Box Office: Panda Kicks, Jane Misfires

What did you see this weekend? Kung Fu Panda 3 had a strong debut on the typically slow final session of January. Without a vocal fanbase for the series, the sequel still performed well thanks to family audiences hungry for something for the whole family - like me and you they've exhausted their Star Wars repeats and have no idea what the hell Norm of the North is.

Jane Got a Gun, a well-documented troubled production, has arrived with about the quietest thud you could imagine. Weinstein Co. has quietly snuck it into release after endless delays at its former distributor Relativity continually shuffled its debut. Over the weekend, there were plenty of "It opened??" responses with nary an actual reaction to the film - a sure sign of the bare bones publicity the film was was granted.

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Personal Ballot: Casting, Ensemble, Breakthrough

Ready to start pouring over Nathaniel's annual Film Bitch Awards? The time is now. As longtime readers probably have gleaned, in my secret alternate fantasy life I became a casting director. It's one of the three jobs in movies I always thought I'd be terrific at (the others being editing and screenwriting). This is not bragging. It's fan-fic journaling. All cinephiles are allowed, indeed encouraged (at least here), to harbor such 'in another life' fantasies! The natural pull of casting is probably what keys up the interesting in SAG's Ensemble category so much even though they don't ever seem to absorb the meaning of the word but just pick five pictures they liked. 

Now that SAG has had their say, here are the Film Bitch Nominees in the casting friendly categories:  Casting, Ensemble, and Breakthrough Performers. You'll see major shout outs to Sicario and Brooklyn in particular, both the casts and their casting directors (Francine Maisler and Fiona Weir, respectively). It's still mortifying that they were looked over in terms of communal acting whenever ensemble prizes were handed out anywhere. Diary of a Teenage Girl, which we probably haven't talked about enough, is also honored twice over. 

And a note to remember as you read them: If a performer is nominated in one of our regular Oscar-adjacent acting categories they are not eligible for Breakthrough (so no double dipping) which is why you don't see Jacob Tremblay from Room for example since he was already nominated in Leading Actor. 

Sundance Buzz Pt 3: The Jury & Audience Winners

Sundance wraps up today with screenings of winners. So who took home the prizes? And what does it all mean...?

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Who Won the SAG Awards?

Kate Winslet that's who! I mean...

Oh you mean the actual statues? Don't be so basic!

The complete list is after the jump...

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SAG Awards Live Blog

Let's talk about you for a second...

7:11 This is the face Sarah Silverman made after hearing "Let's talk about you for a second" which is... sublimely funny, a perfect encapsulation of the faux humility #blessed of superstars attending awards shows in which they all fawn on each other. You're great. No, no, you're great.

07:14 Rami Malek doesn't know who he was wearing. Alicia Vikander says 'I've only watched this on YouTube' before. Idris Elba is working the grey in his beard. Everyone is adorable x3 is my point.

07:22 Saoirse is in light pink and Brie in baby blue and I'm not sure what to make of that.

07:25 Jesse Tyler Ferguson and E! Brad talking to each other 

- "Are you a nervous nellie."
- "Yaaas"

(hugs)

"-I hope I didn't get any contour on you"

This is the gayest thing I've ever seen on television. Which is saying a lot.

07:31 Nicole Kidman has arrived. [More...]

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