Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 26th to 31st, 2024 - UPDATE #11

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

POLITICS - From YahooNews:  In case you were wondering, even after being convicted of 34 felony counts in New York yesterday (5/30), Donald Trump can still run for President of the United States and he can still vote for himself in Florida.

From NBCNews:  Outside the courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial, legendary Oscar-winning actor, Robert De Niro, clashed with Trump supporters.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Mike Flanagan will write, direct, and produce a radical new take on "The Exocist" for Blumhouse.  Flanagan has previously directed such films as "Oculus" (2013) and "Doctor Sleep."

NETFLIX - From THR:  Emmy-winner, Kerry Washington, has joined director Rian Johnson's third "Knives Out" film, "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery."  The film is due in 2025.

SPORTS/BLM - From ESPN:  Major League Baseball (MLB) has incorporated the statistics from the Negro Leagues, the professional baseball leagues that were made up of African-American baseball players.  The first Black players league formed in 1887 and the last such league, Negro American League, disbanded after the 1962 season, although some consider its 1951 season to be the last major league seasons.  The records that were incorporated into the MLB record books apparently cover six different Negro Leagues over a period from 1920 to 1948.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the three-day Memorial Day weekend (5/24 to 5/26/2024) box office is Warner Bros.' "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" with an estimated take of 25.6 million dollars.

CANNES - From Deadline:  Director Sean Baker's New York-set romantic comedy-drama, "Anora," has won the top prize, the Palme d'Or, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.  It is the first American film to do so since director Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life (2011).

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures has announced a new original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg set for May 15, 2026. Universal always had the weekend reserved for an event title.

OBITS:

From ESPN:  Television sportscaster and former American professional basketball player, Bill Walton, has died at the age of 71, Monday, May 27, 2024.  Walton won two titles as a member of the UCLA Bruins (1971-72, 1972-73).  He played for three NBA franchises: the Portland Trailblazers, where he won a title in 1976-77; the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers; and the Boston Celtics, where he won a title in 1985-86.  He became a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.  Since 1990, he'd been a television sportscaster, winning an Emmy Award in 2001.

From Deadline:  American songwriter, Richard M. Sherman, has died at the age of 95, Saturday, May 25, 2024.  Richard and his the late brother, Robert B. Sherman (1925-2012), were known as the "Sherman Brothers" and were also known for the work in musical films.  They produced more motion picture song scores than any other team.  Apparently all their music was produced for the Walt Disney Company, and Richard and Robert won two Oscars for the music the produced for Mary Poppins (1964).  Richard and Robert were named "Disney Legends" in 1990.

From Variety:  Film and television writer, producer, director, and personality, Morgan Spurlock, has died at the age of 53, Thursday, May 23, 2024.  Spurlock was best known for the 2003 documentary film, Super Size Me, which earned him an Academy Award nomination.  His career was mostly derailed after he admitted to sexual misconduct in 2017.

From Deadline:  American television entrepreneur and visionary, Patrick Gottsch, has died at the age of 70, Saturday, May 18, 2024.  In the early 1980s, he started his own home satellite installation company and also began working for a livestock auction company in the early 1990s.  Gottsch put his experiences together and launched "Rural Free Delivery Television" (RFD-TV), a 34-hour rural television network, on the DISH Network in December 2000.  Gottsch had first tried to launch RFD-TV in the late 1980s and in the 1990s, but could not get funding.  In 2017, he also launched "The Cowboy Channel," which like RFD-TV, operates under Gottsch's company, Rural Media Group.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 11th, 2024 - UPDATE #23

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From TelegraphUK:  Famed director George Miller talks about his upcoming film, "Furiosa," and how the film's star, Anya Taylor-Joy," only has 30 lines of dialogue.  Tom Hardy only had 63 lines in "Mad Max: Fury Road."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Hiroyuki Sanada, star and producer of FX‘s limited series, "Shōgun," has closed a deal to return as "Lord Yoshii Toranaga," sources tell Deadline. Securing Sanada has been considered crucial to any plan to extend Shogun beyond its original installment.  In light of the 10-episode series' big commercial and critical success, FX is working on developing a second season.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Peacock has ordered a new version of NBC's former long-running sitcom, "The Office" (2005-13).  Greg Daniels, who developed the original series, an American version of the former BBC series, "The Office" (2001-03), is developing the new series with Michael Koman.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Olivia Wilde has signed on to join "I Want Your Sex," a film directed by Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation).

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said Fox's upcoming sports streaming venture with Disney/ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery is forging ahead with over 150 engineers now on board dedicated “to building a unique and innovative product” for sports fans outside the traditional cable bundle.  Murdoch said that there have been beta tests and the service, which still doesn't have a name, is set to launch this fall (2024).

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Tyler Perry and Devon Franklin (“Flamin’ Hot,” “Miracles From Heaven”) are teaming up to produce faith-based films under a multi-year and multi-picture first-look deal at Netflix.  The films will be produced by the duo in conjunction with Tyler Perry Studios in the latest expansion of Perry’s creative partnership at Netflix.  Perry inked as a first-look film deal in October 2023 and has broadened his deal to include scripted and unscripted TV projects.  Franklin is a producer and author known for such faith-based films as "Miracles from Heaven" and "Heaven Is for Real."

From TheRoot:  Some are a little nervous about the films that will result from Tyler Perry and Devon Franklin's faith-based film deal with Netflix - most because of Perry.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Co-creator/EP/co-star Gina Yashere and EP Matt Ross talk about what went into crafting their sentimental "Bob ❤️ Abishola" finale, the show’s legacy, and whether they regret using a heart emoji in the title.

From Deadline:  Bette Midler says that she regrets being involved with her 2000-2001 CBS sitcom, "Bette." She also says that she should have sued actress Lindsay Lohan for leaving the series after the pilot episode.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Vin Diesel is returning to the role of "Richard B. Riddick," as he begins production on the fourth film in the franchise, "Riddick: Furya," on Aug. 26th, 2024.  Riddick first appear in the film "Pitch Black."

From Variety:  Lionsgate is relaunching "The Strangers" horror movie film series with a trilogy that will be released over the next nine to twelve months.  It all starts with "The Strangers: Chapter 1" on May 17th.

SCANDAL - From TheWrap:  Dwayne Johnson's "Red One" is supposed to be a big Christmas crowd pleaser for Amazon MGM Studios, but the film has reportedly become a big budget misadventure. Johnson has also been accused of unprofessional behavior such as showing up to work as much as 8 hours late and refusing to work more than four or five hours a day.

MUSIC - From Vulture:  A timeline and an explanation of the Kendrick Lamar/Drake rap battle/feud.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/3 to 5/5/2024 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "The Fall Guy" with an estimated take of 28.5 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: CBS was the first broadcaster to announce its Fall 2024 schedule, so they added to that and announced its entire 2024-25 broadcast season schedule.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:   A Paramount Global board has determined that it will begin negotiations with Sony Pictures and Apollo, a private equity giant, about buying controlling interest in Paramount Global.  However, nepo baby David Ellison and his company, Skydance, are still in the mix to obtain that controlling interest.

From Deadline:  Nepo baby David Ellison's Skydance has been trying to buy out the controlling in Paramount Global with the assistance of his father Larry Ellison's Oracle and with the private equity entity, RedBird Capital. However, his month-long exclusive window to negotiate the deal. That may allow Sony Pictures and private equity giant, Apollo, to join the bidding.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The Los Angeles Lakers are always in the news, as they are today (Fri., May 3rd) for negative reasons.  However, would you like to know "Why did the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team move to Los Angeles?"  Joel Ripple of the "Star Tribune" of Minneapolis will tell you.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The articles provides a list of premiere dates for this year's (2024) new and returning series on broadcast, cable, and streaming, beginning with the May 2nd premieres.

MOVIES - From Slate:  The site talks to director Nancy Savoca about her 1991 coming-of-age film and period drama, "Dogfight," starring the late River Phoenix and actress Lily Taylor. "Dogfight" recently joined the "Criterion Collection."

NETFLIX/ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Netflix has released a trailer for "Jurassic World: Chaos Theory."  It is the sequel to "Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous," which streamed for five seasons on Netflix from 2020 to 2022.  "Chaos Theory" is set to debut May 24th, 2024.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Netflix has given a "a premium, script-to-series commitment" to "Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series."  The reimagining of one of Warner Bros' top IP will come from Greg Berlanti's Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

GAZA:

5/7/2024 - From NewYorkTimes:  The actions of police officers and counterprotesters at campus demonstrations came under further scrutiny on Tuesday, with the University of California system saying it would investigate the law enforcement response to a violent attack on pro-Palestinian protesters at its Los Angeles campus, while the White House condemned the taunting of a Black student captured in a video at the University of Mississippi.

5/4/2024 - From TheGuardian:  On the police crackdown on campus Gaza ceasefire protests: "the police are sending a message" says Dartmouth labor historian.

5/3/24 - From NBCNews:  In an interview with Kristin Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said she believes there is a "full-blown famine" in northern Gaza.

Director George Miller Starts Filming "Furiosa" (from the world of "Mad Max") in Australia

Cameras Are Rolling in New South Wales, Australia, as Production Is Underway on Director George Miller’s Epic Action Adventure “Furiosa,” With Anya Taylor-Joy in the Title Role, Alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Academy Award-winning filmmaker George Miller’s “Furiosa,” the much-anticipated return to the iconic dystopian world he created more than 30 years ago with the seminal “Mad Max” films, this time with an original new standalone action adventure that will reveal the origins of the powerhouse character from the multiple Oscar-winning global smash “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The new feature is being produced by Miller’s own Australian-based Kennedy Miller Mitchell banner, together with the filmmaker’s “Fury Road” partners Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Anya Taylor-Joy stars in the title role, alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke.

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Taylor-Joy was most recently seen in Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho” and Robert Eggers’ “The Northman.” She also played the lead in the romantic comedy “Emma,” based on the Jane Austen novel. Her additional features include the sci-fi thrillers “Split” from M. Night Shyamalan, and his follow up “Glass,” in which she reprised her role from the previous film. She also starred as a chess prodigy in the massively successful miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit.”

Hemsworth is right at home with high-octane action, having starred in the “Avengers” and “Thor” films as well as the recent “Extraction.” His other film credits include “Bad Times at the El Royale,” “12 Strong,” “In the Heart of the Sea,” “Rush,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” and “Star Trek,” among many others.

Burke is perhaps best-known for his award-nominated role in Joanna Hogg’s film “The Souvenir,” as well as playing the lead in the popular UK crime series “C.B. Strike.” He also starred as Athos in the BBC series “The Musketeers,” appeared in such feature films as Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Only God Forgives,” and played famed filmmaker Orson Welles in David Fincher’s Oscar-winning “Mank.”

Miller penned the script with “Mad Max: Fury Road” co-writer Nico Lathouris and produces alongside his longtime partner, Oscar-nominated producer Doug Mitchell (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Babe”). Miller’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes such longtime Australian collaborators as production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo, costume designer Jenny Beavan and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, each of whom won an Oscar for their work on “Mad Max: Fury Road,” as well as first assistant director PJ Voeten and second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris. The director of photography is Simon Duggan (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “The Great Gatsby”).

Filming is underway in Australia. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 9th to 15th, 2017 - Update #31

Support Leroy on Patreon.

PIXAR - From YahooMovies:  At the D23 Expo, Pixar surprises with details on "The Incredibles 2," including that the story focuses on "Elasti-Girl."

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OBIT - From Variety:  Veteran film producer Evzen Kolar has died at the age of 67, Tuesday, July 11, 2017.  He produced a number of film including Sean Connery's rogue James Bond film, "Never Say Never Again," and "Street Smart," the film for which Morgan Freeman earned his first Oscar nomination.

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MOVIES-TV - From ShadowandAct:  Tyler Perry has signed an exclusive film.TV/short form video deal with Viacom that runs through 2024.  The film portion of the deal begins immediately, while the TV/short form video begins in 2019 after Perry deal with OWN ends.

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MUSIC - From THR:  Beyonce reveals first image of her recently born twin children (a boy and a girl).

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  A stuntman on AMC's "The Walking Dead" television series has died after an on-set accident.

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MUPPETS - From TheWrap:  Steve Whitmire, the puppeteer who has given voice to Kermit the Frog since Kermit creator Jim Henson's death in 1990 has been fired by Disney.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Here are your 2016-17 Emmy nominations.  NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and HBO's "Westworld" lead with 22 nominations each.

From YahooTV:  Emmy nominations are out today.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Director Matt Reeves has scrapped the script Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns wrote for "The Batman," and is starting again on a completely new take.

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CELEBRITY:  From YahooStyle:  See Meryl Streep's "Obamas" bag.

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LGBTQ - From YahooCelebrity:  Yes, Neil, James Woods is "utterly ignorant and classless."

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MOVIES - From THR:   Blake Lively is set to star in a spy thriller, "The Rhythm Section," from the James Bond producers, Eon Productions.

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MOVIES - From THR:  David Ayer has left Universal's reboot of the film "Scarface" as director.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Quentin Tarantino's next project is reportedly a movie about the infamous Charles Manson/Manson Family murders.

From IndieWire:  Tarantino wants Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence for his Manson Family murders film.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Clint Eastwood has cast three soldiers to play themselves in his film, "The 15:17 to Paris," based on their real-life story.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Charlize Theron says that the script for the "Mad Max: Fury Road" prequel, "Furiosa," is ready to go.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Twisty the Clown, a character from American Horror Story: Freak Show will return for "American Horror Story" Season 7.

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OBIT - From THR:  The actor Ji-Tu Cumbuka died at the age of 77, Tuesday, July 4th, 2017.  He was known for his appearances in the epic TV miniseries, "Roots."  He also appeared in such films as "Harlem Nights," "Mandingo," and "Brewster's Millions."  You may not know his name, but when you see the picture of him posted with the article, you will recognize him this fine actor.

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COMICS-FILM - From ShadowandAct:  Disney's cable network, Freeform, is already preparing Marvel Comics' "Cloak and Dagger" for television.  Now, they are also prepping Marvel's "New Warriors."  Jeremy Tardyand Kate Comer have been cast in the show.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  George R.R. Martin, whose novels became the Emmy-winning HBO series, "Game of Thrones," is the executive producer of a new HBO series based on the novel, "Who Fears Death," by Nnedi Okorafor.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Barry Jenkins first film since "Best Picture" Oscar winner, "Moonlight," will be "If Beale Street Could Talk" from Annapurna Pictures.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  HBO unveils a trailer for Season 9 of Larry David's beloved sitcom, "Curb Your Enthusiasm."  Season 8 ended in 2011.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Bill Skarsgard is playing "Pennywise" in the upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, "It."  He is also going to be a series regular in Hulu's Stephen King series, "Castle Rock."

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MOVIES - From EntertainmentWeekly:  The "Jurassic World" sequel, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," has recently finished filming, and EW talks about what it knows about the film.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 7/7 to 7/9/2017 weekend box office is "Spider-Man: Homecoming" with an estimated take of $117 million.

From TheWrap:  Four reasons why "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is another Marvel Cinematic Universe hit.

From YahooMovies:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" as a $117 million opening weekend.

From Deadline:  "A Ghost Story" scares strong at specialty box office.

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BOND - From ScreenRant:  Daniel Craig has reportedly agreed to a deal to return to play James Bond for a fifth time in what would be the 25th EON Bond movie.

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OBIT - From YahooNews:  The actor Nelsan Ellis has died at the age of 39, Saturday, July 8, 2017.  Ellis was best known for the role of Lafayette Reynolds on the HBO series, "True Blood."

TRAILERS:

From EW:  The first teaser for Disney and Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time."

Dark Horse Comics and Brendan McCarthy Announce "Dream Gang"

From the co-writer of “MAD MAX: FURY ROAD” comes “DREAM GANG”

Dark Horse Presents Brendan McCarthy’s Mind-Warping New Graphic Novel

MILWAUKIE, OR—Dark Horse Comics announces the release of Brendan McCarthy’s psychedelic comics opus Dream Gang.

Collecting the story originally published in Dark Horse Presents, Dream Gang represents veteran comics creator Brendan McCarthy at his finest.

“Dream Gang is a story that takes place in dreams entirely,” says McCarthy. “It is the story of a young man who lives a dreary, gray life. One night he has a vivid dream that connects him to a group of naturally gifted psychic voyagers known as the Dream Gang. The dream that follows changes him forever.”

A young man is transformed into a Dream Voyager while he sleeps by the mysterious Dream Gang. They are searching for a destructive dream bomb that has been implanted into one of his memories. But to find the bomb, a secret memory must be uncovered.

A Fantastic Voyage through the mind.  Dream Gang arrives on July 27 and retails for $14.99.

Praise for Dream Gang:

“Dream Gang is the legendary Brendan McCarthy at his visionary best.”—Frank Quitely (All-Star Superman, Jupiter’s Legacy)

“A psychedelic masterpiece, from one of the architects of post-modern comics.”—Gerard Way (Umbrella Academy, True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys)

"Nice to see that Brendan McCarthy still writes, draws, paints, thinks and dreams in pure, unadulterated magic."—Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Punisher)

“Plunge into the mind-warping, surrealistic maelstrom of Dream Gang, Brendan McCarthy’s fantastic psychedelic adventure story.”—Bryan Talbot (Grandville, One Bad Rat)

“TechnoDreamFreakWavePsychedelicPunkPopartMadmaxYellowSubmarineTasticness!”—Rufus Dayglo (Tank Girl, Bad Company)

"Dream Gang is the best thing I've read in years. A feast for the eyes, a trip for the mind.”—Bambos Georgiou (Conan, Nick Fury)

“Engaging surrealism, a fever dream of a tale that is gorgeous in its roughness and, like real dreams, leaves the reader guessing as to what the next step is in the story being told.”—Comic Book Resources

“Dream Gang is fascinating with a hook strong enough to make me want to read more.”—Major Spoilers

“Dream Gang never lacks for interesting panels. Primarily set in a dream, it takes advantage of its surreal concept to toy with backgrounds and characters.”—ComicBook.com


About Brendan McCarthy
Brendan McCarthy studied Painting and Film at Chelsea School of Art and is one of the UK's most gifted graphic novelists. His ground-breaking comics of the early 1980s (Strange Days, Skin, Rogan Gosh) as part of 'The British Invasion' paved the way for comics’ increasing popularity in Hollywood. He was also one of the pioneers of computer animation, creating the visuals for the 1990s computer animated TV series ReBoot, the first long-form digital narrative that preceded Pixar and Dreamworks' later successes. He has spent more than 20 years working in Hollywood, and is the co-writer and a designer on Mad Max Fury Road. More recently, Brendan has created new graphic novels including Spider-Man Fever (for Marvel), Solo (for DC Comics) and Swimini Purpose, The Zaucer of Zilk and Dream Gang for independent US publishers. A best-selling retrospective collection of his classic comic book work was released last year from Dark Horse Comics, The Best of Milligan & McCarthy.

About Dark Horse
For 30 years, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, the company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

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2016 / 88th Academy Awards Announced; DiCaprio Wins Best Actor; "Mad Max" Wins Six Oscars

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).

The 88th Oscars were presented on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center.  The ceremony was televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and hosted by Chris Rock.  Spotlight won Best Picture.  Mad Max: Fury Road was the leading recipient of statuettes with six Oscars.

2016 / 88th Academy Award winners:

Best Picture
Spotlight - Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust, Producers

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Best Actress
Brie Larson, Room

Best Supporting Actor
Mark Rylance, Bridge Of Spies

Best Supporting Actress
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Directing
The Revenant, Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Film Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road - Margaret Sixel

Foreign Language Film
Son of Saul (Hungary)

Original Score
The Hateful Eight - Ennio Morricone

Production Design
Mad Max: Fury Road
Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson

Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett

Adapted Screenplay
The Big Short - Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay

Original Screenplay
Spotlight - Written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy

Animated Feature Film
Inside Out - Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera

Cinematography
The Revenant - Emmanuel Lubezki

Costume Design
Mad Max: Fury Road - Jenny Beavan

Documentary Feature
Amy- Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees

Documentary Short Subject
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness - Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Makeup and Hairstyling
Mad Max: Fury Road - Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin

Original Song
“Writing’s On The Wall” from Spectre
Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith

Animated Short Film
Bear Story - Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala

Live Action Short Film
Stutterer - Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage

Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road - Mark Mangini and David White

Sound Mixing
Mad Max: Fury Road - Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo

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2016 / 88th Academy Awards Nominations; Complete All-White 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).

The 88th Oscars nominations were announced on Thursday, January 14, 2016 from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2015 will be presented on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center.  The ceremony will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and will be hosted by Chris Rock.

2016 / 88th Academy Award nominations:

Best Picture
The Big Short - Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers

Bridge of Spies - Steven Spielberg, Marc Platt and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers

Brooklyn - Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers

Mad Max: Fury Road - Doug Mitchell and George Miller, Producers

The Martian - Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer and Mark Huffam, Producers

The Revenant - Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent and Keith Redmon, Producers

Room - Ed Guiney, Producer

Spotlight - Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust, Producers

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Matt Damon, The Martian
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge Of Spies
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Directing
The Big Short, Adam McKay
Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller
The Revenant, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Room, Lenny Abrahamson
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Film Editing
The Big Short - Hank Corwin
Mad Max: Fury Road - Margaret Sixel
The Revenant - Stephen Mirrione
Spotlight - Tom McArdle
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey

Foreign Language Film
Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia)
Mustang (France)
Son of Saul (Hungary)
Theeb (Jordan)
A War (Denmark)

Original Score
Bridge of Spies - Thomas Newman
Carol - Carter Burwell
The Hateful Eight - Ennio Morricone
Sicario - Jóhann Jóhannsson
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - John Williams

Production Design
Bridge of Spies
Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo and Bernhard Henrich

The Danish Girl
Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Michael Standish

Mad Max: Fury Road
Production Design: Colin Gibson; Set Decoration: Lisa Thompson

The Martian
Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Celia Bobak

The Revenant
Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Hamish Purdy

Visual Effects
Ex Machina
Andrew Whitehurst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington and Sara Bennett

Mad Max: Fury Road
Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver and Andy Williams

The Martian
Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence and Steven Warner

The Revenant
Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith and Cameron Waldbauer

Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould

Adapted Screenplay
The Big Short - Screenplay by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Brooklyn - Screenplay by Nick Hornby
Carol - Screenplay by Phyllis Nagy
The Martian - Screenplay by Drew Goddard
Room - Screenplay by Emma Donoghue

Original Screenplay
Bridge of Spies - Written by Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
Ex Machina - Written by Alex Garland
Inside Out - Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
Spotlight - Written by Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy
Straight Outta Compton - Screenplay by Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff; Story by S. Leigh Savidge & Alan Wenkus and Andrea Berloff

Animated Feature Film
Anomalisa - Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson and Rosa Tran

Boy and the World - Alê Abreu

Inside Out - Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera

Shaun the Sheep Movie - Mark Burton and Richard Starzak

When Marnie Was There - Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura

Cinematography
Carol - Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight - Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road - John Seale
The Revenant - Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario - Roger Deakins

Costume Design
Carol - Sandy Powell
Cinderella - Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl - Paco Delgado
Mad Max: Fury Road - Jenny Beavan
The Revenant - Jacqueline West

Documentary Feature
Amy- Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees
Cartel Land - Matthew Heineman and Tom Yellin
The Look of Silence - Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen
What Happened, Miss Simone? - Liz Garbus, Amy Hobby and Justin Wilkes
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom - Evgeny Afineevsky and Den Tolmor

Documentary Short Subject
Body Team 12 - David Darg and Bryn Mooser
Chau, Bbeyond the Lines - Courtney Marsh and Jerry Franck
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah - Adam Benzine
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness - Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Last Day of Freedom - Dee Hibbert-Jones and Nomi Talisman

Makeup and Hairstyling
Mad Max: Fury Road - Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martin

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared - Love Larson and Eva von Bahr

The Revenant - Siân Grigg, Duncan Jarman and Robert Pandini

Original Song
“Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey
Music and Lyric by Abel Tesfaye, Ahmad Balshe, Jason Daheala Quenneville and Stephan Moccio

“Manta Ray” from Racing Extinction
Music by J. Ralph and Lyric by Antony Hegarty

“Simple Song #3” from Youth
Music and Lyric by David Lang

“Til It Happens To You” from The Hunting Ground
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga

“Writing’s On The Wall” from Spectre
Music and Lyric by Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith

Animated Short Film
Bear Story - Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala
Prologue - Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton
Sanjay’s Super Team - Sanjay Patel and Nicole Grindle
We Can’t Live without Cosmos - Konstantin Bronzit
World of Tomorrow - Don Hertzfeldt

Live Action Short Film
Ave Maria - Basil Khalil and Eric Dupont
Day One - Henry Hughes
Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut) - Patrick Vollrath
Shok - Jamie Donoughue
Stutterer - Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage

Sound Editing
Mad Max: Fury Road - Mark Mangini and David White
The Martian - Oliver Tarney
The Revenant - Martin Hernandez and Lon Bender
Sicario - Alan Robert Murray
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Matthew Wood and David Acord

Sound Mixing
Bridge of Spies - Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Drew Kunin
Mad Max: Fury Road - Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo
The Martian - Paul Massey, Mark Taylor and Mac Ruth
The Revenant - Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Randy Thom and Chris Duesterdiek
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson

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Oklahoma Film Critics Gives "Spotlight" its Best Picture Award

The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) is the statewide group of professional film critics.  OFCC members are Oklahoma-based movie critics who write for print, broadcast and online outlets that publish or post reviews of current film releases.

The OFCC announced its 10th annual awards winners in early January of 2016.

2015 Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award winners:

Best Picture - "Spotlight"

Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Revenant"

Best Actress – Brie Larson, "Room"

Best Animated Film - "Inside Out"

Best Body of Work – Alicia Vikander, "Ex Machina," "The Danish Girl," "Testament of Youth," "Burnt"

Best Director – George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"

Best Documentary - "Amy"

Best First Feature – Alex Garland, "Ex Machina"

Best Foreign Language Film - "Son of Saul" (Hungary)

Best Original Screenplay - "Spotlight"

Best Adapted Screenplay – Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, "The Big Short"

Best Supporting Actor (TIE)
Michael Keaton "Spotlight"
Sylvester Stallone "Creed"

Best Supporting Actress – Alicia Vikander, "Ex Machina"

Most Disappointing Film – "Tomorrowland"

Top 10 Films
"Spotlight"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"Brooklyn"
"Ex-Machina"
"The Big Short"
"Carol"
"The Revenant"
"Inside Out"
"Sicario"
"The Hateful Eight

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2016 BAFTA Awards Announced; "The Revenant" Wins "Best Film"

The British Academy Film Awards (also known as the BAFTAs) are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). They are the British counterpart of the Oscars.

Previously known as the Orange British Academy Film Awards, they are now known as the EE British Academy Film Awards.  The British telecommunications company, EE, replaces Orange as the title sponsor of the awards.

The 69th EE British Academy Film Awards took place on Sunday, February 14, 2016 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. The ceremony was hosted by Stephen Fry and was broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD, preceded by a red carpet show on BBC Three.

2016 / 69th BAFTA Film Award winners (for the year in film 2015):

BEST FILM
THE REVENANT Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Arnon Milchan, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
BROOKLYN John Crowley, Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Nick Hornby

DIRECTOR
THE REVENANT Alejandro G. Iñárritu

LEADING ACTOR
LEONARDO DICAPRIO The Revenant

LEADING ACTRESS
BRIE LARSON Room

SUPPORTING ACTOR
MARK RYLANCE Bridge of Spies

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
KATE WINSLET Steve Jobs

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
NAJI ABU NOWAR (Writer/Director) RUPERT LLOYD (Producer) Theeb

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
WILD TALES Damián Szifron (Argentina, Spain)

DOCUMENTARY
AMY Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees

ANIMATED FILM
INSIDE OUT Pete Docter

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
SPOTLIGHT Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE BIG SHORT Adam McKay, Charles Randolph

ORIGINAL MUSIC
THE HATEFUL EIGHT Ennio Morricone

CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE REVENANT Emmanuel Lubezki

EDITING
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Margaret Sixel

PRODUCTION DESIGN
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Colin Gibson, Lisa Thompson

COSTUME DESIGN
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Jenny Beavan

MAKE UP & HAIR
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Lesley Vanderwalt, Damian Martin

SOUND
THE REVENANT Lon Bender, Chris Duesterdiek, Martin Hernandez, Frank A. Montaño, Jon Taylor, Randy Thom

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Chris Corbould, Roger Guyett, Paul Kavanagh, Neal Scanlan

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
EDMOND Nina Gantz, Emilie Jouffroy

BRITISH SHORT FILM
OPERATOR Caroline Bartleet, Rebecca Morgan

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
JOHN BOYEGA

OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA
Angels Costumes

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Kansas City Film Critics Name "Mad Max: Fury Road" Best Picture of 2015

Founded in 1967, The Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) says that it is the "second oldest professional film critics" association in the United States" (behind the New York Film Critics Circle).  The organization is composed of media film critics in the Kansas City metropolitan area.  The KCFCC’s awards are named for the group’s founder, James Loutzenhiser, who died in November 2001.

On December 21, 2015, the Kansas City Film Critics Circle announced the winners of its 49th annual awards.

2015 / 49th KCFCC Annual Awards:

BEST PICTURE: Mad Max: Fury Road

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant

BEST ACTRESS: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michael Shannon – 99 Homes

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Inside Out

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Phoenix (Germany)

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Amy

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM: Ex Machina

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2015 EDA Awards Announced; "Spotlight" Named Best Film of 2015

According the organization’s website, The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Inc. (AWFJ), was founded in 2006.  The membership is made up of “highly qualified professional female movie critics, reporters and feature writers working in print, broadcast and online media.”  Its state purpose is to “support work by and about women - both in front of and behind the cameras - through intra-group promotional activities, outreach programs and by presenting the annual EDA Awards in recognition of outstanding accomplishments (the best and worst) by and about women in the movies.”

AWFJ BEST OF AWARDS: These awards are presented to women and/or men without gender consideration.”

EDA Award winners were announced on January 12, 2016.

2015 EDA Awards winners:

Best Film
SPOTLIGHT

Best Director (Female or Male)
Tom McCarthy for SPOTLIGHT

Best Screenplay, Original
SPOTLIGHT – Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy

Best Screenplay, Adapted
CAROL – Phyllis Nagy

Best Documentary
AMY – Asif Kapadia

Best Animated Film
INSIDE OUT – Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen

Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling in 45 YEARS

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kristen Stewart in CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio in THE REVENANT

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Paul Dano in LOVE & MERCY

Best Ensemble Cast (tie)
SPOTLIGHT
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Best Editing
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – Margaret Sixel

Best Cinematography
CAROL – Edward Lachman

Best Film Music Or Score
THE HATEFUL EIGHT – Ennio Morricone

Best Non-English-Language Film
Son of Saul – Laszlo Nemes (Hungary)

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS (These awards honor WOMEN only.)

Best Woman Director
Marielle Heller for DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL

Best Woman Screenwriter
Emma Donoghue for ROOM

Best Female Action Star
Charlize Theron for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Best Breakthrough Performance
Alicia Vikander for EX MACHINA, TESTAMENT OF YOUTH and THE DANISH GIRL

Female Icon of the Year (presented to a woman whose work in film and/or in life made a difference)
Chantal Ackerman – In Memoriam, for being a great filmmaker and an inspiration.

EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction (Tie)
ANOMALISA
CAROL

Actress Defying Age and Ageism (Tie)
Charlotte Rampling
Lily Tomlin

Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Lead Character and The Love Interest
DANNY COLLINS – Al Pacino (born 1940) and Katarina Cas (born 1976)

Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent
Emma Stone for ALOHA

Movie You Wanted To Love, But Just Couldn’t
THE DANISH GIRL

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2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards Announced; Idris Elba Wins Twice

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is an American labor union that represents film and television performers worldwide.  Most people probably know SAG for the various actors’ strikes or for the Screen Actors Guild Award, which SAG uses to honor outstanding performances by its members.  The first SAG Awards ceremony was held in February 1995 (for films released in 1994).

Winners of the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards were revealed during the awards ceremony on Saturday, January 30, 2016 that was simultaneously telecast on TBS and TNT.

The “Ensemble” categories are SAG's equivalent of a “Best Picture” or “Best Television Series” award.

2016/22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards winners:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
SPOTLIGHT (Open Road Films)
BILLY CRUDUP / Eric MacLeish
BRIAN D’ARCY JAMES / Matty Carroll
MICHAEL KEATON / Walter “Robby” Robinson
RACHEL McADAMS / Sacha Pfeiffer
MARK RUFFALO / Michael Rezendes
LIEV SCHREIBER / Marty Baron
JOHN SLATTERY / Ben Bradlee, Jr.
STANLEY TUCCI / Mitchell Garabedian

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Hugh Glass – “THE REVENANT” (20th Century Fox)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
BRIE LARSON / Ma – “ROOM” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
IDRIS ELBA / Commandant – “BEASTS OF NO NATION” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
ALICIA VIKANDER / Gerda Wegener – “THE DANISH GIRL” (Focus Features)


TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
IDRIS ELBA / DCI John Luther – “LUTHER” (BBC America)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
QUEEN LATIFAH / Bessie Smith – “BESSIE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
VIOLA DAVIS / Annalise Keating – “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman – “TRANSPARENT” (Amazon)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
DOWNTON ABBEY (Masterpiece/PBS)
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
RAQUEL CASSIDY / Baxter
BRENDAN COYLE / Mr. Bates
TOM CULLEN / Anthony Gillingham
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
KEVIN DOYLE / Mr. Molesley
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates
LILY JAMES / Lady Rose
ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
JULIAN OVENDEN / Charles Blake
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
MIKE BIRBIGLIA / Danny Pearson
MARSHA STEPHANIE BLAKE / Berdie Rogers
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
LAVERNE COX / Sophia Burset
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
CATHERINE CURTIN / Wanda Bell
LEA DELARIA / Carrie “Big Boo” Black
BETH FOWLER / Sister Jane Ingalls
JOEL MARSH GARLAND / Scott O’Neill
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Black Cindy
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
LORI PETTY / Lolly Whitehill
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
RUBY ROSE / Stella Carlin
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
SAMIRA WILEY / Poussey Washington

SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“MAD MAX: FURY ROAD” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
“GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)

52nd Annual SAG Life Achievement Award
CAROL BURNETT

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Houston Film Critics Named "Spotlight" Best Picture of 2015- Complete List of Winners

Houston Film Critics Society is a not-for-profit, unincorporated voluntary organizaton of print, broadcast, and internet film critics based in the Greater Houston metropolitan area that meet its membership criteria.  According its website, the group was founded in 2007 by Nick Nicholson and Danny Minton and helps to organize and coordinate the local area film critics community.

The nominees for the 9th annual Houston Film Critics Society Awards were announced, December 13, 2015.  The winners were announced January 9, 2016.

2015 / 9th Houston Film Critics Society winners:

Best Picture:  Spotlight

Best Director:  Alejandro G. Iñárritu for The Revenant

Best Actor:  Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs

Best Actress:  Brie Larson for Room

Best Supporting Actor:  Tom Hardy for The Revenant

Best Supporting Actress:  Rooney Mara for Carol

Best Screenplay:  Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer for Spotlight

Best Animated Film:  Inside Out (Pete Doctor, director)

Best  Cinematography:  Emmanuel Lubezki for The Revenant

Best Documentary:  Amy (Asif Kapadia, director)

Best Foreign Film:  Son of Saul (Hungary; László Nemes, director)

Best Score:  Ennio Moriccone for The Hateful Eight

Best Song:  Brian Wilson for "Love and Mercy" from Love & Mercy

Texas Independent Film Award:  Mark Craig for The Last Man on the Moon

Technical:  Guy Norris for Mad Max: Fury Road

Worst Movie:  Pixels                      

Lifetime Achievement:  Dennis Quaid

Humanitarian of the Year:  Matt Damon

Outstanding Cinematic Contribution:  Joe Leydon

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2015 Houston Film Critics Society Award Nominations - Complete List

Houston Film Critics Society is a not-for-profit, unincorporated voluntary organizaton of print, broadcast, and internet film critics based in the Greater Houston metropolitan area that meet its membership criteria.  According its website, the group was founded in 2007 by Nick Nicholson and Danny Minton and helps to organize and coordinate the local area film critics community.

The nominees for the 9th annual Houston Film Critics Society Awards were announced, December 13, 2015.  The winners were announced January 9, 2016.

2015 / 9th Houston Film Critics Society nominees:

BEST PICTURE:
The Big Short, Paramount
Ex Machina, A24 Films
Inside Out, Disney/PIXAR
Mad Max: Fury Road, Warner Bros.
The Martian, 20th Century Fox
The Revenant, 20th Century Fox
Room, A24 Films
Sicario, Lionsgate
Spotlight, Open Road Films
Steve Jobs, Universal

BEST DIRECTION OF A MOTION PICTURE:
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Lenny Abrahamson, Room
Ridley Scott, The Martian
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Brian Cranston, Trumbo
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Matt Damon, The Martian
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Tom Hardy, Legend

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Brie Larsen, Room
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Emily Blunt, Sicario
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Tom Hardy, The Revenant

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Rooney Mara, Carol

BEST SCREENPLAY:
Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs
Drew Goddard, The Martian
Emma Donaghu, Room
Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight

BEST ANIMATED FILM:
Anomalisa, Paramount
The Good Dinosaur, Disney/PIXAR
Inside Out, Disney/PIXAR
The Peanuts Movie, 20th Century Fox
Shaun the Sheep, StudioCanal

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Dariusz Wolski, The Martian
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road
Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight
Roger Deakins, Sicario

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Amy, Altitude Film Distribution
Best of Enemies, Magnolia
Cartel Land, IFC Films
The Look of Silence, Drafthouse Films
Where to Invade Next, IMG Films

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
The Assassin, Well Go USA
Goodnight Mommy, Radius/TWC
Son of Saul, Sony Pictures Classic
The Tribe, Drafthouse Films
White God, Magnolia

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Ennio Moriccone, The Hateful Eight
Michael Giacchino, Inside Out
Junkie XL, Mad Max: Fury Road
Daniel Pemberton, Steve Jobs
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto & Bryce Dessner, The Revenant

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
“Love Me Like You Do,” music & lyrics by Savan Kotecha, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Tove Lo, Max Martin & Ali Payami, 50 Shades of Grey
“One Kind of Love,” music & lyrics by Brian Wilson & Scott Bennett, Love & Mercy
“See You Again,” music & lyrics by Wiz Khalifa, DJ Frank E, Charlie Puth & Andrew Cedar, Furious 7
“Simple Song #3,” music & lyrics by David Lang, Youth
“Writing’s on the Wall,” music & lyrics by Sam Smith & Jimmy Napes, Spectre

TEXAS INDEPENDENT FILM AWARD:
6 Years
7 Chinese Brothers
Last Man on the Moon
Results
Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove

BEST POSTER
Carol – Theatrical Poster
Ex Machina – Theatrical Poster
It Follows – Rear Window Alternate
Mad Max: Fury Road – ‘What A Lovely Day’ Alternate
Sicario – Theatrical Poster
The Walk – IMAX Alternate

WORST FILM OF THE YEAR:
Aloha, Columbia
The Boy Next Door, Universal
Fantastic Four, 20th Century Fox
Mortdecai, Lionsgate
Pixels, Columbia

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Indiana Film Critics Pick "Spotlight" Best Film of 2015

The Indiana Film Journalist Association (IFJA) is a film critics’ organization only formed in December 2009.  It seeks to promote film criticism in the state of Indiana and also gives out its annual awards in December.

The full list of 2015 Indiana Film Journalist Association Awards:

Best Film
Winner: "Spotlight"
Runner-up: "Room"

Other Finalists (listed alphabetically):
"Anomalisa"
"The Big Short"
"Carol"
"The End of the Tour"
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
"The Martian"
"Steve Jobs"
"Straight Outta Compton"

Best Animated Feature
Winner: "Anomalisa"
Runner-Up: "Inside Out "

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: "Son of Saul"
Runner-Up: "Goodnight Mommy"

Best Documentary
Winner: "Amy"
Runner-Up: "Meru"

Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer, "Spotlight"
Runner-up: Matt Charman, Joel & Ethan Coen, "Bridge of Spies"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Emma Donoghue, "Room"
Runner-up: Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, "The Big Short"

Best Director
Winner: George Miller, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Runner-up: Tom McCarthy, "Spotlight"

Best Actress
Winner: Brie Larson, "Room"
Runner-up: Charlotte Rampling, "45 Years"

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Greta Gerwig, "Mistress America"
Runner-up: Elizabeth Banks, "Love & Mercy"

Best Actor
Winner: Jacob Tremblay, "Room"
Runner-up: Jason Segel, "The End of the Tour"

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Mark Ruffalo, "Spotlight"
Runner-up: Idris Elba, "Beasts of No Nation"

Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance
Winner: Phyllis Smith, "Inside Out"
Runner-up: Tom Noonan, "Anomalisa"

Best Musical Score
Winner: Junkie XL, "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Runner-up: Disasterpeace, "It Follows"

Original Vision Award
Winner: "Anomalisa"
Runner-up: "Chi-Raq"

The Hoosier Award
Winner: Angelo Pizzo, writer/director/producer

(As a special award, no runner-up is declared in this category.)

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2016 Dorian Award Winnters Announced; "Carol" Dominates

The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) is an organization that is comprised of critics and entertainment journalists who write on television and film for noteworthy media outlets easily accessible in the U.S.  According to its website, most members identify as a member of the LGBTQ-munity:  lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, but the organization has non-gay “ally” journalists in its ranks, members who tend to work for LGBTQ-targeted outlets).

Through its annual Dorian Awards, GALECA toasts the finest in movies and television, from mainstream to LGBTQ-centric.  Oscar Wilde is the group's patron saint.

2016 Dorian Award winners (for the year in film and television 2015):

Film of the Year
“Carol”

Director of the Year
Todd Haynes, “Carol”

Film Actor of the Year
Leonardo Dicaprio, “The Revenant”

Film Actress of the Year
Cate Blanchett, “Carol”

LGBTQ Film of the Year
“Carol”

Foreign Language Film of the Year
“Son of Saul” (Hungary)

Screenplay of the Year
“Carol”

Documentary of the Year
“Amy”

Visually Striking Film of the Year
“Mad Max: Fury Road”

Unsung Film of the Year
“Tangerine”

Campy Flick of the Year
“Magic Mike XXL”

TV Drama of the Year
(TIE) “Fargo” & “Orange is the New Black”

TV Comedy of the Year
“Transparent”

TV Actor of the Year
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

TV Actress of the Year
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”

LGBTQ Show of the Year
“Transparent”

Unsung TV Show of the Year
“Looking”

TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

Campy TV Show of the Year
“Empire”

TV Musical Performance of the Year
Aretha Franklin

The ‘We’re Wilde About You’ Rising Star Award
Alicia Vikander

Wilde Wit of the Year
Amy Schumer

Wilde Artist of the Year
Todd Haynes

Timeless Award
Jane Fonda (previously announced)

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36th London Critics Circle Film Awards Announced; "Mad Max: Fury Road" Named Best Film

The London Critics’ Circle Film Section is part of a larger organization, The Critics’ Circle, which makes an annual award for Services to the Arts.  This circle is comprised of the five sections:  dance, drama, film, music, and visual arts.

The London Critics’ Circle Film Section announced nominations for its 36th annual film awards on December 15, 2015.  The winners were announced Sunday, January 17, 2016 at The May Fair Hotel.  Kenneth Branagh received the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film.

2016 / 36th London Critics' Circle Film Awards – winners (for the year in film 2015):

FILM OF THE YEAR: Mad Max: Fury Road

BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR: 45 Years

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR: The Look of Silence (Denmark)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR: Amy

ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Tom Courtenay — 45 Years

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Charlotte Rampling — 45 Years

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Mark Rylance — Bridge of Spies

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Kate Winslet — Steve Jobs

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: George Miller — Mad Max: Fury Road

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy — Spotlight

BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Tom Hardy — Legend, London Road, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant

BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Saoirse Ronan — Brooklyn, Lost River

YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Maisie Williams — The Falling

PHILIP FRENCH AWARD FOR BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER: John Maclean — Slow West

BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR: Stutterer — Benjamin Cleary

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Ed Lachman, cinematography — Caro

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM: Kenneth Branagh

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2016 Critics Choice Awards Announced; "Spotlight" Named Best Picture of 2015

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada.  It represents almost 300 television, radio and online critics. For additional information about the BFCA and their memberships, visit www.criticschoice.com.

The winners for the 21st Critics’ Choice Awards were announced Sunday, January 17, 2016.

The 2016 / 21st Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards – winners (for the year in film, 2015):

BEST PICTURE: Spotlight

BEST DIRECTOR: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant

BEST ACTRESS: Brie Larson – Room

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone – Creed

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS: Jacob Tremblay – Room

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE: Spotlight

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson

BEST EDITING: Mad Max: Fury Road – Margaret Sixel

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan

BEST HAIR & MAKEUP: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Inside Out

BEST ACTION MOVIE: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Tom Hardy – Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST COMEDY: The Big Short

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY: Christian Bale – The Big Short

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: Amy Schumer – Trainwreck

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE: Ex Machina

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Son of Saul (Hungary)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Amy

BEST SONG: Furious 7 – “See You Again”

BEST SCORE: The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone

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Central Ohio Film Critics Name "Spotlight" Best Film of 2015

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) was founded in 2002 and is made up of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas.  Its membership currently consists of more than 21 print, radio, television, and new media critics.  Each January, COFCA votes on a number of awards, recognizing excellence in the film industry.

The 14th Annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2015, were announced on January 7, 2016.

2015 / 14th Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards – winners:

Best Film
   1. Spotlight
   2. Inside Out
   3. Room
   4. Mad Max: Fury Road
   5. Ex Machina
   6. Sicario
   7. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
   8. The Revenant
   9. The Big Short
  10. The Martian

Best Director
  • Tom McCarthy - (Spotlight)
  • Runner-Up: George Miller - (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Actor
  • Leonardo DiCaprio - (The Revenant)
  • Runner-Up: Michael Fassbender - (Steve Jobs)

Best Actress
  • Brie Larson - (Room)
  • Runner-Up (tie): Saoirse Ronan - (Brooklyn)
  • Runner-Up (tie): Alicia Vikander - (The Danish Girl)

Best Supporting Actor
  • Benicio Del Toro - (Sicario)
  • Runner-Up: Oscar Isaac - (Ex Machina)

Best Supporting Actress
  • Alicia Vikander - (Ex Machina)
  • Runner-Up: Jennifer Jason Leigh - (The Hateful Eight)

Best Ensemble
  • Spotlight
  • Runner-Up: The Hateful Eight

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)
  • Alicia Vikander - (Burnt, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Seventh Son, and Testament of Youth)
  • Runner-Up: Domhnall Gleeson - (Brooklyn, Ex Machina, The Revenant, and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens)

Breakthrough Film Artist
  • Alicia Vikander - (Burnt, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Seventh Son, and Testament of Youth) - (for acting)
  • Runner-Up: Sean Baker - (Tangerine) - (for producing, directing, screenwriting, film editing, cinematography, camera op)

Best Cinematography
  • Emmanuel Lubezki - (The Revenant)
  • Runner-Up: John Seale - (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Film Editing
  • Margaret Sixel - (Mad Max: Fury Road)
  • Runner-Up: Joe Walker - (Sicario)

Best Adapted Screenplay
  • Charles Randolph and Adam McKay - (The Big Short)
  • Runner-Up: Emma Donoghue - (Room)

Best Original Screenplay
  • Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy - (Spotlight)
  • Runner-Up: Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley - (Inside Out)

Best Score
  • Ennio Morricone - (The Hateful Eight)
  • Runner-Up: Junkie XL - (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Documentary
  • The Look of Silence
  • Runner-Up: Amy

Best Foreign Language Film
  • Phoenix
  • Runner-Up: Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes)

Best Animated Film
  • Inside Out
  • Runner-Up: Anomalisa

Best Overlooked Film
  • The Tribe (Plemya)
  • Runner-Up: The Gift

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National Society of Film Critics Name Michael B. Jordan "Best Actor of 2015;" "Spotlight Named "Best Picture"

The National Society of Film Critics was founded in New York City in 1966 and its membership is currently comprise of 56 of the country’s most prominent movie critics.  Known for their highbrow tastes, these critics form one of the most prestigious film groups on the United States.  Current members include some of my favorite film critics, like David Edelstein and J. Hoberman, among others.  The late Roger Ebert, my favorite critic, was also a member.  The society has produced several anthologies about movies, including the must-have for film fans, Produced and Abandoned: The Best Films You’ve Never Seen (1990).

The National Society of Film Critics gathered on Sunday, January 3, 2016 to vote on their annual film awards.  The group chose Tom McCarthy’s film, Spotlight, as Best Picture of the Year 2015.

The group dedicated this meeting to the late Richard Corliss, longtime critic at TIME magazine, writing that Corliss was “not just a writer of extraordinary intelligence, wit, and energy, but also a generous friend and colleague.”

Here is a list of the National Society of Film Critics 2015 winners and runners-up, with vote counts from the final round.

BEST PICTURE:
*1. Spotlight (Tom McCarthy) 23
    Carol (Todd Haynes) 17
    Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) 13

BEST DIRECTOR:
*1.Todd Haynes (Carol) 21
    Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) 21 (because he was on fewer ballots; a winner must be on a majority of ballots, which are weighted)
    George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) 20

BEST ACTOR:
*1. Michael B. Jordan (Creed) 29 points
    Geza Rohrig (Son of Saul) 18
    Tom Courtenay (45 Years) 15

BEST ACTRESS:
*1. Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) 57
    Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) 30
    Nina Hoss (Phoenix) 22

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
*1. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) 56
    Michael Shannon (99 Homes) 16
    Sylvester Stallone (Creed) 14

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
*1. Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria) 53
    Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) 23
    Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) 17 and Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy) 17

BEST SCREENPLAY:
*1. Spotlight (Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy) 21
    Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman) 15  and The Big Short (Charles Randolph and Adam McKay) 15

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
*1. Carol (Ed Lachman) 25
    The Assassin (Mark Lee Ping-bin) 22
    Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale) 12

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM:
*1. Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako) 22
    Phoenix (Christian Petzold) 20
    The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien) 16

BEST NON-FICTION FILM:
*1. Amy (Asif Kapadia) 23
    In Jackson Heights (Frederick Wiseman) 18
    Seymour: An Introduction (Ethan Hawke) 15

FILM HERITAGE AWARDS:

Film Society of Lincoln Center and the programmers Jake Perlin and Michelle Materre, for the series Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-1986

The Criterion Collection and L’Immagine Ritrovata for the restoration and packaging of the reconstructed version of The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray

Lobster Films and Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata for the restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s Essanay Films

SPECIAL CITATION for a film awaiting American distribution:   One Floor Below, a Romanian film directed by Radu Muntean.

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