Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is clearly one of our finest actors (he’s been nominated ten times in total for various Best Acting and Best Supporting Actor turns). The actor, who has worked with many of the greats, Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Jonathan Demme, etc. is also a very fine director. Washington has directed four feature-length efforts, “Antoine Fisher” (2002), “The Great Debaters” (2007), the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated “Fences”—arguably his biggest of all of them, nominated for Best Picture and winning Viola Davis the award for Best Supporting Actress—(2016) and “A Journal With Jordan,” a movie that kind of came and went in 2021.

Continue reading Spike Lee Tells Bradley Cooper Says Denzel Washington Is “Done” Directing In New 46 Minute Filmmaker Talk at The Playlist.

Well, that was something. As per usual, the Oscars were a marathon, and it was the very last category that provided the biggest spark the show has seen in decades, and maybe the most embarrassing moment in Warren Beatty‘s life.

The show trudged along into Best Picture to cap off the night, with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of “Bonnie & Clyde,” coming out to present the winner.

Continue reading Oscars 2017: ‘Moonlight’ Surprise Best Picture Winner, ‘La La Land’ Wins 6 at The Playlist.

It’s Oscar week, and all week long we’ll be running features to amp you up before Sunday’s ceremony brings awards season to a close and we learn whether “La La Land” sweeps or if “Moonlight” can be a spoiler to the party. And having ranked all the Best Picture winners a few years back, we thought, how else to kick off Oscar week but to rank all the Best Picture nominees?

Continue reading Ranking Every Best Picture Oscar Nominee Of The 21st Century at The Playlist.

Hollywood’s annual celebration of themselves arrives on Sunday with the Oscars, which will undoubtedly be a star-studded, glitzy, evening of hardware being handed out, braced by an array of political speeches. You might want to get the laughs in now, and luckily Screen Junkies takes an amusing overview of the Best Picture field in their latest Honest Trailers.

READ MORE: How The Oscars Fail Movies

From suggesting that Mel Gibson will inevitably torpedo his return to the spotlight to calling out “Arrival” for that scene with the Chinese general, this is a light-hearted look at the contenders.

Continue reading Honest Trailers Takes On The 2017 Best Picture Oscar Nominees at The Playlist.

We’re less than a week away from the big show. On February 26, first-time host Jimmy Kimmel will lead us into another night of surprises, upsets, disappointment, elation, fancy suits, lovely dresses, golden statues, cheers and jeers. We can practically smell the microwave cooked popcorn and homemade chili dip as we speak. The Oscars are nothing without ferocious opinions, hard-wrought cynicism and reformed faith in the (supposedly) “dying” art of cinema.

Continue reading Where To Watch All The 2017 Oscar Nominees at The Playlist.

We are entering the late fall of the awards season, with only a handful of major precursor awards left to unveil their winners before the Oscars in two weeks time. Tonight brings one of the biggest, in the shape of the British Academy Of Film And Television Arts Awards, or the 2017 EE BAFTA Awards. With a large British contingent, and the date having been moved up so it comes before the Oscars, the British Academy have become more and more important to awards season in recent years, with six of the last eight Best Film winners going on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards (though it split in the last two years, interestingly).

Continue reading ‘La La Land’ Wins 5 BAFTA Awards Including Best Film, ‘Moonlight’ Snubbed at The Playlist.

Continue reading 1-Hour Producers Roundtable Talk With Matt Damon, Frank Marshall, Darren Aronofsky & More at The Playlist.

Was this one of the most moving and entertaining SAG Awards shows ever? It’s quite possible that it was.

There was a sense of drama in the air at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles as just 15 miles away protesters were effectively shutting down LAX arrivals and departures in protest of Trump’s immigration ban. Something many actors in attendance had tweeted about or mentioned on the red carpet before the show.

Continue reading Best & Worst Of The 2017 SAG Awards: ‘Hidden Figures,’ Mahershala Ali, ‘Stranger Things’ at The Playlist.

The Screen Actors Guild held the 23izd SAG Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017. Here is a complete list of all the winners and nominees.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
CASEY AFFLECK / Lee Chandler – “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
ANDREW GARFIELD / Desmond Doss – “HACKSAW RIDGE” (Lionsgate)
RYAN GOSLING / Sebastian –“LA LA LAND” (Lionsgate)
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Ben – “CAPTAIN FANTASTIC” (Bleecker Street)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Troy Maxson – “FENCES” (Paramount Pictures) – WINNER

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
AMY ADAMS / Louise Banks – “ARRIVAL” (Paramount Pictures)
EMILY BLUNT / Rachel – “THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN” (Universal Pictures)
NATALIE PORTMAN / Jackie Kennedy – “JACKIE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
EMMA STONE / Mia – “LA LA LAND” (Lionsgate) – WINNER
MERYL STREEP / Florence Foster Jenkins – “FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
MAHERSHALA ALI / Juan – “MOONLIGHT” (A24) – WINNER
JEFF BRIDGES / Marcus Hamilton – “HELL OR HIGH WATER” (CBS Films)
HUGH GRANT / St Clair Bayfield – “FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS” (Paramount Pictures)
LUCAS HEDGES / Patrick Chandler – “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
DEV PATEL / Saroo Brierley – “LION” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
VIOLA DAVIS / Rose Maxson – “FENCES” (Paramount Pictures) – WINNER
NAOMIE HARRIS / Paula – “MOONLIGHT” (A24)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Sue Brierley – “LION” (The Weinstein Company)
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Dorothy Vaughan – “HIDDEN FIGURES” (20th Century Fox)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Randi Chandler – “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA” (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (Bleecker Street)
ANNALISE BASSO / Vespyr
SHREE CROOKS / Zaja
ANN DOWD / Abigail
KATHRYN HAHN / Harper
NICHOLAS HAMILTON / Rellian
SAMANTHA ISLER / Kielyr
FRANK LANGELLA / Jack
GEORGE MacKAY / Bo
ERIN MORIARTY / Claire
VIGGO MORTENSEN / Ben
MISSI PYLE / Ellen
CHARLIE SHOTWELL / Nai
STEVE ZAHN / Dave

FENCES (Paramount Pictures)
JOVAN ADEPO / Cory
VIOLA DAVIS / Rose Maxson
STEPHEN McKINLEY HENDERSON / Jim Bono
RUSSELL HORNSBY / Lyons
SANIYYA SIDNEY / Raynell
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Troy Maxson
MYKELTI WILLIAMSON / Gabriel

HIDDEN FIGURES (20th Century Fox) – WINNER
MAHERSHALA ALI / Col.

Continue reading 2017 SAG Awards Winners and Nominees – Complete List at The Playlist.

The Oscar nominations are in, and now begins the road to the ceremony next month, and the conversation tends to turn toward which movies deserve to win. There will be backlash against contenders (“La La Land“) and controversies about those nominated (Mel Gibson, Casey Affleck), and it can be easy to forget that the nine nominees for Best Picture are, mostly, pretty damn good.

Continue reading Oscars: Supercut Celebrates The 2017 Best Picture Nominees at The Playlist.

So as of this morning at 08:18 ET (and seriously, what a weirdly specific time slot — does it have numerological significance?), the weeks of speculation about what the 2017 Oscar nominations would be came to an end. The weeks of speculation about what the 2017 Oscar nominations mean can now begin.

READ MORE: Analysis: Wonderfully Progressive Oscar Nods Won’t Slow The ‘La La Land’ Train

There is, firstly, considerable good news especially if you or your fave film professional is listed under the “surprise” portion of this feature and not under “snubs.” In a more general sense, the 2017 nominee list also resoundingly addresses a fear some had expressed in the lead-up: namely that, while there were several black filmmakers, black-issues films and a lot of actors and actresses of color in the running, those films — specifically “Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures” and “Fences” — could end up cannibalizing each other’s votes.

Continue reading It’s #OscarsNotSoWhite But Still #OscarsSoMale In 2017 at The Playlist.

It’s awards-nerd Christmas today, with the reveal of the 89th Academy Award nominations this morning. We’ve already gone through the snubs and surprises of this morning’s announcement, as well as some analysis, reactions and a discussion of how it completes Mel Gibson’s comeback, but there’s plenty more to be unpacked, especially if you’re a stats fan.

As we do every year, we’ve broken this morning’s nods down to the numbers, from awards trivia to box office of the nominated films.

Continue reading The 2017 Oscar Nominations By The Numbers at The Playlist.

It’s time for the Oscar nominations, or as they’re known this year, “La La Land” Day. The musical was expected to scoop up a slew of nominations, but it really did a number on the Academy Awards this year (sorry).

The Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone starring musical earned a staggering 14 nominations, tying “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for most nods. Coming in strong behind were the sci-fi “Arrival” and “Moonlight,” each earning 8 nominations, with “Manchester By The Sea” landing 6 nods.

Continue reading ‘La La Land’ Ties Record With 14 Oscar Nominations at The Playlist.

We’re closing in on the Oscar nominations, which arrive next week, and as Film Twitter and pundits debate and argue about which movies deserved merit or not, it’s easy to forget the struggle filmmakers go through just to get anything made. And the latest directors roundtable from THR reminds everybody that a film is a mere stop on a life-long journey for each moviemaker.

Mel Gibson (“Hacksaw Ridge”), Oliver Stone (“Snowden”), Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”), Mira Nair (“Queen Of Katwe”) and Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) all swap stories from the battlefield of the set.

Continue reading 77-Minute Directors Roundtable Talk With Damien Chazelle, Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington, Barry Jenkins, More at The Playlist.

It’s now 5 PM in Los Angeles on the final day of Oscar nomination voting and as fellow awards season watcher David Poland has said for years, “pencils down” everybody.

READ MORE: 9 Things We Learned About This Year’s Oscars From the 2017 BAFTA Awards Nominations

The 2017 Oscar season began early with “Birth of a Nation” being crowed an inevitable Best Picture winner a year ago at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival while “Manchester by the Sea” was seen as a Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and screenplay opportunity at best (how times have changed).

Continue reading Oscar Nomination Voting Is Officially Over: Who’s In And Who’s Out? at The Playlist.

The American Society of Cinematographers announced their film nominees for the 2017 ASC Awards this morning, almost always a key indicator of the Best Cinematography field at the Academy Awards. Last year’s winner, Emmanuel Lubezki, won both honors for his work on “The Revenant.”

READ MORE: The Best Cinematography Of 2016

This year’s nominees are as follows:

Theatrical Release

Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS for “Lion”
James Laxton for “Moonlight”
Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC for “Silence”
Linus Sandgren, FSF for “La La Land”
Bradford Young, ASC for “Arrival”

There are four first-time nominees this year: Young, Sandgren, Laxton and Fraser.

Continue reading ‘Moonlight,’ ‘La La Land,’ ‘Arrival’ Earn Key 2017 ASC Awards Nods For Best Cinematography at The Playlist.

The USC Libraries announced the nominees for the 29th USC Scripter Award, which is a rare writing award that goes to both the screenwriter and the writer of the material the film or TV show is based on. It can also be an indicator of potential Best Adapted Screenplay nominees.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2016

The winners will be announced in a ceremony at USC on Feb. 11.

Continue reading ‘Moonlight,’ ‘Fences’ And ‘Hidden Figures’ Are 2017 USC Scripter Nominees at The Playlist.

As expected, the awards season belongs to “La La Land,” and at the Golden Globes tonight, the picture swept up pretty much everything.

The hit musical won seven awards this evening, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress (all in the Comedy or Musical category), Best Score, Best Original Song, and Best Screenplay. Another little movie that could, “Moonlight,” capped off the evening winning Best Picture, Drama.

Continue reading ‘La La Land’ Dazzles At The 2017 Golden Globe Awards, Full List Of Winners at The Playlist.

With more and more reasons to just stay home and #Netflixandchill, the awards season is a strong reminder that movies were made to be watched on the big screen. Damien Chazelle‘s gorgeous realized musical “La La Land” is truly a cinematic experience, and trying to immerse yourself in Martin Scorsese’s “Silence” on a laptop would be somewhat futile. And THR celebrates the lensers who made visual magic this year with their latest cinematographer roundtable.

Continue reading Cinematographers For ‘Silence,’ ‘La La Land,’ ‘Arrival’ & More Discuss Going Digital, Using Instagram, And More In 1-Hour Talk at The Playlist.

The Art Directors Guild of America announced the 21st Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards nominations this morning, and the biggest surprise had to be the tie in two categories.

Both the Period Film and Variety, Reality or Competition Series categories have six nominees due to a tie in the nominating voting process. Even with that extra slot in the former and the guild’s three film categories (Period, Fantasy and Contemporary), there were still some notable snubs.

Continue reading ‘Jackie,’ ‘Rogue One,’ ‘The Crown’ And ‘Game of Thrones’ Earn Key Art Directors Guild Awards Nods at The Playlist.

Hollywood has returned from its annual 10 day break (which is really more like two weeks) and those in the awards season game are wondering who’s in and who’s really out. The problem is, in the Best Picture race, outside of three contenders we might be down to a pick ’em for the rest of the field.

Make no mistake, “La La Land” (your winner), “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight” are all in.

Continue reading Contender Countdown: Only Three Locks For A Best Picture Nod So Who Else Has A Shot? at The Playlist.

The Writers Guild of America announced their nominees for the 2017 WGA Awards this morning, and there were some interesting selections, to say the least.

The industry clearly adores “La La Land” as Damien Chazelle‘s screenplay, arguably the weakest aspect of the film, made it into the Original category over Mike Mills‘ “20th Century Women,” Noah Oppenheim‘s “Jackie” and Matt Ross‘ “Captain Fantastic.” The other nominees in this category include Taylor Sheridan‘s “Hell or High Water,” Kenneth Lonergan‘s “Manchester By The Sea,” Barry Jenkins‘ “Moonlight” and Jeff Nichols‘ “Loving.” These five will not repeat in the Academy Award nominations announced later this month as both “Moonlight” and “Loving” have been deemed adapted screenplays by the Academy’s writers branch.

Continue reading ‘La La Land’ and ‘Deadpool’ Earn Somewhat Surprising WGA Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

Have you been struggling to type out that script? The one you’ve sat on for the past few months/years or so? Trying to figure out how to make it work? Hell, do you need some help getting it started in the first place? If you want to look for the best of the best of the year, look no further than below. Compiled for the consideration of Oscar voters everywhere, you have the chance to download and read more than 40 of the most acclaimed, sought-after screenplays of the past year.

Continue reading Download Over 40 Oscar-Contending Screenplays: ‘Silence,’ ‘Moonlight,’ ’20th Century Women’ ‘Arrival’ & More at The Playlist.

We are joined this week by Variety’s Chief Film Critic Peter Debruge and just in time to talk top 10s.  There was a lot of crossover with both of our lists, but even when we agreed it got…interesting. But, don’t worry. We’re still friends. It’s just a passionate debate between two friends who probably know way to much about what they are talking about.

But, it’s fun.

READ MORE: Gregory Ellwood’s Top 10 Movies Of 2016

Couple of quick corrections since this was recorded last week.

Continue reading 4 Quadrant Podcast Ep 7: Top 10 Movies Of 2016 With Peter Debruge at The Playlist.

Let’s skip the preamble and get to the obvious news: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opened huge this weekend, as everyone was expecting. The “Star Wars” spinoff movie debuted with $155 million domestic, tallied another $135.5 million overseas, and gave Disney a total of global launch of $290.5 million. Very impressive numbers. It’s the 12th-best opening weekend of all time domestically, coming in behind “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” and the second-best December opening ever behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Indeed, the saga movie remains untouchable, with ‘Rogue One’ $92 million off the opening mark of J.J.

Continue reading ‘Rogue One’ Has Massive Global Debut, ‘Collateral Beauty’ Gets No Love From Audiences [Box Office] at The Playlist.