Quick Links Over Coffee. And "LISTEN!" It's the Critical Decision
Wednesday, December 24, 2014 at 12:23PM 
Jude Law drinking coffee back in the dayWhoa! Off to such a late start today.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE
Here are a few links for you to enjoy while I drink my lunch (aka coffee) and prepare a few posts... posting continues through the holidays so if you're having a Blue Christmas, please know that we're here for you in the comments section / posting form with reviews coming up for Selma & Into the Woods. If you'll be offline for most of the holiday week, collect your belated gifts when you return. The Oscar stuff, year in review collections, chatty interviews and podcast, and silly polls will all still be here when you return. (Just click on that "pages" thing once you run out of the freshly baked articles at the bottom and you'll get to the day old stuff and so on. Only a few of the articles have expiration dates, you know.
Mic I somehow missed all the hubbub about Shiloh "John" Jolie-Pitt but agree that the Spawn of Our Most Beloved Celebrity-Celebrity Couple On the Planet looks spiffy in a suit.
Vanity Fair David Fincher wants to make a movie about music videos? YES PLEASE. The man for the job obviously.
In Contention Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) is joining the Jobs biopic... you'd think this movie would scare people away after all those Sony emails
Pajiba chooses the most exhiliarating TV characters of 2014
The Daily Beast Idris Elba wanted for next James Bond maybe.
Mediate I love how upset this is making idiots like Rush Limbaugh. Hee.
Film Stage What would you add to their list of Cinematography bests this year?
Cut Print Film asked you to reconsider Shia Labeouf. I have been!
Vox 30 best tv shows of year
Ah, and thanks to Arjan Writes for pointing out Jennifer Hudson doing a playful impromptu take on Beyoncé's "Listen" when she visited a radio station just the other day if you need a dash of Christmas 2006 in your Christmas 2014... and who doesn't?
(Critics List Navel Gazing / Blog Tracking Decisions after Jennifer sings!)
Finally Some Housekeeping Notes for those curious about future film critics awards coverage...)
I think I'll take San Fran Cinema's comments to heart from the most recent critical kudos post and accept that I'm just never going to be the blog y'all come to for Film Critic Association news. Soul Searching Decisions (only for those with high tolerance for this sort of thing after the jump)
With over 35 groups now doing multiple rounds of press releases for their little regional odes to cinema (and literally more each year... though the amount of films winning awards doesn't increase), it's just way more than we can handle here at TFE as a one-man show with a couple handfuls of magical elf columnists who help out once a week or less covering other beats. So next year it's decided. Limiting myself to a dozen to focus on. Unless there's a peculiar note that prompts an article we'll just link up.
12 Groups
London (1926), New York (1935), National Society (1966), Kansas City (1967), Los Angeles (1975), Boston (1981), Chicago (1990), SEFCA "Southeastern" (1992) - announced this weeK icymi, BFCA* "Critic's Choice" (1995), San Diego (1996), Las Vegas (1997), OFCS 'Online' (1997)
????? HELP !
I'll still have to decide what to do about representational awards (gay groups like GALECA*, and what to make of their being two different representational groups for black critics and two different for critics with vaginas. The Women's Film Critics Circle -announced and Alliance of Women Film Journalists were both formed within 2 years of each other and both have huge memberships. Why not fuse them into one powerful entity. Why were two formed? What separates them? Was someone rejected from one and started their own? Same goes for the African American Film Critics Association (already covered) and the Black Film Critics Circle (just announced) which had the same winners this year for PICTURE, ACTOR, ACTRESS, SUPPORTING ACTOR, AND DIRECTOR (only differing on Supporting Actress). Why two different groups? Give me answers!
Industry & Other
Obviously we'll continue to cover all the industry groups as well as the groups that aren't composed of critics or industry but still hold a significant sway, due to institutional history and/or television and/or unique place (NBR & The Globes) while ignoring any group that is PR negotiated (like the Hollywood Film Awards) or disreputable in some way and known to have voted for movies they didn't see (Golden Satellites)
*Disclosure: I'm a member of both of those organizations
Reader Comments (8)
I think limiting the regional critics' prizes to a dozen groups is very wise. As an avid reader of film sites, especially yours, I tend to become overwhelmed by all of the group prizes this time of year, which invariably overlap each other anyway. I like the idea of sticking to the main groups that have been around the longest, as well as some representational groups for other recognition purposes. If next year certain regional film groups have off-the-wall prizes that buck against the consensus, you can always include a short post highlighting these anomalies. Just a thought. Anyway, I love the direction The Film Experience is heading.
Best wishes and happy holidays, Nathaniel and company!
I could listen to JHud sing random songs all day. No idea why she hasn't dominated the charts with that voice. Which reminds me, I need to pull out Black Nativity for Christmas.
Shiloh looks so much like Jon Voight. In the best way possible.
Don't change Nat. I think you do an admirable job and what I miss here, I can find (or it finds me) from other sources. Remember, no one can be everything to everyone but you're doing a pretty good job of trying.
And thanks for the Jude Law photo.
Thanks for linking to our Shia Labeouf article. It's most appreciated!
That Mediate piece! WTF? I try to forget Rush exists (Rush is to Missourians what Mel Gibson is to......everybody?) but he can still surprise me. What an idiot.
Thanks for the shout-out -- and good for you for setting the new limitation on critics coverage.
The representational groups are important, because they shine a light on films and filmmakers that the mainstream groups, and the fanboy Twitterverse, often ignore. That said, I don't know anything about what distinguishes different awards bodies that encompass the same communities. Everyone just wants his or her voice heard, I guess.