American Sniper

Between my classes, homework and time devoted to theatre and film productions, I still found enough time to see every film up for a major award, but not to write as many reviews as I had in previous years. “American Sniper” had been a film that caught my interest based on the respect I have for Bradley Cooper’s work, when I saw he had gotten a nomination for best actor “Sniper” appeared on my must-see list. The film, based on an autobiography of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL sniper credited with a record number of kills during his four tours of duty in Iraq, and the difficult time he has leaving the war behind him when returning to his family.

Continue on reading American Sniper Review

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My Oscar Nomination Predictions 2014

Academy Award Films of 2014Best Picture:
1) Boyhood
2) Birdman
3) The Imitation Game
4) The Grand Budapest Hotel
5) The Theory of Everything
6) Selma
7) Whiplash
8) American Sniper
9) Nightcrawler
10) Gone Girl
11) Foxcatcher
12) Unbroken
13) Into the Woods
Please: Under the Skin, Wild, Guardians of the Galaxy, or The Babadook

Best Actor:
1) Michael Keaton – Birdman
2) Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
3) Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
4) David Oyelelo – Selma
5) Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Spoilers:
6) Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel
7) Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
8) Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
9) Timothy Spall – Mr. Turner
10) Joaquin Phoenix – Inherent Vice
Please: Miles Teller – Whiplash or Bill Murray – St. Vincent

Best Actress:
1) Julianne Moore – Still Alice
2) Reese Witherspoon – Wild
3) Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
4) Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
5) Jennifer Aniston – Cake
Spoilers:
6) Amy Adams – Big Eyes
7) Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
8) Emily Blunt – Into the Woods
9) Hilary Swank – The Homesman
10) Marion Catillar – The Immigrant
Please: Scarlett Johannson – Under the Skin

Best Supporting Actor
1) J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
2) Edward Norton – Birdman
3) Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
4) Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
5) Steve Carell – Foxcatcher (if eligible)
6) Robert Duvall – The Judge
Spoilers:
7) Josh Brolin – Inherent Vice
8) Chris Pine – Into the Woods
9) Tom Wilkinson – Selma
10) Christoph Waltz – Big Eyes
11) Charlie Cox – The Theory of Everything
Please: Matt Damon – Interstellar

Best Supporting Actress:
1) Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
2) Emma Stone – Birdman
3) Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
4) Keira Knightly – The Imitation Game
5) Rene Russo – Nightcrawler
Spoilers:
6) Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
7) Laura Dern – Wild
8) Carmen Ejogo – Selma
9) Naomi Watts – St. Vincent
10) Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer
Please: Stacy Martin – Nymphomaniac (Vol. I)

Best Director:
1) Richard Linklater – Boyhood
2) Alejandro G. Iñaritu – Birdman
3) Wes Anderson- The Grand Budapest Hotel
4) Ava DuVarney – Selma
5) Morten Tydlem – The Imitation Game
Spoilers:
6) Clint Eastwood – American Sniper
7) David Fincher – Gone Girl
8) Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
9) James Marsh – Theory of Everything
10) Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Please: Jonathan Glazer – Under the Skin

Best Original Screenplay
1) Birdman – Alejandro G. Iñaritu, Nicholas Guacabone, Alexaner Dinelaris, & Armando Bo
2) The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson (Story & Screenplay) & Hugo Guinness (Story)
3) Boyhood – Richard Linklater
4) Nightcrawler- Dan Gilroy
5) Foxcatcher – E. Max Fry & Dan Futterman
Spoilers:
6) Selma – Paul Webb
7) Big Eyes – Scott Alexander & Larry Kazawzeski
8) Mr. Turner – Mike Leigh
9) Interstellar – Christopher & Jonathan Nolan
10) Top Five – Chris Rock
Please: The Lego Movie – Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman or St. Vincent – Theodore Melfi

Best Adapted Screenplay
1) The Imitation Game – Graham Moore
2) Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
3) The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
4) Wild – Nick Hornby
5) Whiplash – Damien Chazelle
Spoilers:
6) American Sniper – Jason Hall
7) Inherent Vice – Paul Thomas Anderson
8) Unbroken – William Goldenberg, Richard LaGravenese, and Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
9) Still Alice – Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmooreland
10) Guardians of the Galaxy – James Gunn & Nicole Perlman
Please: Under the Skin – Jonathan Glazer & Walter Campbell

Best Cinematography
1) Emmanuel Lubezki – Birdman
2) Dick Pope – Mr. Turner
3) Robert D. Yeoman – The Grand Budapest Hotel
4) Hoyte Van Hoytema – Interstellar
5) Roger Deakins – Unbroken
Spoilers:
6) Ryszard Lenczewski and Łukasz Żal – Ida
7) Oscar Faura – The Imitation Game
8) Tom Stern – American Sniper
9) Bradford Young – Selma
10) Jeff Cronenweth – Gone Girl
Please: Yves Belanger – Wild

Best Editing
1) Birdman – Douglas Crise
2) Boyhood – Sandra Adair
3) The Imitation Game – William Goldenberg
4) Whiplash – Tom Cross
5) The Grand Budapest Hotel – Barney Pilling
Spoilers:
6) Gone Girl – Kirk Baxter
7) American Sniper – Joel Cox & Gary Roach
8) Nightcrawler – John Gilroy
9) Interstellar – Lee Smith
10) Selma – Spencer Averick
Please: Wild – Martin Pensa & John Mac McMurphy and/or Under the Skin – Paul Watts

Best Production Design:
1) The Grand Budapest Hotel
2) Into the Woods
3) Mr. Turner
4) Birdman
5) The Imitation Game
Spoilers:
6) Interstellar
7) The Theory of Everything
8) Big Eyes
9) Unbroken
10) Guardians of the Galaxy
Please: The Babadook

Best Makeup & Hairstyling
1) Foxcatcher
2) Maleficent
3) The Grand Budapest Hotel
Spoilers:
4) Guardians of the Galaxy
5) The Theory of Everything
Please: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Best Costume Design:
1) Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
2) Maleficent – Anna B. Shepard
3) The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
4) Mr. Turner – Jacqueline Durran
5) The Imitation Game – Sammy Sheldon
Spoilers:
6) Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
7) The Theory of Everything – Stephen Noble
8) Big Eyes – Colleen Atwood
9) Selma – Ruth E. Carter
10) Guardians of the Galaxy- Alexandra Byrne
Please: Magic in the Moonlight – Sonia Grande

Best Original Score:
1) The Theory of everything- Jóhan Jóhannsson
2) The Imitation Game – Alexandre Desplat
3) Interstellar – Hans Zimmer
4) Gone Girl – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
5) The Grand Budapest Hotel – Alexandre Desplat
Spoilers:
6) Unbroken – Alexandre Desplat
7) Under the Skin – Mica Levi
8) The Judge – Thomas Newman
9) How to Train Your Dragon 2 – John Powell
10) Big Hero 6 – Henry Jackman
Please: Godzilla – Alexandre Desplat or The Monuments Men – Alexandre Desplat

Best Original Song
1. Glory – Selma – John Legend & Common
2. Lost Stars – Begin Again – Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley & Nick Southwood – Perf. by Adam Levine
3. Everything is Awesine – The Lego Movie – Shawn Patterson, Joshua Bartholomew, Lisa Hamilton, and The Lonely Island – Tegan & Sara (ft. The Lonely Island)
4. Big Eyes – Big Eyes – Lana Del Rey
5. I’m Not Gonna Miss You – Glenn Campbell: I’ll Be Me – Glenn Campbell and Julian Raymond – Glenn Campbell
Spoilers:
6. Mercy Is – Noah – Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye – Patti Smith
7. Split the Difference – Boyhood – Ethan Hawke and Charlie Sexton – Ethan Hawke
8. Yellow Flicker Beat – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – Ella Yelich-O’Connor & Joel Little – Lorde
9. Miracles – Unbroken – Coldplay
10. Ryan’s Song – Boyhood – Ethan Hawke – Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, and Lorelei Linklater
Please: Immortals – Big Hero 6 – Patrick Strump, Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman, and Andy Hurley – Fall Out Boy

Best Visual Effects:
1. Interstellar
2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. Godzilla
5. The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
Spoilers:
6. Maleficent
7. X-Men: Days of Future Past
8. Transformers: Age of Extinction
9. Birdman
10. Captain America: The Winter Solider
Please: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Best Sound Mixing
1. Interstellar
2. Into the Woods
3. Whiplash
4. American Sniper
5. Fury
Spoilers:
6. Unbroken
7. Guardians of the Galaxy
8. Birdman
9. Lucy
Please: Wild or Godzilla

Best Sound Editing
1. American Sniper
2. Interstellar
3. Whiplash
4. Guardians of the Galaxy
5. Unbroken
Spoilers:
6. Fury
7. Birdman
8. Into the Woods
9. The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies
Please: Godzilla or Lucy

Best Animated Feature:
1. The Lego Movie
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2
3. Big Hero 6
4. The Boxtrolls
5. The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Spoilers:
6. The Book of Life
7. Rio 2
8. Song of the Sea
9. Penguins of Madagascar
10. Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Summer of Blood

Each year I patiently wait or TCFF to send me the publication listing the films to be exhibited for the coming festival. Some are films I have heard of, others are by directors, actors and or writers who’s body of work with which I’m familiar, but periodically a title, name or image captures my attention; such was the case with Onur Tukel‘s “Summer of Blood.” A film with a quirky collection of Vampires and a 30 something guy just trying to skate through life.

This was one very fun film  Click to Check out my full review.

 

2012 Chicago High School Film Festival

The Chicagoland High School Film Festival, gives high School students an unique opportunity to enter and show the films they have worked so hard to create. True there are Children’s film festivals, but since those events are geared toward films who’s language and content are appropriate to be viewed by young children, this event allows young film makers to exhibit works that are relevant to the issues and interests of teen filmmakers.

2012 Film Festival Finalists

Academic Integrity by Geoff Neal, Hayden McAfee, Frank Henderson, Jacob Hellinga, Patrick McGrail Lake Forest High School 13:11

Derivation by Nhan Huynh. Palatine High School 2:21

Robin and Her Wolf  by Lane Lubell. Latin School of Chicago 12:55

The Following by Jess Greenthin. Palatine High 1:02

Heart and Soul by Anna Price. Palatine High School 3:18

Bridge by Devitt Conboy. Fenwick High School 7:00

John Shepphard Skate Contest by Patrick McGrail. Lake Forest High School 3:54

HIV/AIDS Awareness 2010 by Brittany Hardaway. Dunbar High School 2:51

Letter From a Stranger by Grant Terzakis. New Trier High School 11:47

Q-Tips by Brittany Hardaway. Dunbar High School 1:00

The Dream Act by Nayelly Trujillo. Juarez High School/Street-Level Youth Media 7:00

Room For One by Andre Kaplan. Latin School of Chicago 5:40

Party at the School by Brittany Hardaway. Dunbar High School 3:43

Invite your friends, family, teachers and neighbors–this is a celebration of you and your work.
Tickets are only $3.00 for students and $5 for adults. Tickets can be reserved or purchased at the door.
We will have popcorn, water and a few concessions available to purchase.

Chicagoland High School Film Festival 2012
6:30-9 PM Friday, May 18
Wrigley Theatre,
Latin School of Chicago
59 W. North Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60610