"Mad Max" Leads the Critics Choice Award Nominations

Hot off of its impressive streak with the LA critics and the Golden Globes, "Mad Max" was nominated for an astounding 13 nominations. A film hasn't dominated the nominations this hard since "Black Swan" won 12 nominations back in 2010.

Other films with a strong showing were "Carol" and "The Martian" (9), while there was definitely some substantial support for "Room," "Spotlight" and "Bridge of Spies." Both Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren nabbed nominations for "Tumbo," continuing off of their surprise success with both the SAGS and Globes last week. It would seem as if they're on track to repeat with Oscar, though I personally think the Academy will ultimately pass on them.

See the full list of nominations below. The award will air on January 17.

5 Favorite Golden Globe Nominations

As you may have heard, the annual Golden Globe nominations were announced yesterday, for better or worse depending on who you've been rooting for this awards season.

One thing I'll say, is that the Golden Globes are always the most exciting, bat crazy awards show. They've long eclipsed the Screen Actors Guild and Emmys in relevancy, and honestly, have some better choices than the Oscars in most cases. Last year they made history for nominating the incredible Ava DuVernay for Best Director, the first black woman ever nominated for the award. Oscar did not follow suit. In fact, if you look at their slate of nominees and winners last year, a lot of them are better than what Oscar ultimately picked.

This year's awards race is honestly all over the place, and while the Globes did a better job than SAG at forming a consensus, I still couldn't tell you what films have the edge at this point. But confusion aside, there are some really good nominations here, five of which really stood out to me.

Reacting To The Golden Globe Nominations

I've said it once and I'll say it again: It's a truly strange year. If you were to ask me which film had the edge after yesterday's SAG announcement and now the Globes, I still couldn't give you a confident guess.

"Trumbo" led yesterday's SAG nominations, the strangest occurrence I've ever seen. Today, "Carol" led the Golden Globe nominations, which is less strange, though still doesn't mean it's our frontrunner. The Globes have a long history with Harvey Weinstein, as every awards show does, so I don't know whether to chalk it up to the film's overall excellence or their affinity for Weinstein.

Similarly, "Brooklyn" a film I thought was universally beloved was not embraced as heavily here. "Room" on the other hand, showed some surprising strength, which could be good news for Brie Larson. Saoirse Ronan's surge in Best Actress critics' awards last week should not be overlooked, but if Larson starts winning, then look out.

Take a look at the full list of nominations below.

Screen Actor's Guild Award Nominations

This year's SAG nominations... are all over the place. Wow, I'm not even sure where some of the voters pulled some of these nominees out from.

According to In Contention's Kris Tapley, the strangeness of these nominations might have to do with the incredibly early deadline voters were sidelined with this year, though I'm still puzzled. Absolutely no love for Ridley Scott's, "The Martian" (though that will surely change come tomorrow's announcement from the Golden Globes), and a complete last minute surge from Helen Mirren, with TWO nominations for utterly forgettable roles.

"Spotlight" only managed two nominations: one in the predicted ensemble category, and another for Rachel McAdams who has been largely absent from precursor awards thus far. "Trumbo," featuring Mirren and Bryan Cranston, received three nominations after being critically shrugged off and forgotten about.

"Room" didn't manage an ensemble nomination, but it did land two for Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. The latter really needed this to be taken seriously in a very crowded field. If he gets in tomorrow with the Golden Globes, I think he's in for an Oscar nomination. And "Beasts of No Nation" showed strength as well. Netflix must be breathing a sigh of relief. Again, if it shows up tomorrow with the Globes, it should be taken seriously as a viable contender.

I think a lot of these nominations are largely irrelevant, however, and based purely on early buzz and the campaigning.

See the full list of nominees below.

Second Round of Critics' Awards: Consensus Forming (Kind Of)

The Boston, Los Angeles and New York Online critics all revealed the winners of their awards today. This follows the announcements from the National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle and the Gotham Awards.

There's no one film that's dominating the Best Picture prizes in the way that "Boyhood" did last year, but it's worth noting that "Carol" cleaned up with the NYFCC, and "Mad Max" is finding wide support despite being a summer film. If there's anything these critics prizes are telling us, it's that there's a lot of love for a lot of different films. It's still anyone's game to win at this point.

Take a look at the winners from all three groups below.

"Tangerine" Reminds Us That Film Can Still Be Groundbreaking

There's a lot of talk about "Tangerine." From the moment it premiered at Sundance earlier this year, it instantly became known as 'the movie that was shot on entirely on an iPhone.' Director/Writer/Producer Sean S. Baker did indeed film the movie using an iPhone, three of them to be exact; The film was made for only $100,000 and Baker used a Mac Book's Final Cut Pro to edit the project.

Now, the film has been kicking up awards chatter. "Orange Is The New Black" star and everywoman Laverne Cox hosted a screening of the film this past week (one that I was invited to, but ultimately could not attend) for voters of the Academy Awards. The goal? To get the film's stars Mya Taylor and Kiki Rodriguez some awards buzz. The two just made history as the first trans actresses to be nominated for Independent Spirt Awards, while Taylor won the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Performance this past week.

So yes, there's a lot of talk, all of it is incredibly deserved. "Tangerine" is not only one of the best movies you'll see this year, but it's one of the best indie films to be released in some time. In a world filled with films like "Gravity" and a thousand super hero movies, this tiny film reminds us all that there's still actual magic left in the medium of film.

First Round of Industry & Critics' Awards: What Do They Tell Us?

It's that time of the year. After consistent guessing and predicting, we are finally starting to get a look at what films truly have the heat going into the Oscar race... at least for right now.

With the Independent Spirit Awards announcing their nominees last week, the Gotham Awards awarding their winners a few days ago, and now announcements from The National Board of Review and The New York Film Critics Circle, things are starting to fall in place... well sort of.

To be fair, these precursors do not decide the Oscars. If you remember back in 2010 when "The Social Network" won every critics award for Best Picture there was, and then went on to lose the Producer's Guild, SAG Ensemble Award and the Oscar, that fact is all too clear in your mind. But again, why these awards are important is because they show what films have heat and what films don't. They can sometimes translate into Oscar success ("The Artist" in 2011, for example) but in a mixed bag of a year like this one, where there is no clear consensus, it's a total toss up.

So, let's examine the first round of winners, shall we?

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: "Carol," "Beasts of No Nation" and "Spotlight" Show Strength

The Independent Spirit Awards are hardly predictive of the Oscars; In many cases, they highlight the smaller films that get left out of the overall larger conversation. However, they're important to examine, because of how the high-profile films that do show up here.

So when a film like "Carol," one that is critically acclaimed but sort of an underdog when you look at people's Oscar predictions, leads the nomination count here, that's an important takeaway. It hardly means that the Golden Globes, critics and Oscars will follow the same path, but it shows where some of the heat and momentum is. For right now, at least.

Other leaders are the Netflix film, "Beasts of No Nation" and "Spotlight," while some presumed frontrunners fell a little flat. Take a look for yourself at the full list of nominations below.

"Brooklyn" Is Old School Hollywood Magic

Author Colin Toibin wrote in his novel, "Brooklyn" that his protagonist Ellis Lacey and her family could, "do everything except say out loud what they were thinking." In the film adaptation of that same novel, Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan makes this aspect of her character incredibly clear through her incredibly textured performance. Over the course of the movie's near two hour running time, we see the evolution and growth of a young woman in an unfamiliar land play out beautifully across her expressive face.

"Carol" Is A Gorgeous, Quietly Intense Love Story

"Carol," is a lot of things. It's an adaptation of the brilliant Patricia Highsmith novel "The Price of Salt." It's masterpiece in the purest sense of the word; It's Todd Haynes most handsome, affecting work to date. It's a showcase for Cate Blanchett, and evidence that she is truly the best actress working today. How she manages to still surprise us all film after film is a thrilling mystery. More important than all of that, is that it is one of the greatest love stories ever committed to film.

Adele Is Back With "25"

It's been about four years since we last heard from Adele, when she began her domination of the record industry. "21" came at a time when album sales were at an all time low. Not even albums by Beyoncé or Lady Gaga could sell as well as earlier efforts; To say the record industry was slogging is an understatement. But then Adele came, and her cross generational appeal combined with being absolutely different from the Gagas and the Katy Perrys of the world that were flooding the radios sent "21" to the top of the charts. It is now one of the best selling albums of all time, and to date has sold 30 million copies worldwide. It still is sitting pretty within the Billboard Top 100.

"Art Angels": Grimes' Fantastic Follow-up To "Visions"

When Grimes (Claire Boucher) released her ambient masterpiece "Visions," back in 2012 she was hailed as the next big thing. Standout tracks 'Oblivion' and 'Genesis' launched her into an internet sensation, and prompted Jay Z himself to sign her to his label, Roc Nation. "Visions" won acclaim from nearly every music journalist out there, posing the aggravating question that every artist must face following a successful record: 'How are you going to outdo yourself the next time around?'

"Room" Review

Life for 5-year-old Jack (newcomer Jacob Tremblay) and his ‘Ma’ (Brie Larson from “United States of Tara” and “21 Jump Street”) doesn’t extend outside of the 11-by-11 foot interior of a sealed, sound proof shed. They’ve been held captive for several years by a man only named as ‘Old Nick’. To Jack, this shed (aptly named, Room) is the whole world— at least that’s what his Ma has raised him to think. The truth of the situation is too much for anyone to bear, let alone a young child. 

The Curious Case of Leonardo DiCaprio

With each Oscar season that passes us by, Leonardo DiCaprio remains Oscar-less. It’s become a tradition of sorts, for the Academy to bestow the award to any one of the other actors nominated alongside DiCaprio. No matter how batty the role is, no matter what he had to do to prepare for it, or how hard he campaigns for it, nothing can seem to win the former teen heartthrob his beloved trophy.

At the risk of setting the actor up for failure, this might just be the year he takes home the gold. DiCaprio is starring in Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu’s followup to the Oscar-winning “Birdman.” “The Revenant,” which co-stars Tom Hardy, focuses on a fur trapper, Hugh Glass [DiCaprio], in the 1820’s who is betrayed, robbed and left for dead by his accomplices following a deadly bear attack. The film follows Glass as he attempts to get his revenge. 

Though not opening to audiences until early next year, following a limited release starting on Christmas Day, buzz is naturally following the film and DiCaprio’s involvement. Reports say that awards analysts have been hired to strategically campaign the film for Oscars and see the film turns a profit after filming delays led to an expanded budget of $135 million. 

It remains to be seen if this will all come to pass, and whether or not DiCaprio’s past ‘snubs’ can carry him to a win after four losses. But has the actor really been ‘snubbed’ like everyone likes to think, or was the competition simply better? Let’s take a look by examining his nominated performances through the years. 

Natalie Portman's "Jane Got A Gun" Is FINALLY Happening

I'm sure a movie could be made just about the filmmaking process of the incredibly troubled "Jane Got A Gun." However, after countless director, actor release date AND distributor changes *sigh* the film has a trailer. It's happening!
Though Portman has been largely absent from the screen since collecting an Oscar and a billion other awards for "Black Swan" almost five years ago, save for a contractual appearance in the "Thor" films. With her directorial debut, "A Tale of Love and Darkness" awaiting release, and the announcement of her involvement in two buzzy biopics and now this, it would seem the actresses is coming back to the big screen guns blazing (no pun intended).

Portman plays Jane, a woman who is forced to team up with her ex-lover (Joel Egerton) when her outlaw of a husband is targeted by his gang's leader (Ewan McGregor).

Though I'm not exactly sure how the final product will pan out, the trailer is EXTREMELY focused on Portman (which is a good thing). This is unlike anything she's ever done before, so it's good to see the actress is still challenging herself after winning an Oscar.

Whatever the actual outcome, it's exciting to see Portman front and center in a project tailored to her.

Watch the trailer below. The film will (finally) be released in February. Hopefully the quality will supersede it's troubled journey to the screen.

A Competitive Year for Best Actress

The Oscar race for Best Actress in a Leading Role hasn’t been exciting since 2010, when Natalie Portman won for her performance in “Black Swan.” Since then, the category has been incredibly predictable. Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett and last year’s winner Julianne Moore had essentially been crowned long before the season had even begun, with little to no competition standing in their way of winning. 

This year, however, looks to change that. With the announcement that Alicia Vikander from, “The Danish Girl” will be campaigned in Supporting Actress, that leaves all five potential slots wide open for anyone to grab. Another pleasing bit of news is that this looks to be not only the most competitive race, but interesting in terms of roles. Many of the films in contention this year are female driven, which is a nice change of pace from the testosterone fest that was last year’s Best Picture race. 

Of the films that have premiered thus far, it’s a safe bet to say that Brie Larson is in the best position of landing a nomination, which would be her first ever. “Room” was something of a phenomenon after its incredible premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, where it won Best Picture. Larson has been on the bubble of breaking out for awhile, but given the large campaign that distributor A24 plans to mount in support of the film it seems like this will finally be her year. Her performance has been lauded as “astonishing,” and “remarkable,” and with the film being a strong contender in several other categories, seeing her miss here would be a surprise. Winning, however, is a different thing altogether. A24 has, unsuccessfully, tried entering the Oscar game before with films like “Spring Breakers” and “A Most Violent Year” so hold the applause until “Room” begins to expand to its theatrical release to see if it has strong word of mouth and box office performance. 

Larson’s strongest competitor, of the films that have been seen, is Saoirse Ronan whose performance in “Brooklyn” has been making waves since Sundance. Ronan, a previous nominee for 2007’s “Atonement,” has been receiving career best notices from the likes of The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, with the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score sitting pretty at 100%, calling her performance “outstanding.” The film’s central theme of coming of age is synonymous with Ronan’s own career as an actress. After winning acclaim as a child, she has since struggled with finding projects that suit her. “Brooklyn” seems to give the actress something to work with, and it’s pretty clear from the trailer that her maturity is showcased. This is another film  that will be a strong contender in several categories, including Picture, and the period element is something I predict Academy members will respond positively to. 

Also in contention is Lily Tomlin, who is experiencing something of a career resurgence with Netflix’s “Grace & Frankie” and her performance in the indie “Grandma.” Though reviews have been luminous, it remains to be seen if Tomlin can win awards attention for such a small film. Similarly, can Charlotte Rampling, who has never been nominated for an Oscar, translate career best reviews for “45 Years” into Oscar success despite the film’s small size? Controversy aside, “Suffragette” has previous nominee Carey Mulligan leading the female led cast towards the Oscars, but I’m not sure if the film can overcome the horrific press tour it’s been having. Cate Blanchett will have to face competition between her two performances in “Carol” and “Truth,” and though the internet wants Charlize Theron to be recognized for “Mad Max,” I’m not sure the Academy is ready to go all out for a genre film. It sounds crazy, but they’re more likely to embrace it in Best Picture or Best Director. 

Waiting in the wings to shake things up, however, is Hollywood’s favorite It Girl Jennifer Lawrence. Though you may have laughed at the idea that her Oscar submission this year was a biopic about the creator of the Miracle Mop, Lawrence and director/writer David O. Russell are clearly pulling out all the stops. This marks Lawrence’s third collaboration with O.Russell, the previous two being “Silver Linings Playbook” (which won her an Oscar) and “American Hustle” (which saw her almost winning another Oscar).

The trailer, which was cut to resemble a Scorsese movie, sparked a huge question of whether Lawrence would be in the running this year or not. But after the film’s secret screening last week, it’s clear she’s back, and stands a good chance of running away with the whole race… at least that’s what I’m hearing. Erik Anderson of awardswatch.com was lucky enough to be present at this screening, and called the film: 

“David O. Russell’s best film since ‘Three Kings… It’s such a director’s film and I think a culmination of everything from DOR’s career so far plus more… 100% Jennifer Lawrence show- in every scene. Could easily win… such a rich, complex story that, I think, doesn’t hold the audience’s hands.” 

The film does not premiere until Christmas Day, and will not screen at any high-profile festivals or events before then, so it’s important to take things like this with a grain of salt. But the fact that Lawrence is an Academy favorite at such a young age, and is assured to be in another box office success this year with the final “Hunger Games” film is something foolish to bet against; It’s the same formula that won her the award in 2012. 

I, for one, do not consider myself foolish, so I won’t be saying Lawrence is going to miss for this one. However, I don’t think this is going to be the cakewalk it was for her back in 2012. On the contrary, if Lawrence wants that second Oscar, she’s not going to be able to coast on simply a good performance, she’s going to have to campaign for it. And hard. 

Album Review: Selena Gomez, "Revival"

Best known for her hit Disney Channel show, "Wizards of Waverley Place", a pop music career seemed inevitable for Selena Gomez. She was primed to follow fellow Disney Channel stars Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato, both of whom established themselves in the world of pop music after toiling away pandering to children. Cyrus, the most successful (for lack of a better word), has all but thrown out that wig from her Hannah Montanna days, and established herself as a controversial figure, the bad girl of pop, something she clearly relishes. Lovato hasn't seen the career highs Cyrus has seen, but has an undeniable voice and a savvy for working her own struggles and setbacks in life into her music.

But Gomez is a much more questionable figure in the world of pop. She's done empowerment ('Who Says'), and hinted at incorporating her sexuality into her music ('Come & Get It') but ultimately has never established just who she is; As an artist, Gomez has always been molded by her songs, rather than molding the songs to her. Her last album, "Stars Dance", did little to advance her as an artist. Rather, it was a collection of songs that sounded like a pale imitation of Rihanna (which is funny considering many of the songs were offered to Rihanna before they landed in Gomez's catalog).

Since then, Gomez has changed labels. "Revival", the first release since she left Hollywood Records, is a career high for the singer, and finally gives listeners a glimpse of the singers behind the songs.

Category Fraud Runs Amok Through Oscar Season

It seems that with each passing Oscar season, incidents of category fraud grow more common, and the conversation around it growing louder.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the  term, "category fraud" is when an actor or actress is campaigned for awards in the wrong category. It's usually done to avoid "internal competition", which is campaigning two performances from the same movie, or simply a case of the studio going with the less competitive category.

"Sicario" Is A Total Knockout

"Sicario" begins with one of the most quietly mesmerizing opening sequences in recent history. Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an FBI agent leads a house raid in Arizona connected to the drug cartel responsible for kidnapping a group of hostages. What ensues, however, is anything but what Kate or her team expected; an all 'too easy' shoot out, rows and rows of dead bodies hidden behind the walls and a deafening explosion. The film's booming (but never overbearing) score by the always reliable Jóhann Jóhannsson lingers over the scene. It's clear to us that the team further from finding there target than before they started.

State of the Oscar Race

The Toronto Film Festival may be over, but awards season is just getting started. A bunch of potential Oscar players made a splash to the delight of critics and bloggers everywhere.

There were some notable surprises, but nothing that truly bombed; save for a few films, the big names more or less performed how they were expected to.

And then there were some films (the Rooney Mara/Cate Blanchett drama "Carol" for one) that decided to skip the festival altogether. That hardly matters; With Harvey Weinstein behind you, your film is assured some kind of nomination.

Here are a few of the biggest takeaways post-TIFF; Where do the current players stand?

"Room" Wins Big & Surprises at TIFF

The People's Choice Award (the Toronto Film Festival's Best Picture Award) has been given to films such as "Silver Lining's Playbook", "12 Years A Slave" and "The Imitation Game" to name a few. To say this award isn't an indicator of Oscar success (whether you're nominated for Best picture or actually win the whole thing) is foolish.

In a festival full of high-profile films such as "Spotlight", "Brooklyn" (the crowd pleasers), "The Danish Girl" (awards-bait) and other buzzy films such as "Our Brand Is Crisis", "Freeheld" and "Black Mass" (just to name a few), it's easy to lose track of all of the films attempting to make a splash.

Who Will (And Should) Win At the Emmy's

Oscar Frontrunners Make Strides at Telluride and Venice

With the Venice and Telluride Film Festivals opening this past week, the Oscar contenders wasted no time in making their stakes at the front of the evolving race.

Below are a list of the films that received a boost from critics and bloggers after their respective premieres.

"Miley, What's Good?"

The biggest takeaway from last night's laughably horrendous VMA's was definitely Nicki Minaj calling Miley Cyrus out on her bullshit after winning Best Hip-Hop Video.

The Weeknd "Beauty Behind The Madness": A Triumph

There's that rare moment in every singer's career where the stars align to give way to mind boggling superstardom. We've seen it many times, most recently with Iggy Azalea. Her monster hit 'Fancy' follow up 'Black Widow', guest verse on Ariana Grande's 'Problem' and several Grammy nominations saw her in high demand. This ultimately led to her demise when the general public realized that Azalea was purely label constructed, and possessed zero talent whatsoever.

Sometimes it's not so fleeting, as Taylor Swift is currently discovering. Sure, Swift has always been a reliable seller (her opening week sales just keep growing), but she struck a sweet spot with her latest album '1989', an album that almost a year after its release is still in the top 10 on Billboard. Each single has been a hit (three #1's and one top 10 hit, with next single 'Wildest Dreams' perched for similar success). Her world tour is on its way to becoming one of the highest selling tours in history, and though she's attracted some criticism lately, it seems Swift is gearing up for an Adele like awards season sweep.

So that brings us to the crazy talented Abel Tesfaye, or The Weeknd, who finally broke through to the mainstream last year after wallowing around in the land of the indie darlings. After landing a guest spot on Ariana Grande's successful 'Love Me Harder' and 'Earned It', one of the hit singles from the "Fifty Shades of Grey" soundtrack, Tesfaye didn't waste any time at seizing his moment; He followed up with the one two punch of 'The Hills' and 'Can't Feel My Face'. Both songs are sitting pretty in the top 5 of Billboard's Hot 100, and with his album dropping in a few days, I can tell you that this is the moment where Tesfaye becomes a household name.

"E•MO•TION" is Carly Rae Jepson's Masterpiece

When Carly Rae Jepson released 'All That' a few months ago, it was clear that she had grown as an artist since her 'Call Me Maybe' days. The Dev Hynes produced track sounded like something straight out of the 80's; a previously unearthed pop gem buried deep in a time capsule, ready to be discovered by today's listeners. Where Jepson's songs previously relied on inescapable hooks, this song was rooted deeply in its sound, with Jepson's voice twinkling throughout, slowly building to the song's masterful thrilling climax. It suggested that with the release of this album, Jepson was dropping something special.

Meryl Streep Shines in "Ricki and the Flash"

There's not much to say about Meryl Streep that hasn't been said already; as the actress with the most Academy Award nominations in history, and one of six actors ever to win three or more Oscars, it's clear she's one of the greats. Her ability to disappear into nearly any role is an ability not held by many, and she possesses the rare mastery with accents.

It's funny that Streep's most critically embraced roles are the ones you can see her sweating the most in. Her most recent Oscar win came from playing Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady", which other than Streep's technically perfect performance was a complete misfire. Sure, Streep looked and sounded like Thatcher, but there was no soul; it was evident she was putting all of her effort into pulling off the mannerisms and Thatcher-ness.

So what a joy it is that in "Ricki and the Flash", Streep looks to be having more fun onscreen than she's had since playing Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" back in 2006. There's an effortlessness to this performance that has eluded her recent work; even her turn in last year's "Into the Woods" seemed too much. It seemed as if she was trying to outdo Bernadette Peter's legendary portrayal of The Witch, but here, Streep is right at home in this world crafted by Diablo Cody ("Juno", "Jennifer's Body") and Jonathan Demme ("Silence of the Lambs", "Rachel Getting Married").

Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" Trailer Surfaces Online

Quentin Tarantino has assembled a starry ensemble for his latest (eighth!) feature film. Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Damián Bichir, Bruce Dern, and even Channing Tatum will star in the western.

Set sometime after the Civil War, the plot revolves eight westerners who seek refuge in a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass during a blizzard.

Specifics on the plot are still a little thin, with the latest trailer doing a far better job at introducing the colorful characters than telling us what the story is. But if there's anything Tarantino is good at doing (for better or worse), it's spinning a very intricate story filled with memorable characters. We know he can deliver that at the very least, so whatever the  end result is, it won't be boring.

Judging from the trailer, it seems to be meaty opportunity for Jackson, who was the best part about the otherwise meanderingly long "Django Unchained". Leigh's involvement also intrigues me, as it's been some time since the actress has had anything to do. Both actors are vastly underrated in terms of critical adoration, so let's hope that Tarantino hasn't saddled them with a thankless role like he did to Kerry Washington.

Who knows if the Academy will go gaga for this in the same way they did with "Inglorious Bastards" or "Django", but seeing as it's Tarantino and Weinstein is distributing, it's definitely a contender.

"The Hateful Eight" will be released on Christmas Day, just in time for awards season. You can watch the trailer below.

Boycott Roland Emmerich's "Stonewall"

After the landmark decision by the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States, and all of the progress the LGBT community has made, Roland Emmerich's "Stonewall" is a slap in the face. Based on the pivotal 'Stonewall Riots' in 1969 (the event that started the LGBT movement in this country), the film stars Jeremy Irvine (from 2011's "Warhorse"), Ron Perlman, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Joey King and Jonny Beauchamp.

One thing that's instantly noticeable about the cast, is how overwhelmingly white it is, which is not only just flat out ignorant, but historically inaccurate. People of Color not only have historically been huge players in the fight for LGBT rights, but People of Color specifically started the Stonewall Riots. Specifically a black Trans woman named Marsha P. Johnson. Johnson is credited by many with starting the riots. Curiously, Johnson is not a character in the film, and Irvine's character is not based on a real person; he has been created for the film.

Eddie Redmayne is Front and Center on "The Danish Girl" Poster

We're still on the fringe of Oscar season, but all of the contenders are beginning to fall in place. Eddie Redmayne, our most recent Best Actor winner, is already predicted by many experts to be our frontrunner.

Redmayne's back with another transformative performance, this time as Lili Elbe. Elbe was the first recipient of sex reassignment surgery in the 1920s after being a stand in for a female model in one of her wife's paintings.

Though we've discussed why Redmayne's casting over actual Trans actresses is problematic, there's no doubt in my mind the Academy will take notice. Again, Redmayne won an Oscar just a few months ago, which means a buzzy role like this is likely to provide an 'afterglow' nomination. Not to mention that the film is being directed by Academy Award Winner Tom Hooper.

The film also stars Alicia Vikander, who is being poised as the newest it girl; hot off her success with "Ex-Machina", she will also star in the newest installment of the "Bourne" series. It's also possible she will follow in Felicity Jones' footsteps and land a nomination for playing Redmayne's wife.

Take a look below at the poster for the film, which will screen at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival before being released on November 27.

"Room": Brie Larson's Best Actress Play?

I've been waiting for Brie Larson to break out since her time on the criminally underrated "United States of Tara". She came very close in 2013 with "Short Term 12", delivering a performance that warranted serious Oscar attention.

After laying low for a bit, she's coming back with one of the buzziest projects of the year. "Room" (based on the novel of the same name) has been picked up by distributor A24, and is directed by Lenny Abrahamson ("Frank") and written by the novel's author Emma Donoghue.

The film's premise revolves around a woman (Larson) who has been held captive in a room with her five-year old son for an undetermined amount of time. I haven't read the novel, but it was critically acclaimed back in 2010 when it was released. The trailer leaves the perfect amount of mystery, and creates enough tension while making it clear this will be a great vehicle for Larson's tremendous acting talents. It's hard to remember the last time a trailer was so effective in generating interest in a film.

Though A24 has yet to nab an acting nomination for actors in their movies (they came close last year with Jessica Chastain in "A Most Violent Year"), I think with enough support from critics, Larson could crack be the first. It'll be tough though, as veterans like Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep all have movies coming out this season.

Nevertheless, the trailer seems very promising (which you can watch below). The film also stars Academy Award nominees Joan Allen and William H. Macy, and will be released on October 16th after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Why Nicki Minaj's Twitter Exchange with Taylor Swift is Important

Nicki Minaj has always been outspoken, and that's what makes her so great. Besides having the talent (both as a writer and as a rapper) to back up her success, she has never shied away from speaking her mind on issues she feels that are important. Most notably at last year's BET Awards when she flawlessly shut down her critics accusing her of having a ghostwriter (and threw a little shade at Iggy Azalea in the process)

Such has been the case for as long as Minaj has been in the game. Her verse in Kanye West's "Monster" is legendary, and came at the perfect moment when she was still in the process of releasing her debut album. Since then, Minaj has released two more albums (including her best, last year's "The Pink Print"), a dozen hit singles and many more memorable features; She has a knack for stealing the spotlight, elevating her status as the guest, to the main attraction.

Last year, Minaj experienced a career high that propelled her back into "Monster" territory; the release of "Anaconda". The single's cover art launched a thousand parodies and staged Halloween costumes, which would have been enough to establish it as iconic, but with the release of the music video, Minaj broke records. Specifically the Vevo record for most views in 24 hours (previously held by Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball") with 19.6 million views.

So it's strange that when MTV announced their nominations for the upcoming VMA awards, that "Anaconda" was left out of the Video of the Year category. Cyrus' video (which was not even close to being as good in terms of quality) and record breaking not only got her nominated, but she actually won. So why was Minaj excluded?

Taylor Swift's overhyped and overrated "Bad Blood" music video made the cut, despite making much less of a cultural impact and featuring 1,001 more bells and whistles. Also making the cut was Beyoncé's completely funny and adorable "7/11" music video, while Ed Sheeran ("Thinking Out Loud"), Kendrick Lamar ("Alright"), and Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars ("Uptown Funk!") also found themselves nominated. You could make a strong case for each of those videos, but to be honest, none of them had the impact that "Anaconda" had, not even close.

Minaj took to Twitter yesterday in the wake of her snub, and while starting off thankful for being recognized, evolved her stream of consciousness to a critique of the obviously very biased system that is the awards process.

(NOTE: these are just 3 tweets in a series posted by Minaj, for the rest see her Twitter account)

Aside from being a viral sensation, "Anaconda" also was a very body positive music video, featuring women whose bodies are not traditionally celebrated in pop culture. It also featured strong imagery of female empowerment, something that has always been a staple in Minaj's music. Point blank, it was clear that this was a snub, and while many lambasted Minaj for being angry over a VMA, she has a point.

So fast forward to an hour or two later, when Taylor Swift got ahold of Minaj's Twitter stream. In typical Swift fashion, she decided to make it all about her.

Swift's response was incredibly problematic (but we'll get to that in a second), which warranted a response from Minaj.

To which Swift (embarrassingly) responded with..

.. yeah, yikes doesn't do that justice.

As many of you may have noticed, during the promotion for her latest record, Swift has become an outspoken "feminist" personality. A lot of her interviews have circulated around the criticism that all of Swift's songs are about her relationships and that she's a man-hungry crazy girl, something she expertly critiqued in her hit single "Blank Space". However, that just about does it for Taylor Swift: The Feminist. The problem with Swift's version of feminism is that it's exclusive; never once has Swift addressed women of color, or even the plight of Trans women. Not to say that Swift should masquerade as a Feminist authority, but if she was half of the Feminist she and the media have labeled her as being, she would have at least displayed some sort of knowledge about these issues, or just been able to pick up what Minaj was throwing down.

So when she replied to Minaj's tweets about being excluded, she said a lot more than what I think she meant to say. And her insistence of Minaj joining her onstage is so damn cringe-worthy; So Minaj now needs Swift to make it up on stage? And let's be real here, we know Swift would do that only for the opportunity to pat herself on the back for giving Minaj 'her moment'.

Cue the inescapable media coverage that unsurprisingly labeled Minaj as the 'attacker' (despite never once mentioning or even alluding to Swift) and Swift 'the victim' in the same fashion as Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea. The most memorable headline comes from a now deleted tweet from Ryan Seacrest, reading:

"@TaylorSwift13 blasts @NickiMinaj for #VMAs jab: 'I've done nothing but love & support you'"

However, Seacrest wasn't the only one. Entertainment Weekly tweeted a very skewed tweet as well (now deleted):

To which Janet Mock flawlessly critiqued:

Now again, I would like to point out that if Swift was a true feminist, she would have gone out of her way (much like Mock and many others on Twitter did) to defend Minaj. It would have been so refreshing to see Swift tweet something that combated the media making this into a "spat" or "one pop star blasting another". Because despite Swift predictably making this all about her, Minaj was having a very thought provoking dialogue. Swift as the major Feminist she allegedly is, should have put a stop to allowing the media to paint Nicki as "the angry black woman" or even just trying to make this out to be a petty catfight clickbait that so many made it. Instead, however, Swift recoiled into her bubble of privilege, because after all, why would she critique the very system she stands to benefit from?

Swift's ascension has been so mind-blowing, that even as a die hard fan of her work, I'm baffled as to how she's reached such a staggering high in her career five albums in. She's worked hard no doubt, but to look away from the fact that she enjoys a level of privilege that Minaj does not would be just flat out ignorant. Not to mention, many labeled Minaj as "petty" for being angry over her snub, and for joining the TIDAL streaming service that sought to expand the royalties artists got per stream. Swift, on the other hand, was labeled as a hero for taking her catalog off of Spotify, and for demanding Apple pay artists during the three month free trial.

So why is Minaj wrong for wanting accolades for her work, when Swift has been no less more hungry for praise? And need I mention those cringe-worthy stories of Swift suing her former guitar teacher for merely advertising that he taught her to play at one point? Or suing fans for making fan memorabilia on Etsy? Where were the dozens of articles criticizing her for being greedy that Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Madonna, Rihanna and Minaj endured for launching TIDAL? Where were the think-pieces about the TIDAL gang standing up for the artist that Swift enjoyed when she wrote her open-letter to Apple (which, need I mention has been speculated to be a PR stunt between Apple and Swift).

This exchange is important because not only does it reveal the biases in the entertainment industry, but it reveals the popular misconceptions about Feminism. Swift's version of Feminism (recoiling and saying "We shouldn't pit women against each other", only discussing it when she stands to gain something etc) is not the feminism we should be practicing. Rather, Minaj letting Taylor know that as a self-proclaimed feminist, she should be vocal about issues concerning not just white women, but women of all kinds, is the Feminism we should be practicing. And trying to make it about "being up on-stage", aka Taylor's way of reminding Nicki that yes "Bad Blood" is probably going to win, is also completely missing the point she was making.

I'd also like to point out that Swift's comment that Minaj was "pitting women against each other" (rather than critiquing the industry as a whole) is flawed, because not only is "Bad Blood" a diss track to singer Katy Perry, but the video literally women fighting each other. It fails to make any sort of larger statement about women joining forces and positively influencing one another, all celebrity cameos and female empowerment allusions aside. It's a cute homage to "Toxic" and "The Fifth Element", but it's not the Feminist manifesto Swift and her camp would like you to believe.

So while the media, and lots of others, are painting this as a petty catfight, don't let the bigger takeaways escape you. And if you can't do that, at least do the right thing and vote for literally any other nominee but the "Bad Blood" music video