"Elvis" maxes out on nominations from the AACTA

by Travis Cragg

Baz Luhrmann’s musical biopic Elvis has thoroughly dominated the film categories of the Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts (AACTA) scoring a nod in every category for which it was eligible. The grand total is 15 nominations! Not too far behind, with 13 nods each, are George Miller’s fairytale 3000 Years Of Longing and Leah Purcell’s revisionist Western The Drover’s Wife: The Legend Of Molly Johnson. In recent times, the big movie of the nominations tends to sweep the wins as well (see Nitram, Babyteeth, Lion, and Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby for evidence), so if you’re wanting to make predictions, the Presley biopic is the best bet for all. 

After the jump a list of nominations, where you can stream them in the US, and a few comments. In case Elvis leaves the building, we offer a few alternatives as to what might win...

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"TÁR" and "Aftersun" lead the 2022 Gotham Award Nominations

by Nathaniel R

The Gotham Awards, the East Coast indie prizes that pair nicely with the West Coast's much-later Spirit Awards, have announced their nominations for the 2022 film year so we're officially off! Todd Field & Cate Blanchett's collaboration TÁR and Charlotte Wells' debut film Aftersun (both fairly new in theaters) most impressed the various juries that the Gothams assign to categories each year. They led the way with four nominations each across the 8 film categories. Other films that have reason to celebrate today include but are not limited to Everything Everywhere All At Once and two films that have not yet opened for moviegoers, the gay military drama The Inspection (Nov 18th) and Sarah Polley's return with Women Talking (Dec 2nd).  Finally we've got a double acting nominee this year despite so few categories with Ben Whishaw nominated for both film  (Women Talking) and television work (This is Going to Hurt). 

Full list of nominees after the jump...

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Movie Stars Ruled the Weekend's Box Office

By Ben Miller

Don't let the haters tell you that movie stars don't matter.  The Dwayne Johnson led DC entry Black Adam easily won the weekend with $67 million.  That's Johnson's biggest opening for a film without the words Fast, Furious, or Mummy.  George Clooney & Julia Roberts counterprogramming rom-com Ticket to Paradise did just fine for itself with a $16.5 million opening.  Those two films expect to have some legs as there are no big openings release until Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on November 11th. And there are only 8 movies in wide release at that. The theaters need more movies...

Weekend Box Office (actuals) October 21st-23rd 🔺 = new or expanding /  ★ = Recommended links if we've written about it
WIDE (OVER 800 SCREENS)	LIMITED / PLATFORM
BLACK ADAM	TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
1 🔺 BLACK ADAM $67 *NEW*	1 TERRIFIER 2 $1.76 (cum. $5.1) 755 screens
2 🔺 TICKET TO PARADISE $16.5 *NEW*	2 🔺 ★ TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (sweden/uk) $601k (cum. $1.4) 280 screens

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Leslie Jordan (1955-2022)

Finally, in terrible terrible news beloved and hilarious Leslie Jordan has passed away. He was 67 years old. He had a medical emergency and crashed his car on the way to the hospital. The joy he brought so regularly on Instagram during the Pandemic with his gleefully Southern Gay Mischief energy will not soon be forgotten. He even managed to write a bestselling memoir during that late career rise to all new levels of popularity.

The 4'11" comic actor was best known for his memorably named characters like "Beverley Leslie" on Will & Grace and "Brother Boy" in the stage play turned movie turned TV series Sordid Lives. Other credits include The Help, The United States vs Billie Holiday, Love Ranch, and multiple seasons of American Horror Story. His last television role was "Phil" on three seasons of Call Me Kat. Have any favourite Leslie Jordan memories to share? 

Rome Diary #2: Women in love and another Caravaggio

by Elisa Giudici

JEONG-SUN

Two indie movies about how women find and lose love and an ambitious production about the life and art of Caravaggio. At the end of the day, it's one small gem followed by two disappointments...

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