SAG Nomination Surprises: Emily Blunt, Captain Fantastic, and More

As we've noted several times in the past, SAG nominations are often among the most surprising for two reasons. First, the nominating committee changes each year, drawn randomly from the Screen Actor's Guild enormous body of dues paying members. Second, because the members are randomly selected and (presumably) spread out more geographically than the easier to target Academy and Globe members, their nominations can often feel like they were voted on earlier and that's the case this year with more summer films nominated than other awards bodies went with. 

The nominees with commentary are after the jump...

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Team Experience Finale: Golden Globe Gaiety

You must forgive your host for these next two and final Globe nom survey questions. Please blame the heavy NyQuill and other drugs for his terminl cold flu situation of the past 48 hours. After snubs and favorites, I asked the team which categories would make the Best Dinner Party and the Best Orgy. No really, I did. I apologize.

Here are the responses and I expect yours, too. Amuse me on my deathbed* in the comments please

*not really but that's what it feels like

WHICH CATEGORY WOULD MAKE THE BEST DINNER PARTY?

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"La La Land" leads the Critics Choice Nominations

The BFCA has spoken and as per usual the results are a mix of beautiful support of outstanding motion pictures and a few pockets of embarrassment! Under the beautiful support umbrella we find three terrific pictures leading the nominations with 12 for La La Land and 10 each for Arrival and Moonlight. Under the pockets of embarrassment portion of our programming in what universe is Captain Fantastic a "comedy" (Viggo Mortensen, who gives one of the year's best dramatic performances is nominated as best comedy actor but  not as best actor. What a world).

The BFCA's special categories, which aren't as well defined as the Globes, usually carry with them lots of weird and empty-headed calls. How, for instance, do you have 6 nominees for most categories but only 4 for Best Actress in an Action picture and only nominate supporting actresses for that prize and leave out two leading women who really carried their films with aplomb: Mary Elizabeth Winstead in 10 Cloverfield Lane and Blake Lively in The Shallows. Why even have these categories if you're not going to do them justice? 

All the nominations (film & tv) with comments are after the jump...

FILM AWARDS

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Nathaniel Gives Thanks !

Since it's Thanksgiving weekend and your presumably still digesting all that pie, let's stay reflective about gratitude, cinematic and otherwise. You've already heard from positivity-spreading volunteers among our team (Manuel, Jose, Daniel, Murtada, and Chris) so now it's my turn. I shall try very hard to come up with a few new things for which to be thankful since they stole so many of my items! 

Here are 16 things I am deeply grateful for in defiance of how awful 2016 was trying to be to all of us...

- The way Meryl Streep's eyes dart around desperately for validation during her wobbly notes in Florence Foster Jenkins. Girl, I feel you. Same.

- Brave endings that really land through force of vision and artistry from The Fits to The Witch through The Lobster and La La Land

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Podcast: The Handmaiden and Other Heavenly Creatures

We're back to weekly podcasts! This week Nick and Nathaniel revisit a summer favorite that's now on DVD and have divergent feelings about The Handmaiden despite their mutual Park Chan-wook history.

Index (41 minutes)
00:01 A Heavenly Creatures revisit
05:10 The Handmaiden and that time Nathaniel and Nick watched a Park Chan-wook together
25:00 Almodóvar's Julieta and Farhadi's The Salesman
34:00 Doctor Strangé & Captain Fantastic briefly to wrap-up

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you?  

Referenced in this conversation:
Nick's Isabelle Huppert e-mail hack | Nathaniel's photo op with Viggo Mortensen | A recent rewatch of Witness | Alama Drafthouse Night Out | 1994 Oscar Races 

The Handmaiden Fantastic