While many Oscars viewers were greatly anticipating who would win the coveted trophies, over here, we were excited for the musical performances. Okay, and we were excited about the awards too, but seriously, this year was a stacked list of performers that got us hyped.

First, we have to mention that the Oscar for Best Song went to “Remember Me” by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez from the film “Coco.” Performing that song live was Miguel, Natalia Lafourcade, and actor Gael García Bernal.

Continue reading Oscars 2018: Sufjan Stevens, Mary J. Blige Turn In Amazing Musical Performances at The Playlist.

This has been one of the most dramatic awards season in recent memory. Think about that for a moment. Just two years ago the Academy received a social media slap in the face as #OscarsSoWhite pushed the organization to make dramatic changes to its membership. The 2017 season was flipped upside down when presumptive frontrunner “Birth of a Nation” became an also-ran because of a sexual assault conviction that somehow was forgotten at the film’s Sundance premiere, but came roaring back to bite filmmaker Nate Parker eight months later.

Continue reading 2018 Oscar Predictions Are Framed By An Incredibly Close Best Picture Race at The Playlist.

The final, yes, the final guild honor to be handed out before the Academy Awards this year were the CAS Awards on Saturday night, and there were few surprises from the Cinema Audio Society.  The guild awarded honors to the presumptive winner of the Sound Mixing Oscar, “Dunkirk,” as well as the massively popular “Game of Thrones.” 

Paul Thomas Anderson on Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk”

Other winners included “Coco,” “Jane” (a major guild winner that was snubbed by the Academy), “Silicon Valley” and “Black Mirror: USS Callister.”

All of this year’s nominees and winners are as follows.

Continue reading ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘Game Of Thrones’ And ‘Coco’ Win Big At 2018 CAS Awards at The Playlist.

The Oscars are just over a week away, and it’s going to be an evening of glitz, glamour, and wondering why the show is more than three hours long. But there will be at least one moment worth savoring during the show.

Academy Awards producers have revealed that the original singers of the year’s five Oscar-nominated songs will be performing at the show. So yes, that means you’ll want to have the Kleenex handy when Sufjan Stevens performs his exquisite “The Mystery Of Love” from “Call Me By Your Name.” Also hitting the stage during the ceremony will be: Best Supporting Actress nominee Mary J.

Continue reading Sufjan Stevens Bringing “The Mystery Of Love” To Oscars Performance, Plus Mary J. Blige & More at The Playlist.

The 45th Annie Awards were held Saturday night in Los Angeles and, as expected, Pixar’s “Coco” dominated the winner’s circle.  The expected Oscar winner took home 11 trophies including Best Animated Feature, Best Directing and Best Music, among other honors.  In fact, the only time “Coco” lost was when there were multiple nominees from the production in the same category.

“Coco’s” Directors Bask In The Glow of Mexico’s Love [Interview]

There were other winners, however, including “Samurai Jack,” “Rick and Morty” and “Spongebob Squarepants.”  The animated short “Dear Basketball” also won its short film category which means that Glen Keane and, yes, Kobe Bryant are one step closer to winning individual Academy Awards.

Continue reading Coco Wins 11 Annie Awards Including Best Animated Feature at The Playlist.

Friday night, the American Cinema Editors awarded their year-end awards and Saturday night the Art Directors Guild had their say.  “The Shape of Water,” “Logan” and “Blade Runner 2049” were the big film winners at the ADG Awards, making the former and the later the presumptive frontrunners for the Best Production Design Oscar.  While not nominated for the Academy Award, “Logan” was the biggest surprise winner as it beat out “Downsizing” and “Get Out” in the ADG Contemporary Film category. 

Continue reading ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘Shape of Water’ And ‘Black Mirror’ Top 2018 ADG Awards at The Playlist.

If it’s a Saturday night in Hollywood in January or February there’s a good chance a guild award ceremony is going on somewhere.  This Saturday night found the American Cinema Editors guild holding the 68th ACE Eddie Awards, an honor that is usually a precursor to the Oscar for Best Editing.  Based on this year’s winners, “Dunkirk” and “I, Tonya” are your Academy Award frontrunners.  The former wasn’t a surprise, the latter, somewhat.

Continue reading ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘I, Tonya’ and ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Big Winners At 2018 ACE Eddie Awards at The Playlist.

The Cinema Audio Society announced the nominations this morning for the 54th Annual CAS Awards, a Sound Mixing honor that is often a precursor to the Academy Awards.  For films hunting for Oscar nods, such as “Baby Driver,” it was very good news.

READ MORE: Edgar Wright Closing On Deal For “Baby Driver 2,” Talks Kevin Spacey Allegations

This year’s film nominees include “Dunkirk,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “The Shape of Water,” “Wonder Woman” and the aforementioned Edgar Wright summer hit. 

Continue reading ‘The Last Jedi,’ ‘Baby Driver’ & ‘Wonder Woman’ Earn 2018 CAS Sound Mixing Nominations at The Playlist.

We may be rolling toward the middle of January, but 2017 remains close in the rearview. It was a tumultuous year no matter where you looked, but when it comes to Hollywood, women came together, made their voices heard, and continue to work toward making real and lasting change in front of the screen and behind the camera. More than ever, perspectives like that from The Alliance of Women Film Journalists are vital, and today they’ve revealed their take on the best movies of the year.

Continue reading The Alliance of Women Film Journalists Name ‘The Shape Of Water’ Best Film Of 2017 at The Playlist.

As we ponder the Hollywood Foreign Press Association‘s potential votes for the illustrious Golden Globes let us not forget there are three, um, golden rules to follow when predicting the winners.

Shape of Water, The Crown and The Post lead 2018 Golden Globe Nominations

First, they don’t like to be wrong when it comes to film winners.  HFPA members do not like the idea of selecting a film, director or actor and then having their selections losing the eventual Oscar. 

Continue reading 2018 Golden Globes Awards Predictions: ‘Three Billboards,’ ‘Lady Bird’ And ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ at The Playlist.

[Posted Feb. 4]

Winner predictions:
1. “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
2. “Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
3. “Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
4. “Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
5. “Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common

Current predictions:

Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Director
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography
Production Design
Original Score
Best Song
Costumes
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Documentary
Foreign Language Film
Animated Feature Film
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects

Continue reading 2018 Best Original Song Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

The American Cinema Editors revealed their nominees for the 68th Annual ACE Eddie Awards. to kick off the New Year, which will certainly see Oscar prognosticators adjusting their predictions accordingly.

While the ACE Eddie Awards obviously allow for more contenders with more categories at play, it’s nice to see “Blade Runner 2049,” “Baby Driver,” and “The Shape Of Water” get some recognition, after being mostly shut out so far this awards season.

Continue reading ACE Eddie Award Nominees Include ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘Get Out,’ ‘Dunkirk’ & More at The Playlist.

This was, by all accounts, an absolutely miserable year for animated films. The major animated features were mostly drab, uninspired affairs that promoted products more than anything else (let us introduce you to “The Emoji Movie“) And while there were a number of smaller animated features that attracted attention, none of them were crossover sensations and, once they left specialty screens, became increasingly difficult to track down.

2018 looks like it’ll be an uptick, both in terms of quality and variety of what is being released (with new features from major players like Aardman, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Sony, Animal Logic and Illumination) alongside intriguing independent productions like Toho’s first “Godzilla” anime (premiering on Netflix soon) and “Isle of Dogs.” These are movies that have a commercial and artistic edge, helmed by some of the most talented filmmakers in the industry (like Brad Bird, Genndy Tartakovsky, Rich Moore and Wes Anderson).

Continue reading Best Animated Movies & TV Shows Of 2017 at The Playlist.

[Updated Feb. 4]

Winner prediction:
1. “Coco”
2. “Loving Vincent”
3. “The Breadwinner”
4. “Ferdinand”
5. “The Boss Baby”

Current predictions:

Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Director
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography
Production Design
Original Score
Best Song
Costumes
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Documentary
Foreign Language Film
Animated Feature Film
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects

Continue reading 2018 Best Animated Feature Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

Santa Claus may have come and gone, but in the film world, everyone is still making their list and checking it twice. There’s just a few days left on the calendar for 2017, and everyone is sharing their rundown of the best the year had to offer at the movies.

Over at IMDB and Rotten Tomates, they’ve crunched the numbers to determine the “best” films of the year. IMDB obviously leans very blockbuster, and seems more subject to films that underwhelmed at the box office and received mixed to thoroughly awful reviews, but were pushed by fanboys (here’s looking at you “Alien: Covenant” and “Justice League“).

Continue reading IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes Top Films Of 2017 at The Playlist.

Even before filmmakers were even able to record and sync sound, movies and music have been tied together. Back then, music was played on a piano or an organ. Now, some of the world’s greatest composers write scores that can stand as works of art separate to the films they accompany, while often doing so much to make those works memorable. Or filmmakers curate killer compilations of songs familiar and new that can lead to some of movies’ most memorable moments (and an overlooked song being revived).

Continue reading The Best Scores & Soundtracks Of 2017 at The Playlist.

As Disney prepares to become a giant media behemoth with their acquisition of Fox, you might want to ask yourself if you really want one studio dominating the landscape. The mouse house has owned the box office for three straight weeks now, and will probably hold the crown for a few more to come.

“Coco” stayed on top at the multiplex, with the Pixar movie pulling in $18 million.

Continue reading Everyone Is Still Going To See ‘Coco’ [Box Office] at The Playlist.

If Guillermo del Toro ever decides to stop making movies (which we hope never happens; even his one year hiatus is kinda killing us), he could have a whole other career just talking and writing about movies. If “The Shape Of Water” isn’t proof enough, del Toro loves cinema, and is always eager to share his discoveries and thoughts with others about the films he feels passionate about.

Continue reading Guillermo del Toro Praises ‘Lady Bird,’ ‘Coco’ & ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ at The Playlist.

In case you’re curious, Pixar’s “Coco” is going to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar in March. Sure, “The Breadwinner” and “Loving Vincent” will earn nominations and even pick up some more critics’ groups honors along the way, but Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina‘s tearjerker has this one in the bag.  Keeping that in mind, the nominees for the 45th Annie Awards were announced this morning and there was no surprise that “Coco” led the way with 13 nods including Best Animated Feature.

Continue reading ‘Coco’ Sings With 13 Annie Awards Nominations As Oscar Awaits at The Playlist.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association handed out their year-end awards today anointing “Call Me By Your Name “ as Best Picture and it’s director, Luca Guadagnino, Best Director in a tie with Guillermo del Toro.

The organization also awarded “Call Me’s” Timothée Chalamet as Best Actor while “Shape of Water’s” Sally Hawkins won Best Actress.  “The Florida Project” won Best Supporting Actor, Willem Dafoe, and also was the runner-up for Best Picture. 

Continue reading ‘Call Me By Your Name’ Named Best Picture By Los Angeles Film Critics at The Playlist.

It remains the calm before the “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” storm at the box office, but no matter what, it’s Disney pulling in the big money before we return to a galaxy far, far away.

Pixar‘s “Coco” has stayed on top of the box office, pulling in $26.1 million, which along with another $69 million abroad, puts the film globally at $280 million to date.

Continue reading ‘Coco’ Plays A Winning Song; ‘The Shape Of Water’ & ‘The Disaster Artist’ Start Strong [Box Office] at The Playlist.

As always, The New York Film Critics Circle took hours to determine their year-end awards for 2017. By the time it was all said and done, Greta Gerwig‘s “Lady Bird” took home two of the biggest honors, Best Picture and Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan. Both wins not only help solidify nominations in both Oscar categories, but likely put Gerwig square in the mix for a Best Director nomination as well.

Continue reading ‘Lady Bird’ Takes Best Picture At 2017 New York Film Critics Circle Winners at The Playlist.

The National Board of Review announced its honorees for 2017 and “The Post,” “Get Out” and distributor A24 were the big winners of the day.

Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” took three honors including Best Picture, Best Actress (Meryl Streep) and Best Actor (Tom Hanks).  “Get Out” won Best Ensemble while director Jordan Peele took Breakthrough Director. Outside of “The Post,” the biggest winner of the day wasn’t one particular film, but one particular distributor.

Continue reading ‘The Post’ Named Best Film As A24 Dominates 2017 National Board of Review Winners at The Playlist.

The Thanksgiving holidays are nearly over, and Hollywood gave audiences plenty of options getting out of the house, before that one crazy Uncle starts a vociferous defence of Donald Trump after one too many glasses of spiked eggnog.

Pixar‘s “Coco” won the weekend with $49 million from Friday and a total five-day haul from its Wednesday opening with $71 million. It’s a decent, but not exactly thrilling number for the animation studio.

Continue reading ‘Coco’ Takes Thanksgiving, ‘Call Me By Your Name’ Has Sensational Debut [Box Office] at The Playlist.

Imagine three weeks ago. To say it was a different time is something of an understatement. Walt Disney Studios was basking the glow of not only a gigantic haul and critical acclaim for Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok, but a soon to be record box office tally for Pixar’s “Coco” in Mexico.

The Mexican set tale centers on Miguel (voiced by youngster Anthony Gonzalez), a 12-year old boy who has been forced to keep his guitar playing and singing skills a secret from his family.

Continue reading ‘Coco’ Directors Bask In The Glow Of Mexico’s Love at The Playlist.