From AMPAS, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced shortlists in consideration for the 92nd Academy Awards in nine categories: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film and Visual Effects.
DOWNLOAD ALL

DOCUMENTARY FEATUREFifteen films will advance in the Documentary Feature category for the 92nd Academy Awards.  One hundred fifty-nine films were 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:
“Advocate”
“American Factory”
“The Apollo”
“Apollo 11”
“Aquarela”
“The Biggest Little Farm”
“The Cave”
“The Edge of Democracy”
“For Sama”
“The Great Hack”
“Honeyland”
“Knock Down the House”
“Maiden”
“Midnight Family”
“One Child Nation”
DOWNLOAD

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECTTen films will advance in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 92nd Academy Awards.  Ninety-six films 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:
“After Maria”
“Fire in Paradise”
“Ghosts of Sugar Land”
“In the Absence”
“Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)”
“Life Overtakes Me”
“The Nightcrawlers”
“St. Louis Superman”
“Stay Close”
“Walk Run Cha-Cha”
DOWNLOAD

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMTen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category (formerly known as Foreign Language Film) for the 92nd Academy Awards.  Ninety-one films were eligible in the category.
Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round.  They must have viewed the submitted films theatrically and met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.  Their seven choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s International Feature Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.
In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt-in to participate and must view all 10 shortlisted films in order to cast a ballot.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Czech Republic, “The Painted Bird”
Estonia, “Truth and Justice”
France, “Les Misérables”
Hungary, “Those Who Remained”
North Macedonia, “Honeyland”
Poland, “Corpus Christi”
Russia, “Beanpole”
Senegal, “Atlantics”
South Korea, “Parasite”
Spain, “Pain and Glory”
DOWNLOAD

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLINGTen films will advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 92nd Academy Awards.  All members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view seven-minute excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films on Saturday, January 4, 2020.  Members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Bombshell”
“Dolemite Is My Name”
“Downton Abbey”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Little Women”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”
“Once upon a Time…in Hollywood”
“Rocketman”
DOWNLOAD

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)Fifteen scores will advance in the Original Score category for the 92nd Academy Awards.  One hundred seventy 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:
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Bombshell”
“The Farewell”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Frozen II”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“The King”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“Motherless Brooklyn”
“1917”
“Pain and Glory”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“Us”
DOWNLOAD

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)Fifteen songs will advance in the Original Song category for the 92nd Academy Awards.  Seventy-five 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:
“Speechless” from “Aladdin”
“Letter To My Godfather” from “The Black Godfather”
“I’m Standing With You” from “Breakthrough”
“Da Bronx” from “The Bronx USA”
“Into The Unknown” from “Frozen II”
“Stand Up” from “Harriet”
“Catchy Song” from “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”
“Never Too Late” from “The Lion King”
“Spirit” from “The Lion King”
“Daily Battles” from “Motherless Brooklyn”
“A Glass of Soju” from “Parasite”
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from “Rocketman”
“High Above The Water” from “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am”
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4”
“Glasgow” from “Wild Rose”
DOWNLOAD

ANIMATED SHORT FILMTen films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.  Ninety-two films 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:
“Dcera (Daughter)”
“Hair Love”
“He Can’t Live without Cosmos”
“Hors Piste”
“Kitbull”
“Memorable”
“Mind My Mind”
“The Physics of Sorrow”
“Sister”
“Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days”
DOWNLOAD

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILMTen films will advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.  One hundred ninety-one films 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:
“Brotherhood”
“The Christmas Gift”
“Little Hands”
“Miller & Son”
“Nefta Football Club”
“The Neighbors’ Window”
“Refugee”
“Saria”
“A Sister”
“Sometimes, I Think about Dying”
DOWNLOAD

VISUAL EFFECTSTen films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 92nd 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 online or attend satellite bake-off screenings in January 2020.  Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:
“Alita: Battle Angel”
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Captain Marvel”
“Cats”
“Gemini Man”
“The Irishman”
“The Lion King”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
“Terminator: Dark Fate”
DOWNLOAD



Nominations voting begins on Thursday, January 2, 2020 and concludes on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.
Nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, January 13, 2020.
The 92nd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, 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.

When one award show is out, the others follow, and group think often takes over....

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:
“Bombshell” (Lionsgate)
“The Irishman” (Netflix)
“Jojo Rabbit” (Fox)
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (Sony)
“Parasite” (Neon)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:

​Christian Bale (“Ford v Ferrari”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”)
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Lupita Nyong’o (“Us”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”)
Renée Zellweger (“Judy”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy”)
Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”)
Al Pacino (“The Irishman”)
Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”)
Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Nicole Kidman (“Bombshell”)
Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”)
Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series:
“Game of Thrones”
“GLOW”
“Stranger Things”
“The Walking Dead”
“Watchman”
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
“Avengers: Endgame”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Mahershala Ali (“True Detective”)
Russell Crowe (“The Loudest Voice”)
Jared Harris (“Chernobyl”)
Jharrel Jerome (“When They See Us”)
Sam Rockwell (“Fosse/Verdon”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
Patricia Arquette (“The Act”)
Toni Collette (“Unbelievable”)
Joey King (“The Act”)
Emily Watson (“Chernobyl”)
Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Verdon”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:
Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Steve Carell (“The Morning Show”)
Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”)
Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”)
David Harbour (“Stranger Things”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:
Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:
Alan Arkin (“The Kominsky Method”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)
Andrew Scott (“Fleabag”)
Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
Cristina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:
“Big Little Lies” (HBO)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:
“Barry” (HBO)
“Fleabag” (Amazon)
“The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)
“Schitt’s Creek” (CBC Television)

Yawn. It is a yawner for the Golden Globes? More and more nominees come from shows and movies not many watch. They say they watch but do not, in reality. "The Joker" was seen for sure and thus, should help generate interest. So should "The Irishman," but that is iffy. 

But, it is award season, so here we go again. I have done this for years, no matter how good or bad the overall products are. To me, streaming has hurt and not helped the business. We are in overload. And yes, politics matter. When they berate the audience because of their beliefs, that hurts them. Ratings are down and the movies people see are animated, "Star Wars" and super hero films.

Not bad but if that is all there is for the majority, people go because they like movies but that does not mean they are all so good, we need more of them.

Last year, "Bohemian Rhapsody" made over $900 million and surprised many, but not me. It was great.

Meanwhile, TV categories bore me here. They always have. Plus, they have two best pic categories, one drama and then musical and/or comedy. That skews all come Oscar time. But, since the Oscars now have up to nine nominations, it is better.

- "The Irishman" is loved and hated, but not because of the movie. It is how it was distributed. It was in theaters two days and then on Netflix. A movie that shows primarily on Netflix is suspect, to me, but Martin Scorsese did put it in a theater for the desired time for Oscar consideration. So, I am fine with that. Plus, Scorsese also blasted that system and super hero films. So, the drama is here.

Here are the nominees:
BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
“1917”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Marriage Story”
“The Two Popes”
- No bad here. The "Joker" is this year's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the fact that there were forces trying to sabotage it and it did not matter as is soared over $1 billion at the box office.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“Dolemite is My Name”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Knives Out”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Rocketman”
- "Rocketman" is not "Bohemian Rhapsody" and where is the Judy Garland biopic?

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Frozen 2”
“The Lion King”
“Missing Link”
“Toy Story 4”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
- Deja vu here. Boring.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“The Farewell”
“Les Misérables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Parasite”
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
- Again, solid. Whoever wins his one wins the drama.

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
Christian Bale, “Ford v. Ferrari”
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”
- Hmmm. No Robert DeNiro. Not is not a snub. It means nothing of the sort. He was not good enough and perhaps his politics hurt. Adam Driver is being pushed by insiders.

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Cynthio Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
- The feeling here for musical biopics and the lead is not the same as last yeart. Renee may win but no a shoe in at all. She needs some momentum. 

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”
Roman Griffin Davis, “Jojo Rabbit”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”
Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name”
- "Knives Out" was made for this only. Released late in the year strictly for award season.

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
Ana de Armas, “Knives Out”
Beanie Feldstein, “Booksmart”
Emma Thompson, “Late Night”
Cate Blanchett, “Where’d You Go Bernadette”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTON PICTURE
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
- Yes, Hanks here for supporting. He was not the lead in the film about Mr. Rogers.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTON PICTURE
Annette Benning, “The Report”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”

BEST SCREENPLAY
“Marriage Story”
“Parasite”
“The Two Popes”
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
“The Irishman”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“Motherless Brooklyn”
“Little Women”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Marriage Story”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Beautiful Ghosts” – CATS
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again” – Rocketman
“Into the Unknown” – Frozen 2
“Spirit” – The Lion King
“Stand Up” – Harriet

DECEMBER 3, 2019
​– NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW ANNOUNCES 2019 AWARD WINNERS

Best Film:
THE IRISHMAN
Best Director:
Quentin Tarantino, ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
Best Actor:
Adam Sandler, UNCUT GEMS
Best Actress:
Renée Zellweger, JUDY
Best Supporting Actor:
Brad Pitt, ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
Best Supporting Actress:
Kathy Bates, RICHARD JEWELL
Best Original Screenplay:
Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, UNCUT GEMS
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Steven Zaillian, THE IRISHMAN
Breakthrough Performance:
Paul Walter Hauser, RICHARD JEWELL
Best Directorial Debut:
Melina Matsoukas, QUEEN & SLIM
Best Animated Feature:
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
Best Foreign Language Film:
PARASITE
Best Documentary:
MAIDEN
Best Ensemble:
KNIVES OUT
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography:
Roger Deakins, 1917
NBR Icon Award:
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino
NBR Freedom of Expression Award:
FOR SAMA
NBR Freedom of Expression Award:
JUST MERCY
​
Top Films (in alphabetical order)
“1917”
“Dolemite is My Name”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Knives Out”
“Marriage Story”
“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”
“Richard Jewell”
“Uncut Gems”
“Waves”

​Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order)
“The Farewell”
“Give Me Liberty”
“A Hidden Life”
“Judy”
“The Last Black Man in San Francisco”
“Midsommar”
The Nightingale”
“The Peanut Butter Falcon”
“The Souvenir”
“Wild Rose”

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (in alphabetical order)
“Atlantics”
“Invisible Life”
“Pain and Glory”
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”
“Transit”
Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order)
“American Factory”
“Apollo 11”
“The Black Godfather”
“Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese”
“Wrestle”