was the first Black head coach of any North American pro sports team (Celtics, 1966-69), and he received Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011

From Variety:  Actress, singer, dancer, icon, and role model, Nichelle Nichols, has died at the age of 89, Saturday night, July 30, 2022.  Nichols was best known for playing communications officer, "Uhura," on the original "Star Trek" (1966-69) television series.  Uhura was a groundbreaking role for African-American actresses.  From 1977 until 2015, Nichols volunteered her time to promote NASA's programs, and to recruit diverse astronauts, including women and ethnic minorities.

From Deadline:  Stage, film, and television actress, Mary Alice, has died Wednesday, July 27, 2022.  Her age has been reported as being from 80 to 86, depending upon her actual date of birth.  Her best known film roles were as "Effie" in the 1976 film, "Sparkle," and as "The Oracle" in 2003's "The Matrix Revolutions."  She won a Tony Award for playing "Rose" in the play, "Fences" (1987-88).  Among her best known television roles were on the former NBC TV series, "A Different World" and on NBC's "I'll Fly Away," for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award.

From Deadline:  Former child star and television actor and director, Tony Dow, has died at the age of 77, Wednesday, July 27, 2022, following a battle with cancer.  Dow was best known for the role of "Wally Cleaver," the older brother of "Theodore 'Beaver' Cleaver," in the former CBS/ABC series, "Leave it to Beaver" (1957-63).  He reprised the role in the series "The New Leave it to Beaver" (The Disney Channel, 1984-85; Superstation WTBS, 1986-89).

From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Paul Sorvino, has died at the age of 83, Monday, July 25, 2022.  The prolific Sorvino appeared in many notable films, including "Reds" (1981), "Goodfellas" (1990), "The Rocketeer" (1991), and "Nixon" (1995), to name a few.  He also appeared in the early seasons of NBC's "Law & Order" and had a role on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."  Sorvino was the father of a son, Michael Sorvino, and of an Oscar-winning actress, Mira Sorvino.

From BBC:  English film, television, and theatre actor, David Warner, has died at the age of 80, Sunday, July 24, 2022.  He appeared in two "Star Trek" films and in the TV series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation."  A prolific actor, he appeared in many notable and popular films, including "Straw Dogs" (1971), "The Omen" (1976), "Titanic" (1987), and "Mary Poppins Returns" (2018).  An English Jew, Warner was Emmy-nominated for his role in the 1978 NBC miniseries, "Holocaust" and won an Emmy for his role in the 1981 ABC miniseries, "Masada."

From THR:  Film director, writer, and producer, Bob Rafelson, has died at the age of 89, Saturday, July 23, 2022.  He is best known for his work with actor, Jack Nicholson, having collaborated with him on seven films.  He directed Nicholson on "Head" (1968) and "Five Easy Pieces" (1970) and produced "Easy Rider," in which Nicholson was a supporting actor.  Rafelson was also one of the creators of the pop group, "The Monkees" and of the TV series that featured them.  He won a Primetime Emmy for his work on "The Monkees" (1966-68) TV series, and was nominated for two Oscars for his work on "Five Easy Pieces."

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple.

UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

From YahooAP:  An 18-year-old gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers on Tues., May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.  All 21 victims were in the same 4th grade classroom at Robb Elementary.

From TexasTribune:  The Texas House of Representatives has released its "Robb Elementary Investigative Committee Report," concerning the massacre of 19 children at two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. They found that the "systematic failures" went far beyond the local police.

From RSN:  At a school board meeting, parents in Uvalde Texas demanded better school security and also demanded that Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo be fired.

From TheDailyBeast:  Texas's top law enforcement official, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McGraw, has said that the school shooter in Uvalde, Texas could have been taken down in three minutes.

From TheDailyBeast:  Police officers responding to last month’s mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school never even tried to open the door to the classroom where young children were trapped with the gunman, according to a new report. 

From Jacobin:  "The Uvalde Massacre has exposed the lies that once justified police militarization" by Branko Marcetic

From Truthout:  We don’t need more evidence that police can’t be trusted.

From Truthout:   44 percent of GOP voters view mass shootings as part of living in “Free Society”

From ABCNews:  Arnulfo Reyes, a teacher who survived the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, calls the local police "cowards" because of slow response to an active shooter at his school, Robb Elementary.  All of 11 students in his class were killed.

From DallasNews:  Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, has died of a heart attack two days after the murder of his wife.  They had been married for 24 years and had been high school sweethearts.

From Axios:  Texas gubernatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, interrupted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's gaslighting press conference on the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.

From USAToday:  Beto O'Rourke's outburst at Gov. Greg Abbott's Uvalde news conference shows the spine Democrats need.

From BostonGlobe:  Steve Kerr, head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, asks "When are we going to do something?"

From NBCNews:  A Robb Elementary teacher describes "the longest 35 minutes of my life" and the terror she now feels.

From NBCNews:  The Uvalde school district had an extensive safety plan, but 19 children were killed at Robb Elementary anyway.  Even security plans that appear to be up to the latest research-based standards may have gaps and fall short of preventing the worst-case scenario, experts said.

From MSN:  Angeli Rose Gomez, the mother who was handcuffed outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, was able to get inside the school and rescue her two children.

From YahooNews:   Daniel Defense, the maker of the rifles used by the Uvalde massacre killer, has used "incendiary ads" in the past, including one in which a toddler holds one of its rifles.

From TheIntercept:  The police aren't obligated to protect anyone NOT in their custody, as the Supreme Court has ruled twice.

From RollingStone:  Right wing lies about the Second Amendment and why they tell them are killing America's childrne.

From Vice:  The law enforcement personnel in Texas that arrived at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas on Tues., May 24th did the opposite of what their own training documentary videos show.

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

From TheDailyBeast:  The families in Uvalde, Texas who lost loved one in the Robb Elementary massacre say that the cops there are "Nothing more than cowards" and that they need to pay for doing nothing while a gunman rampaged through the school last Tues, May 24th.

From TheNewYorker:  Thoughts and prayers, Uvalde, Texas. This is the America that Republicans and the right wing have being thinking about and praying for all these decades.

From ABC:  Sources say that Uvalde police and school district no longer cooperating with Texas probe of shooting of the May 24th massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

From GuardianUK:  Canada plans to freeze all handgun ownership.

From RSNWashPost:  Is it time to show the true horror of mass shooting - in pictures?

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mother who rescued her two children from the Robb Elementary shooting massacre, says that a police officer threatened to arrest her if she did not stop telling her story.

From RSNTheAtlantic:  The Uvalde police chose dishonor. Where was there courage?

From RSNWashPost:  Brenda Bell:  I hid from the Texas Tower sniper (Charles Joseph Whitman) in 1966. His successors have found us all.

From RSNTheIntercept:  "AR-15s Were Made to Explode Human Bodies. In Uvalde, the Bodies Belonged to Children" by Murtaza Hussain

From RSNNPR:  The tragic history of police responding too late to active shooters.

From VICE:  There is likely bodycam footage of the school shooting in Uvalde, TX, but the public may never see it.

Robert Zemeckis Begins New Film Adaptation of Dahl's "The Witches"

Robert Zemeckis Works His Magic on the Roald Dahl Classic as Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Witches” Gets Underway

The film stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer and—just announced—Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on “The Witches,” a fantastical adventure from Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”), starring Oscar winners Anne Hathaway (“Les Misérables,” “Ocean’s 8”) and Octavia Spencer (“The Help,” “The Shape of Water”), Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci (“The Hunger Games” films, “The Lovely Bones”), and award-winning comedy legend Chris Rock. Newcomer Jahzir Kadeem Bruno (TV’s “Atlanta”) also stars, alongside Codie-Lei Eastick.

Reimagining Roald Dahl’s beloved story for a modern audience, Zemeckis’s visually innovative “The Witches” tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy (Bruno) who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma (Spencer) in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. The boy and his grandmother come across some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, so Grandma wisely whisks our young hero away to an opulent seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world’s Grand High Witch (Hathaway) has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe—undercover—to carry out her nefarious plans.

The screenplay is by Guillermo del Toro and Robert Zemeckis & Kenya Barris (upcoming “Shaft”), based on the book by Roald Dahl. Zemeckis also produces, alongside Jack Rapke, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Luke Kelly. Serving as executive producers on the film are Michael Siegel, Gideon Simeloff, Marianne Jenkins and Jackie Levine.

Zemeckis’s behind-the-scenes team includes a roster of his frequent collaborators, including Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), production designer Gary Freeman, Editor Jeremiah O’Driscoll, and Oscar-nominated costume designer Joanna Johnston (“Allied,” “Lincoln”).

An Image Movers Production, a Necropia/Experanto Filmoj Production, “The Witches” is filming at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in the UK. It is currently scheduled for theatrical release October 16, 2020 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 24th to 28th, 2019 - Update #41

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  AMC is developing a second spinoff of "The Walking Dead."

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Will Smith is leaving "Suicide Squad 2," reportedly due to scheduling conflicts.  Writer-director James Gunn is hoping to start production on the film this fall for a August 2021 release.

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TELEVISION - From TVFanatic:  Fox's revival of its 1999-2000 series, "Beverly Hill, 90210," is scheduled to debut this coming summer in a six-episode first season.  Most of the original cast will return.

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ANIMATION - From Variety:  The next installment of the "Hotel Transylvania" animated film franchise, "Hotel Transylvania 4," will hit theaters December 2021.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Zac Efron and Anna Kendrick are set for the original animated comedy, "Human Discoveries" for "Facebook Watch," Facebook's video-on-demand streaming service.

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SCIENCE - From NPR:  The world's largest bee, the Wallace's giant bee — Megachile pluto, has been spotted for the first time since 1981.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:   Yahya Abdoul-Mateen II, who played the villain Black Manta in "Aquaman," will be Candyman in Jordan Peele's reboot of the "Candyman" film.

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COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:  New "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" trailer is supposed to arrive Wednesday, February 27th.

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SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Monday (Feb. 25th) to charges that he sexually abused four people dating back to 1998, including three underage girls.  Kelly's attorney said the R&B star was still trying to pay the bail ($100,000) on a one million dollar bond that would allow him to go free while awaiting trial.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/22 to 2/24/2019 weekend box office is "How to Train Your Dragon 3" with an estimated take of 55.5 million dollars.

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OSCARS - From Vice:  Spike Lee's Oscar Speech Was A Lesson In Black History

From THR: Oscars: Read Spike Lee's Powerful Political Acceptance Speech

From YahooEntertainment:  Regina King almost turned down a role in "If Beale Street Could Talk."  It was a first film role in 10 years and it ultimately won her an Oscar for best supporting actress.

From Deadline:  President Trump tweets criticism at Spike Lee for Spike's acceptance speech after winning the best adapted screen play Oscar.

From Deadline:  2019 Oscar ratings better than 2018 Oscar ratings.

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GREEN BOOK - From ShadowandAct: " How 'Green Book' And The Hollywood Machine Swallowed Donald Shirley Whole"

From TheAtlantic: The Documentary Highlighting the Real "Green Book."

From LATimes:  Oscars 2019: ‘Green Book’ is the worst best picture winner since ‘Crash’

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OSCARS - From THR:  The winners at the 91st Academy Awards have been announced. "Green Book" was named "Best Motion Picture of the Year."

2019 / 91st Academy Award winners (for film achievements in 2018):

Best motion picture of the year:
“Green Book” Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, Producers

Achievement in directing:
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Mahershala Ali in “Green Book”

Best animated feature film of the year:
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
“Black Panther” Ludwig Goransson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

Adapted screenplay:
“BlacKkKlansman” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee

Original screenplay:
“Green Book” Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

Best live action short film:
“Skin” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

Achievement in visual effects:
“First Man” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm

Best animated short film:
“Bao” Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb

 Best documentary short subject:
“Period. End of Sentence.” Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Achievement in film editing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Ottman

Best foreign language film of the year:
“Roma” Mexico

Achievement in sound mixing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali

Achievement in sound editing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone

Achievement in cinematography:
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Achievement in production design:
“Black Panther” Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart

Achievement in costume design:
“Black Panther” Ruth Carter

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling:
“Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney

Best documentary feature:
“Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Alfred Uhry reflects on the controversial 1989 best picture Oscar winner, "Driving Miss Daisy."  Uhry wrote the play upon which the film is based and won a Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award for the play.  He also won an Oscar for adapting his play into a screenplay.

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OBIT:

From Deadline:  The German-born, American conductor, composer, and pianist, Andre Previn has died at the age of 89, Thursday, February 28, 2019.  Previn was four Oscars for his film music and 10 Grammy Awards for his musical recordings.

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ROBERT KRAFT:

SCANDAL-SPORTS - From CNBC:  Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL's New England Patriots, has been charged with prostitution in Jupiter, Florida, following a sting operation of the "Orchids of Asia Day Spa" massage palor.

From TMZ:  Graphic video from inside of "Orchids of Asia Day Spa," include ejaculation and subsequent cleanup.

From TCPalm:  "Orchids of Day Spa," which serviced NFL owner, Robert Kraft, may be involved in sex trafficking, with some women reportedly being "sex slaves."

From CNN:  How Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and accused of soliciting prostitution, became a billionaire.

From FoxNews:  New England Patriots' Robert Kraft was not the only rich guy caught in police sting operation of sex trafficking ring.

Negromancer Watches 2018-2019 Movie Award Season - Update #33

Support Leroy on Patreon.

So welcome to the heat of the 2018-2019 movie award season that will culminate on Sunday, February 24, 2019 with the 91st Academy Awards ceremony, which will be broadcast on the ABC Television Network.  The nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

On this page, I will include links to the announcement of 2018-19 award nominations and winners from various film critics groups, film societies, trade unions and guilds, and media organizations, that name their best of the year film lists annually, some having done so for decades.

ACADEMY AWARDS:
From Oscars:  The winners of the 2019 / 91st Academy Awards have been announced.  "Green Book" was named the "Best Pictures of the Year" (2018).

African-American Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 African-American Film Critics Association Awards announced.  "Black Panther" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Black Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 BFCC Awards were announced.  "Black Panther" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Black Reel Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 19th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Thursday, Feb. 7th, 2019.

From Wikipedia:  The winners for the 19th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "Black Panther" named "Best Film of 2018,"

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AARP:
From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2019 / 18th Annual AARP Movies for Grownups Awards have been announced.   Winners will be announced on February 15, 2019 during a ceremony to air on PBS.

From AARP:  The winners of the 2019 / 18th Annual AARP Movies for Grownups Awards have been announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Movie for Grownups 2018."

Alliance of Women Film Journalists:
From AwardsWatch:  The AWFJ announces the nominees for its 2018 EDA Awards.

From AwardsWatch:  The AWFJ announces the winners of the 2018 EDA Awards.  "Roma" is named "Best Film of 2018."

Annie Awards:
From Variety:  46th annual Annie Awards nominations - for achievements in animation in film, television, video games, VR productions, and on the web.  Winners announced Saturday, Feb. 2nd, 2019 by ASIFA-Hollywood.

From CartoonBrew:  46th annual Annie Awards winners have been announced.  "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" named "Best Animated Feature of 2018."

Atlanta Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2019 Atlanta Film Critics Circle Awards winners announced.  "The Favourite" named best film of 2018.

Austin Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 AACA Awards nominations were announced.  The winners will be announced on Monday, January 7, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 AACA Award winners have been announced.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" named "Best Picture of 2018.

BAFTAs:
From BAFTA:  The EE British Academy Film Awards have announced the nominations for their 2019 / 72nd annual awards.

From BAFTA:  2019 / 72nd The British Academy Film Awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Boston Online Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 BOFCA Awards were announced.  "You Were Never Really Here" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Boston Society of Film Critics:
From AwardsWatch:   The winners of the 2018 BSFC Awards were announced.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" was named "Best Film" of 2018.

British Independent Film Awards:
From BIFA:  2018 British Film Awards nominations announced.  Winners announced Sunday, December 2, 2018.

From BIFA:  2018 BIFA Award winners announced Sunday, December 2, 2018.  "The Favorite" named "Best British Independent Film."

Chicago Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 CFCA Awards nominations announced.  Winners will be announced Saturday night, December 8th.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 CFCA Awards winners announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

Cinema Eye Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  2019 Cinema Eye Awards nominations announced for achievement in nonfiction film.  Winners announced Jan. 10th, 2019.

Columbus Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The CFCA Awards were announced.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Critics' Choice Awards:
From THR:  2019 Critics' Choice Awards (from the Broadcast Film Critics Association) nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced Sunday, January 13, 2019.

From Variety:  2019/ 24th Critics Choice Awards winner have been announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association Awards were announced.  "A Star is Born" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Denver Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The Denver Film Critics Society has named the nominees for its 2019 awards.  The winners will be announced Monday, January 14, 2019.

From AwardsCircuit:  2019 Denver Film Critics Society Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Detroit Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards nominations announced.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards winners announced, Monday, December 3rd, 2018.  "Eighth Grade" named "Best Film."

Directors Guild of America:
From Deadline:  The 2019 / 71st annual Director Guild Awards nominations in feature film director and first-time feature film director  were announced.  The winners will be announced February 2, 2019.

From Deadline:  The 2019 / 71st annual Directors Guild Awards nominations in the TV, documentary, and commercial categories were announced.  The winners will be announced February 2, 2019.

From DGA:  The winners of the 2019 / 71st Annual Directors Guild Awards winners have been announced.  Alfonso Cuaron wins the top award for his film, "Roma."

Dorian Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has announced the nominees for the 10th annual Dorian Awards.  The winners will be announced Saturday, January 12, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 10 annual Dorian Awards winners were announced.  "The Favourite" named "Film of the Year" (2018).

European Film Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  31st European Film Award nominations announced. Winners announced Saturday, December 15th, 2018.

From TheWrap:  The winners at the 31st European Film Awards have been announced.  Pawel Pawlikowski's "Cold War" has won "Best European Film of 2018."

Film Independent Spirit Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  34th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations announced - formerly known as the "Independent Spirit Awards"  Winners will be announced Saturday, February 23, 2019.

From FilmIndependent:  The winners of the 2019 / 34th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards were announces.  "If Beale Street Could Talk" was named "Best Feature of 2018."

Florida Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 FFCC Awards nominations were announced.  Winners to be announced Friday, December 21, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 FFCC Awards announced.  "The Favourite" wins "Best Picture of 2018."

Georgia Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2019 GFCA Awards were announced.  The winners will be announced Friday, January 11, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2019 GFCA Awards winners were announced.  "A Star is Born" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

GOLDEN GLOBES:
From Variety:  The winners at the 2019 / 76th Golden Globes awards were announced.  "Bohemian Rhapsody" was named "Best Motion Picture-Drama of 2018" and "Green Book" won "Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical of 2018."

Gotham Awards:
From IFP:  Nominations announced for the 28th Annual IFP Gotham Awards on October 19, 2018.

From IFP:  Winners announced for the 28th annual "IFP Gotham Awards" on November 26, 2018.  "The Rider" named "Best Feature of 2018."

Hollywood Music in Media Awards:
From Variety:  9th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards winners announced November 14, 2018.  The HMMAs honor internationally produced music in film, TV, video games, commercials and trailers released between Oct. 1 of the prior year and Dec. 31 of the current year.

Houston Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 HFCS Awards nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced, Thursday, January 3, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 HFCS Awards were announced.  "The Favourite" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

Indiana Film Journalists Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 IFJA Awards were announced.  "The Hate U Give" was named "Best Film" of 2018.

International Documentary Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 IDA Awards announced.  "Minding the Gap" named "Best Feature" winner.

Iowa Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 IFCA Awards announced.  "The Favourite" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Kansas City Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 KCFCC Awards were announced.  "Roma" and "The Favorite" tied for "Best Picture" of 2018.

Las Vegas Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 LVFCS Awards have been announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

London Critics Circle:
From THR:  The nominations for the 2019 London Critics Circle Film Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced January 20, 2019.

From CriticsCircle:  The winners of the 2019 / 39th London Critics Circle Film Awards have been announced.  "Roma" was named "Film of the Year" (2018).

Los Angeles Film Critics Association:
From LAFCA:  The winners of the 2018 LAFCA Awards have been announced.  "Roma" was named Picture of 2018."

Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 LAOFCS Awards were announced.  "The Hate U Give" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

National Board of Review:
From NBR:  National Board of Review 2018 award winners announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Film."

National Society of Film Critics:
From TheWrap:  The NSFC has named its 53rd annual film awards.  The group named "The Rider" the "Best Picture of 2018."

Nevada Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The NFCS Awards have been announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Film of 2018."

New York Film Critics Circle:
From THR:  The New York Film Critics Circle Awards for the year 2018 have been announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

New York Film Critics Online:
From Deadline:  The New York Film Critics Online have announced their 2018 awards. "Roma" named "Best Picture" of 2018.

North Carolina Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 NCFCA Awards nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 NCFCA awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Narrative Film"

North Texas Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 NTFCA Awards were announced.  "Green Book" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Oklahoma Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 OFCC Awards winners were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Film of 2018."

Online Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 22nd OFCS Awards nominations were announced.  Winners will be announced Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

From FilmPulse:  The 22nd OFCS Awards winners were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of 2018."

Philadelphia Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Movie of 2018."

Phoenix Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 PCC Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced Saturday, December 15, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 PCC Awards winners were announced.  "The Favourite" was named "Big Picture" of 2018.

Phoenix Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 PFCS Awards were announced.  "Green Book" named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Producers Guild of America:
From Deadline:  The Producers Guild announced the nominations for its 30th annual PGA Awards, listing nominees for the year’s best-produced works in motion pictures, television and short-form categories. The awards will be presented January 19, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton.

From AwardsWatch:  The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced seven finalists for the PGA award for "Documentary Feature."  2019 Producers Guild Awards winners announced January 19, 2019.

From PGA:  The winners of the 2019 / 30th Annual Producers Guild Awards.  "Green Book" named "The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures."

St. Louis Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 SLFCA Awards nominations have been announced.  Winners will be named December 17, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 SLFCA Awards winners were announced.  "A Star is Born" named "Best Film" of 2018.

San Diego Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards were announced.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards were announced.  "Leave No Trace" named "Best Picture of 2018."

San Francisco Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  2019 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards nominations announced.  Winners announced Sunday, Dec. 9th.

From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 SFFCC Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

Satellite Awards:
From AwardsWatch:  23rd Annual Satellite Awards (presented by International Press Academy) were announced.

Screen Actors Guild:
From THR:  The winners at the 2019 / 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced.  This link also lists the nominees.  "Black Panther" won the top award, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Seattle Film Critics Society:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards nominations announced.  Winners to be announced Monday, December 17, 2018.

From AwardsWatch:  2018 SFCS Awards were announced.  "Roma" was named "Best Picture of the Year" for 2018.

Southeastern Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  2018 SEFCA Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Film" of 2018.

Toronto Film Critics Association:
From AwardsWatch:  The 2018 TFCA Awards were announced.  "Roma" named "Best Picture of 2018."

USC Scripter Awards:
From Negromancer:  USC Libraries announced the nominees for the 2019 / 31st Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards.  The winners will be announced Saturday, February 9, 2019.

Utah Film Critics:
From AwardsWatch:  The Utah Film Critics announced their 2018 film awards.  "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was named "Best Picture" of 2018.

Vancouver Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:  Nominations for the 2018 VFCC Awards were announced.  Winners will be announced Monday, December 17, 2018.

From THR:  2018 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards announced.  "Roma" is named "Best Picture of 2018."

Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association:
From AwardsDaily:  2019 Washington D.C. Area Films Critics Association Awards nominees announced.

From AwardsWatch:  2019 WDCAFCA Awards winner announced.  "Roma" named best film of 2018.

Women Film Critics Circle:
From AwardsWatch:   2018 Women Film Critics Circle Awards nominations have been announced.

From ShockYa:  2018 Women Film Critics Circle Award winners announced. "The Favourite" was named "Best Movie About Women."

Writers Guild of America:
From TheWrap:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announces the nominees for its 2019 Writers Guild Awards in the film, documentary, and video game categories.  The Writers Guild Awards ceremony will be held February 17, 2019.

From AwardsWatch:  Nominations for the 2019 WGA Awards for achievement in television have been announced.  Nominees for film will be announced January 7, 2019.


--------------------------------------------

Best Picture of 2018 win count:

Black Panther - 4 wins (African-American Film Critics Association; Black Film Critics Circle; Black Reel Awards, Screen Actors Guild)

Bohemian Rhapsody - 1 win (Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture-Drama)

Cold War - 1 win (European Film Awards)

Eighth Grade - 1 win (Detroit Film Critics Society)

The Favourite - 9 wins (Atlanta Film Critics Circle; British Independent Film Awards; Florida Film Critics Society; Houston Film Critics Society; Iowa Film Critics Association; Kansas City Film Critics Circle(tie); Phoenix Critics Circle; The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics; Women Film Critics Circle)

Green Book - 8 wins (Academy Awards; AARP; Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical; National Board of Review; Nevada Film Critics Society; North Texas Film Critics Association; Phoenix Film Critics Society; Producers Guild)

The Hate U Give - 2 wins (Indiana Film Journalists Association; Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society)

If Beale Street Could Talk - 4 wins (Austin Film Critics Association; Boston Society of Film Critics; Columbus Film Critics Association; Film Independent Spirit Awards)

Leave No Trace - 1 win (San Diego Film Critics Society)

The Rider - 2 wins (Gotham Awards; National Society of Film Critics)

ROMA - 21 wins (Alliance of Women Film Journalists; Austin Film Critics Circle; British Academy Film Awards-BAFTAs; Chicago Film Critics Association; Critics Choice Awards; Denver Film Critics Society; Kansas City Film Critics Circle (tie); London Critics Circle; Las Vegas Film Critics Circle; Los Angeles Film Critics Association; New York Film Critics Circle; New York Film Critics Online; North Carolina Film Critics Association; Online Film Critics Society; Philadelphia Film Critics Circle; San Francisco Film Critics Circle; Southeastern Film Critics Association; Seattle Film Critics Society; Toronto Film Critics Association; Vancouver Film Critics Circle; Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - 2 wins (Annie Awards; Utah Film Critics)

A Star is Born - 3 wins (Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association; Georgia Film Critics Associaiton; St. Louis Film Critics Association)

You Were Never Really Here - 1 win (Boston Online Film Critics Association)

--------------------

From TheNewYorker:  Critic Richard Brody's "best films of 2018" list.


--------------------------------------------

91st Academy Awards Announced; Complete Winners List

The Academy Awards is an American film accolade.  It is best known as the “Oscars,” and is an annual awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements primarily in the American film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette that is officially called the “Academy Award of Merit,” but has become commonly known by its nickname, the “Oscar.”   The awards were first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.  The Academy Awards are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

91st Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2018 were presented on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and was televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.  The Oscars ceremony was also televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

2019 / 91st Academy Award winners (for film achievements in 2018):

Best motion picture of the year
“Green Book” Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly and Nick Vallelonga, Producers

Achievement in directing
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Olivia Colman in “The Favourite”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Mahershala Ali in “Green Book”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Regina King in “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Best animated feature film of the year:
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Achievement in cinematography:
“Roma” Alfonso Cuarón

Achievement in costume design:
“Black Panther” Ruth Carter

Best documentary feature:
“Free Solo” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Evan Hayes and Shannon Dill

Best documentary short subject:
“Period. End of Sentence.” Rayka Zehtabchi and Melissa Berton

Achievement in film editing
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Ottman

Best foreign language film of the year:
“Roma” Mexico

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling:
“Vice” Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia DeHaney

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
“Black Panther” Ludwig Goransson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt

Achievement in production design:
“Black Panther” Production Design: Hannah Beachler; Set Decoration: Jay Hart

Best animated short film:
“Bao” Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb

Best live action short film:
“Skin” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

Achievement in sound editing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone

Achievement in sound mixing:
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali

Achievement in visual effects:
“First Man” Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles and J.D. Schwalm

Adapted screenplay:
“BlacKkKlansman” Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee

Original screenplay:
“Green Book” Written by Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly

-------------------------

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 9th, 2019 - Update #34

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CULTURE - From Deadspin:  Who's Killing The Soul Of Sneaker Culture?

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  James Cameron reveals the working title for upcoming "Terminator" film, "Terminator: Dark Fate."

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Phil Lord and Chris Miller's latest project, "The Last Human," is sparking a bidding war.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  "The Walking Dead" star, Danai Gurira ("Michonne"), is leaving the series after the tenth season, which is scheduled to debut October 2019.

----------
AWARDS - From Deadline:  Sean Penn campaigns hard for Bradley Cooper and his film, "A Star is Born," at the Oscars in a "Deadline" article.

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MEDIA - From THR:  Amazon god-king, Jeff Bezos, alleges that AMI (American Media, Inc.), the parent company of the "National Enquirer" is trying to blackmail and extort him.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Michael B. Jordan and Warner Bros. obtain the novel "Black Leopard, Red Wolf."  Written by Marlon James, this buzzy novel has been called an "African Game of Thrones."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Pre-production on the "World War Z" sequel has been halted.  Budgetary concerns may be the reason.

----------
AVATAR - From TheWrap:  Edie Falco has joined James Cameron's "Avatar" sequels.  The second film in the franchise is due December 2020.  The 2009 original set box office records.

----------
AWARDS - From Variety:  "Avengers: Infinity War" (3 wins) and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (4 wins) dominate 2019 / 17th annual Visual Effects Society Awards.

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COMICS-FILM - From Collider:  Apparently Disney CEO Bob Iger wants to keep producing R-rated movies based on Marvel Comics, like the "Deadpool" franchise.  He is also open to continuing R-rated FOX franchises.

----------
BLM - From CBS42:  Alabama Attorney General and Exalted Cyclops Steve Marshall will not bring charges against the officer who killed E.J. Bradford, Jr., an African-American man.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Lauren Shuler-Donner, a producer on Fox's "X-Men" film franchise, speaks about the time of transition as "X-Men" moves from Fox's control to Disney.  She says Marvel will likely recast Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackson in Fox's films.

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OSCARS - From YahooEntertainment:  The nominees for the 91st Academy Awards gather at the annual nominees luncheon and take a class photo.

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COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:   Brian Michael Bendis, one of the creators of Miles Morales of the film, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," says that he is still writing an X-Men film, even in the wake of Disney's buyout of Fox.

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ANIMATION - From Newsarama:  "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" dominates Annie Awards.

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CELEBRITY - From TheDailyBeast:  Oscar-nominated Liam Neeson once wanted to commit and act or racist murder against a Black person (or "Black Bastard," as he described his potential victim).  I'll let the article tell you the rest...

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The ratings for (fake) Super Bowl 53 hits a 10-year low for Super Bowl ratings.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/1 to 2/3/2019 weekend box office (Super Bowl weekend) is "Glass" with an estimated take of $9.5 million.  This is the third week in a row that "Glass" tops the weekend box office.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Rami Malek has something to say about original "Bohemian Rhapsody" director, Bryan Singer.

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AWARDS - From TheWrap:  Alfonaso Cuaron wins the tops prize at the 2019 Directors Guild Awards for his film "Roma."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  The hit 1992 film, "Groundhog Day," is getting a sequel, but it is a VR game and not a movie.

----------
AWARDS - From Deadline:  The American Cinema Editors (ACE) announced their "Eddie Awards," with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Favourite" winning the feature film awards.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  The next two "Mission: Impossible" films will appear a year apart, July 23, 2021 and August 5, 2022.  Tom Cruise, of course, will return.

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SCIENCE - From TheAtlantic:  Death-Cap Mushrooms Are Spreading Across North America

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Leigh Whannell ("Saw," "Insidious") is the latest director connected to the long-promised (and unnecessary) "Escape from New York" remake.

----------
CELEBRITY - LGBTQ - From Variety:  Jussie Smollett speaks publicly for the first time since the anti-gay, racist attack against him in Chicago earlier this week.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Javier Bardem joins Timothy Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" film reboot.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  There are new photo images from Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  First trailer for "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw," which is in theaters August 2, 2019.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The British actor, Albert Finney, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, February 7, 2019.  Finney was a five-time Oscar nominee, the first time being for the film with which he is most often associated, "Tom Jones," although he never attended the Academy Awards ceremony.  He also turned down the honor of being knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

From ESPN:  Baseball Hall of Fame member (1982) Frank Robinson has died at the age of 83, Thursday, February 7, 2019.  Robinson was the first and only Major League Baseball player to win the MVP in both the American League and National League.  Robinson was also the first African-American manager of a Major League team (Cleveland Indians, 1975).

From TheWeek:  Former U.S. Congressman, Representative John Dingell (Democrat - Michigan, 12th U.S. District) has died at the age of 92, Thursday, December 7, 2019.  Dingell retired at the age of 88 in January 2015.  He was the nation's longest serving U.S. Congressman.

From EOnline:  The actor Kristof St. John has died at the age of 52, Sunday, February 3, 2019.  St. John was best known for starring in the long-running CBS soap opera, "The Young and the Restless," playing "Neil Winters."

From TheWrap:  The actress Julie Adams has died at the age of 92 years old, Sunday, February 3, 2019.  She is best known for her role as "Kay Lawrence," the damsel in distress in the classic Univeral Pictures horror flick, "The Creature from the Black Lagoon."

From THR:  Prolific television director, Andrew McCullough, has died the age of 94, January 22, 2019.  McCullough directed Orson Welles and James Dean on the small screen.  He also directed episodes of classic family sitcoms like "The Donna Reed Show," "Happy Days," and "Family Ties."

91st Academy Awards Announces Nine Category Shortlists

91ST OSCARS® SHORTLISTS IN NINE AWARD CATEGORIES ANNOUNCED

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced shortlists in consideration for the 91st Oscars® in nine categories: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film and Visual Effects.  To download shortlists by category, visit Oscars.org/91st-oscars-shortlists.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Feature category for the 91st Academy Awards.  One hundred sixty-six films were originally submitted in the category.  Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Charm City”
“Communion”
“Crime + Punishment”
“Dark Money”
“The Distant Barking of Dogs”
“Free Solo”
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening”
“Minding the Gap”
“Of Fathers and Sons”
“On Her Shoulders”
“RBG”
“Shirkers”
“The Silence of Others”
“Three Identical Strangers”
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Ten films will advance in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 91st Academy Awards.  One hundred four films had originally qualified in the category.  Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Black Sheep”
“End Game”
“Lifeboat”
“Los Comandos”
“My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes”
“A Night at the Garden”
“Period. End of Sentence.”
“’63 Boycott”
“Women of the Gulag”
“Zion”

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards.  Eighty-seven films had originally been considered in the category.

Los Angeles-based Academy members from all branches screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and December 10.  The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.  Academy members eligible to participate in the Nominations round of voting will view the shortlisted films.  Members must see all nine films before casting their ballots.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Colombia, “Birds of Passage”
Denmark, “The Guilty”
Germany, “Never Look Away”
Japan, “Shoplifters”
Kazakhstan, “Ayka”
Lebanon, “Capernaum”
Mexico, “Roma”
Poland, “Cold War”
South Korea, “Burning”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Seven films will advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 91st Academy Awards.  All members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films on Saturday, January 5, 2019.  Members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar® consideration.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Border”
“Mary Queen of Scots”
“Stan & Ollie”
“Suspiria”
“Vice”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Fifteen scores will advance in the Original Score category for the 91st Academy Awards.  One hundred fifty-six scores were eligible in the category.  Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The scores listed in alphabetical order by film title are:

“Annihilation”
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Crazy Rich Asians”
“The Death of Stalin”
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”
“First Man”
“If Beale Street Could Talk”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“A Quiet Place”
“Ready Player One”
“Vice”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

Fifteen songs will advance in the Original Song category for the 91st Academy Awards.  Ninety songs were eligible in the category.  Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title and song title:

“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”
“Treasure” from “Beautiful Boy”
“All The Stars” from “Black Panther”
“Revelation” from “Boy Erased”
“Girl In The Movies” from “Dumplin’”
“We Won’t Move” from “The Hate U Give”
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
“Trip A Little Light Fantastic” from “Mary Poppins Returns”
“Keep Reachin’” from “Quincy”
“I’ll Fight” from “RBG”
“A Place Called Slaughter Race” from “Ralph Breaks the Internet”
“OYAHYTT” from “Sorry to Bother You”
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”
“Suspirium” from “Suspiria”
“The Big Unknown” from “Widows”

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Ten films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 91st Academy Awards.  Eighty-one films had originally qualified in the category.  Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Age of Sail”
“Animal Behaviour”
“Bao”
“Bilby”
“Bird Karma”
“Late Afternoon”
“Lost & Found”
“One Small Step”
“Pépé le Morse”
“Weekends”

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Ten films will advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 91st Academy Awards.  One hundred forty films had originally qualified in the category.  Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Caroline”
“Chuchotage”
“Detainment”
“Fauve”
“Icare”
“Marguerite”
“May Day”
“Mother”
“Skin”
“Wale”

VISUAL EFFECTS

Ten films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 91st Academy Awards.  The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist.  All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 5, 2019.  Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Ant-Man and the Wasp”
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Black Panther”
“Christopher Robin”
“First Man”
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
“Welcome to Marwen”

Nominations voting begins on Monday, January 7, 2019 and concludes on Monday, January 14, 2019.

Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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87 Countries Seek a "Foreign Film" Oscar Nod at 91st Academy Awards

87 COUNTRIES IN COMPETITION FOR 2018 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR

Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards®.  Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants.

The 2018 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;

Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director;

Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director;

Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director;

Australia, “Jirga,” Benjamin Gilmour, director;

Austria, “The Waldheim Waltz,” Ruth Beckermann, director;

Bangladesh, “No Bed of Roses,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;

Belarus, “Crystal Swan,” Darya Zhuk, director;

Belgium, “Girl,” Lukas Dhont, director;

Bolivia, “The Goalkeeper,” Rodrigo “Gory” Patiño, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Never Leave Me,” Aida Begić, director;

Brazil, “The Great Mystical Circus,” Carlos Diegues, director;

Bulgaria, “Omnipresent,” Ilian Djevelekov, director;

Cambodia, “Graves without a Name,” Rithy Panh, director;

Canada, “Family First,” Sophie Dupuis, director;

Chile, “…And Suddenly the Dawn,” Silvio Caiozzi, director;

China, “Hidden Man,” Jiang Wen, director;

Colombia, “Birds of Passage,” Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra, directors;

Costa Rica, “Medea,” Alexandra Latishev, director;

Croatia, “The Eighth Commissioner,” Ivan Salaj, director;

Czech Republic, “Winter Flies,” Olmo Omerzu, director;

Denmark, “The Guilty,” Gustav Möller, director;

Dominican Republic, “Cocote,” Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, director;

Ecuador, “A Son of Man,” Jamaicanoproblem, director;

Egypt, “Yomeddine,” A.B. Shawky, director;

Estonia, “Take It or Leave It,” Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo, director;

Finland, “Euthanizer,” Teemu Nikki, director;

France, “Memoir of War,” Emmanuel Finkiel, director;

Georgia, “Namme,” Zaza Khalvashi, director;

Germany, “Never Look Away,” Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director;

Greece, “Polyxeni,” Dora Masklavanou, director;

Hong Kong, “Operation Red Sea,” Dante Lam, director;

Hungary, “Sunset,” László Nemes, director;

Iceland, “Woman at War,” Benedikt Erlingsson, director;

India, “Village Rockstars,” Rima Das, director;

Indonesia, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts,” Mouly Surya, director;

Iran, “No Date, No Signature,” Vahid Jalilvand, director;

Iraq, “The Journey,” Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, director;

Israel, “The Cakemaker,” Ofir Raul Graizer, director;

Italy, “Dogman,” Matteo Garrone, director;

Japan, “Shoplifters,” Hirokazu Kore-eda, director;

Kazakhstan, “Ayka,” Sergey Dvortsevoy, director;

Kenya, “Supa Modo,” Likarion Wainaina, director;

Kosovo, “The Marriage,” Blerta Zeqiri, director;

Latvia, “To Be Continued,” Ivars Seleckis, director;

Lebanon, “Capernaum,” Nadine Labaki, director;

Lithuania, “Wonderful Losers: A Different World,” Arunas Matelis, director;

Luxembourg, “Gutland,” Govinda Van Maele, director;

Macedonia, “Secret Ingredient,” Gjorce Stavreski, director;

Malawi, “The Road to Sunrise,” Shemu Joyah, director;

Mexico, “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón, director;

Montenegro, “Iskra,” Gojko Berkuljan, director;

Morocco, “Burnout,” Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, director;

Nepal, “Panchayat,” Shivam Adhikari, director;

Netherlands, “The Resistance Banker,” Joram Lürsen, director;

New Zealand, “Yellow Is Forbidden,” Pietra Brettkelly, director;

Niger, “The Wedding Ring,” Rahmatou Keïta, director;

Norway, “What Will People Say,” Iram Haq, director;

Pakistan, “Cake,” Asim Abbasi, director;

Palestine, “Ghost Hunting,” Raed Andoni, director;

Panama, “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” Abner Benaim, director;

Paraguay, “The Heiresses,” Marcelo Martinessi, director;

Peru, “Eternity,” Oscar Catacora, director;

Philippines, “Signal Rock,” Chito S. Roño, director;

Poland, “Cold War,” Pawel Pawlikowski, director;

Portugal, “Pilgrimage,” João Botelho, director;

Romania, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians,” Radu Jude, director;

Russia, “Sobibor,” Konstantin Khabensky, director;

Serbia, “Offenders,” Dejan Zecevic, director;

Singapore, “Buffalo Boys,” Mike Wiluan, director;

Slovakia, “The Interpreter,” Martin Šulík, director;

Slovenia, “Ivan,” Janez Burger, director;

South Africa, “Sew the Winter to My Skin,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director;

South Korea, “Burning,” Lee Chang-dong, director;

Spain, “Champions,” Javier Fesser, director;

Sweden, “Border,” Ali Abbasi, director;

Switzerland, “Eldorado,” Markus Imhoof, director;

Taiwan, “The Great Buddha+,” Hsin-Yao Huang, director;

Thailand, “Malila The Farewell Flower,” Anucha Boonyawatana, director;

Tunisia, “Beauty and the Dogs,” Kaouther Ben Hania, director;

Turkey, “The Wild Pear Tree,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director;

Ukraine, “Donbass,” Sergei Loznitsa, director;

United Kingdom, “I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, director;

Uruguay, “Twelve-Year Night,” Álvaro Brechner, director;

Venezuela, “The Family,” Gustavo Rondón Córdova, director;

Vietnam, “The Tailor,” Buu Loc Tran, Kay Nguyen, directors;

Yemen, “10 Days before the Wedding,” Amr Gamal, director.

Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

The 91st Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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