THE 2013 HOLLMANN AWARD WINNERS!

Ugh, so at this point I either get them all out now or don't get them out at all. So, without any ceremony whatsoever, in a move akin to that of the 2007 Golden Globes, here are the winners of the 2013 Hollmann Awards:

The 2013 Oscar Nominees!

Like Benedict Cumberbatch in August: Osage County, I am broken up over missing the Oscar nominees. It's the first time I've missed the announcement since 2006, so it's a terrible, terrible feeling to have. But then I remember, "Molly, you in Sundance, girl." Ah, yes. That's fine, then. It's okay.

The nominees are....

Lucky Guess?: Oscar Predix, 2013

I didn't mean to predict every Oscar category, but boy, once I got going, I just could not stop!

Hopefully I'll be able to watch the actual announcement Thursday morning, but if I don't, it'll be because I'm busy setting up BiteSize TV for success at the Sundance Film Festival. Yes, we will be streaming live content from Park City, Utah, and it is going to be a damn good time! So, worthy reason to miss out on the noms. Though I probably won't -- it's news, after all.

Anyway, my predictions are....after the jump, of course. Take a look.

The 2013 Hollmann Award Nominees!

Not to steal the DGA's thunder, but for some reason I decided today would be the perfect day to announce the nominees for the Eighth Annual Hollmann Awards! You've seen the Top 24, you've stewed over the Longlists -- now, prepare to be scandalized (or not -- I'm not the most unpredictable).

Like last year, the categories are presented in the order in which I figured them out, with the exception of Best Picture, which of course is all the way at the end. And, of course, this is a graphics-heavy post, so get ready.

The nominees are...after the jump.

The Longlists of 2013!

Clearly, I'm the kind of guy who functions best when he's making lists of film stuff. Yesterday, the Top 24 of the year; today, the Longlists for the Hollmann Awards!

The idea for the longlists began with BAFTA, which did this for years, the last time being 2011. It was a fun way of winnowing the field, not just in Best Picture, but in every category -- in my case, 18. It helps you get your thoughts in order, gives you a smaller pool to think over, allows you to annoy others prematurely as they see their favorites already discounted.

So, following are the semi-finalists -- 15 in each category, unless otherwise specified. You of course know the Best Picture lineup, but let's give you a reminder, with the remainder after the jump:

BEST PICTURE
(10 semi-finalists)

12 Years a Slave

Ain't Them Bodies Saints
All is Lost
American Hustle
Blue Jasmine
Her
The Lords of Salem
Prisoners
Spring Breakers
Wadjda

Top 24 of 2013

Most people do a Top 10. Many others stretch it to a Top 25. I do both, usually ranking 25 - 11 and teasing the semi-finalists for my own Best Picture award. 

But not this year. This year, The Silver Screening Room is stopping at 24. Why? The answer is simple: no film was worthy of taking that 25th slot. I know that sounds snotty, but it's true. I went through a number of titles in my head for the final slot, switching it out again and again not because of the quality of the other films, but because of the qualms I had with whatever fell into 25. And why make a list of what I consider to be the best if everything is asterisked with misgivings? No, in this case, less truly is more.

So, after the jump are my Top 24 of 2013. And if you're saying to yourself, "Oh, did he not see [whatever]?" you can see the full list of 91 films (plus the Top Ten of 1993!) right here. Meanwhile:

My Top Ten....of 1993

With 2013 behind us, it's time to look back at the year that's been. You know what that means: HOLLMANN AWARDS! Tomorrow, my Top 25; Friday, my longlists in all 18 categories.

But before we get to 2013....I have yet to share my Top Ten for 1993! So, that first; then, right below, the complete list of films I saw in 2013.

1. Six Degrees of Separation

dir: Fred Schepisi

scr: John Guare, from his play

cin: Ian Baker

Winner: Picture, Actor (Donald Sutherland), Actress (Stockard Channing)

Nominee: Production Design, Ensemble

SAG Award Nominees

Simply the Best

STUNT ENSEMBLE
All is Lost
Fast & Furious 6
Lone Survivor
Rush
The Wolverine

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

High-fives all around. Perfect.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler

Look, Squibb's fine in the movie, don't get me wrong, but who's voting this as Best of the Year? I don't think she fully succeeds in overcoming the inconsistencies Payne has her play.

ACTOR

Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels' The Butler

No Redford? Have we all gone mad? I figured Whitaker was getting in, but I had thought maybe McConaughey, maybe Hanks, would be swept out in favor of the Sundance Kid's effective solo performance. I'm glad they weren't, of course -- McConaughey's pretty good, and Hanks is giving one of the best performances in his career. But Redford, man....they should have kicked out Whitaker.

ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

I've yet to see the Streep and the Thompson, and they're two of my favorite actresses, so I'm optimistic. That being said, I do not get the hosannas over Bullock's performance. She does a good job anchoring the film, I guess, but when I look at the quietly gutting Rooney Mara in Ain't Them Bodies Saints, the layered warmth and panic of Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Enough Said, the relatable cycle of renewal and defeat Greta Gerwig portrayed in Frances Ha; when I look at all that, I can't help but feel we can do a hell of a lot better than Sandra Bullock in Gravity.

ENSEMBLE

12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Dallas Buyers Club
Lee Daniels' The Butler

Dallas Buyers Club! Now there's a surprise! Honestly, I was hoping they'd come through for Prisoners here, but I think I'm one of a handful of people who knows what that movie was all about -- and adores it. That's a true ensemble with across-the-board greatness -- and while I like an all-star cast as much as the next fella, Lee Daniels' The Butler is hardly across-the-board in its merits. I mean, Jesus, Forest Whitaker?

I don't want to sound like I'm beyond disappointed with these results. I'm just not exactly thrilled by them. Like, OK, bully for Lee Daniels' The Butler and 12 Years a Slave - I loved both of them. But other than Dallas Buyers Club in Ensemble, the omission of Redford, and All is Lost in Stunt, there was nothing thrilling about this lineup. I'm sure I'll have a better handle on these by Christmas -- by then, American Hustle and August: Osage County will be out. You know, for US MORTALS.

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Halfway Mark: 2013 Edition

It's July 1st, and you know what that means (or maybe you don't; either way, keep reading!): a First-Half Review!

Last year, I managed to catch 40 films,  and devote two posts to all of them. This year, I caught 40 again, but I ain't about all that work. Instead, here are my six least favorite experiences, two guilty pleasures, five enjoyable confections, and eight I really loved. But first...


The Fence
I have no idea yet where these two will fall, as I just saw them this weekend, but I really enjoyed both The Bling Ring and The Heat, although there were one or two caveats with each. Still, I'd probably see them again. Katie Chang!

Now for the rest. Many of these were reviewed on Cinemaniacs, my show on BiteSize TV with Ben Mekler, so I've linked those title, for further persual. Onward.

At Least the Title's Appropriate

I'm not exactly married to the Kenneth Branagh version of Shakespeare's popular comedy, since I first saw it in middle school and haven't watched it since -- though I do remember the razor-sharp delivery courtesy Branagh and the incredible Emma Thompson (also, Emma's slow-mo bounce as she hey-nonny-nonnies 'cross the fields). So please please please don't assume that I could not get on board with Joss Whedon's contemporary take because I think Branagh is the master interpreter of the Bard. And do not think me anti-Joss, either: of his shows, I've only seen Roseanne, which is incredible; and I quite enjoy Toy Story, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Serenity, The Cabin in the Woods and The Avengers.