Category Archives: Cinema

Tuesday, November 29th: Cinema Award Announcements Galore

The Artist

The news you’ve all been waiting for, the first out of the box major awards announcement in this early Oscar season, the New York Film Critics’ Circle award winners, announced ‘over’ Twitter. While Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells seems to be in the midst of an apoplectic meltdown over the NYFCC’s choice for Best Picture, the rest of the Oscar prediction crowd tweets a more sanguine reaction to this morning’s awards announcement.

New York Film Critics Circle

Here, then, without further ado, the New York Film Critics awards …
Best Picture: The Artist
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life)
Best Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (Moneyball)
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Foreign-Language Film: A Separation
Best Actor: Brad Pitt (Moneyball, The Tree of Life)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter)
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks (Drive)
Best Nonfiction Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Best First Feature: Margin Call

Continue reading Tuesday, November 29th: Cinema Award Announcements Galore

Who Will Win the New York Film Critics’ Circle Awards?

Gold Derby editors Tom O’Neil and Adam Waldowski explore the likely winners of the New York Film Critics’ Circle awards, which will be decided tomorrow morning, Tuesday, November 29th. Above, they swap their predictions plus dish the forecasts of 11 experts surveyed by Gold Derby.
And while we’re on the subject of New York Film critics, and potential forthcoming Oscar winners, the New York Times’ Melina Ryzik is back on the Oscar watch scene with the Times’ foray into all things Oscar, The Carpetbagger. Here’s her first video of the season where she and fellow Bagger Jeremy Beiler have a look at this year’s potential Academy Award contenders, asking opinionated New Yorkers about all things Oscar.

And, IndieWire’s Peter Knegt weighs in on who the folks at IndieWire believe will win the various New York Film Critics’ Circle awards, provides insight into the Gotham Independent Film Awards (and his prediction as to today’s Gotham winners), the Independent Spirit Awards (also set for announcement, tomorrow, Nov. 29), Wednesday’s National Board of Review projected winners, and next Sunday’s British Independent Film Awards.
In case you were wondering: yes, the awards season is just beginning.

Movies: The First Holiday Weekend Rakes in Box Office Bucks

American Thanksgiving Holiday movies

Update Sun. p.m.: Box office returns for the first weekend of the holiday season are coming in, with wide releases (more than 3000 screens) such as …

Now we just have to wait for the Friday opening of the critic friendly Oscar contender The Descendants, starring certain Oscar nominee George Clooney, and My Week With Marilyn, with rave reviews for Michelle Williams in the lead role, and the boffo box office holiday weekend will be complete.

Continue reading Movies: The First Holiday Weekend Rakes in Box Office Bucks

Heroes of Vancouver’s Left Pass On. The Community Pays Tribute


In memorium, Ben Swankey


Two heroes of Vancouver’s left passed away yesterday. Ben Swankey, a lifelong activist, died at age 98. As Georgia Straight editor Charlie Smith wrote last evening, “In 2003, the City of Vancouver turned his 90th birthday into “Ben Swankey day”.
Swankey’s 2008 autobiography, A Prairie Marxist’s Memoir, was edited by Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs. In 2008, Tom Sandborn wrote in The Tyee that Swankey had “worked as a bartender, road construction labourer, organizer, salesman, journalist, editor, author, lecturer and researcher. He helped found an influential civic political group (COPE) in Vancouver. And well into his 80s, he agitated for seniors’ and health care rights.”
To many, Ben Swankey was a hero. He will be missed.



Bob Rosen, in memoriam


Activist and teacher Bob Rosen was equally well-loved as Ben Swankey.
Bob Rosen passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 64. As Bill Tieleman wrote in his tribute, “Bob’s music, commitment to the fight for social change and his humanity will be deeply missed.” As recently as last month, I saw and spoke to Bob each day at the 30th annual Vancouver International Film Festival, as we exchanged perspectives on the films we had seen, or planned to see, on any given day. As always, Bob was welcoming, with a warm and kind spirit, and always ready to engage.
I had met and worked with Bob in the 1970s and 80s when I was active in the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Although we were but passing acquaintances, when we ran into each other over the years, we always greeted one another and took time out of our day to talk politics.
At a time when Vancouver’s left appears to be in disarray, particularly following the defeat of the Coalition of Progressive Electors at the polls this past Saturday, Bob Rosen’s and Ben Swankey’s voices will be missed.