2012 Awards -- Southeastern Film Critics

These awards are a bit dear to my heart, since I currently live just outside Atlanta. Also, I'm friends with two of the voting members of SEFCA. That said, it's a win for Picture & Director for Argo!!!

TOP TEN FILMS

1. ARGO (Best Film)
2. Zero Dark Thirty
3. Lincoln
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Silver Linings Playbook
6. Beasts of the Southern Wild
7. The Master
8. Les Miserables
9. Life of Pi
10. The Dark Knight Rises

BEST DIRECTOR:  BEN AFFLECK -- "ARGO"
     Runner-up:  Kathryn Bigelow -- "Zero Dark Thirty"

BEST ACTOR:  DANIEL DAY-LEWIS -- "LINCOLN"
     Runner-up:  Joaquin Phoenix -- "The Master"

BEST ACTRESS:  JENNIFER LAWRENCE -- "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"
     Runner-up:  Jessica Chastain -- "Zero Dark Thirty"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN -- "THE MASTER"
     Runner-up:  Tommy Lee Jones -- "Lincoln"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  ANNE HATHAWAY -- "LES MISERABLES"
     Runner-up:  Sally Field -- "Lincoln"

BEST ENSEMBLE:  LINCOLN
     Runner-up:  Moonrise Kingdom

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:  MOONRISE KINGDOM
     Runner-up:  Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:  ARGO
     Runner-up:  Lincoln

BEST ANIMATED FILM:  PARANORMAN
     Runner-up:  Frankenweenie

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:  LIFE OF PI
     Runner-up:  Skyfall

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  THE INTOUCHABLES
     Runner-up:  Amour

BEST DOCUMENTARY:  THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES
     Runner-up:  Bully

BEST FILM THAT EVOKES THE SOUTH:  BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
     Runner-up:  Bernie

2012 Awards - San Francisco Film Critics

The Master also takes the top award from the San Francisco critics, while the director prize goes to Kathryn Bigelow.

Best Picture:  THE MASTER
Best Director:  KATHRYN BIGELOW -- "ZERO DARK THIRTY"
Best Actor:  JOAQUIN PHOENIX -- "THE MASTER"
Best Actress:  EMMANUELLE RIVA -- "AMOUR"
Best Supporting Actor:  TOMMY LEE JONES -- "LINCOLN"
Best Supporting Actress:  HELEN HUNT -- "THE SESSIONS"
Best Original Screenplay:  ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Adapted Screenplay:  LINCOLN
Best Animated Feature:  PARANORMAN
Best Cinematography:  LIFE OF PI
Best Film Editing:  ARGO
Best Production Design:  MOONRISE KINGDOM
Best Foreign Film:  AMOUR
Best Documentary:  THE WAITING ROOM

2012 Awards -- Kansas City Film Critics

The Kansas City critics have announced, and they divided up their winners over a large gambit of film, with The Master taking the top prize.

Best Film:  THE MASTER
Best Director:  ANG LEE -- "LIFE OF PI"
Best Actor:  DANIEL DAY-LEWIS -- "LINCOLN"
Best Actress:  JENNIFER LAWRENCE -- "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"
Best Supporting Actor:  PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN -- "THE MASTER"
Best Supporting Actress:  ANNE HATHAWAY -- "LES MISERABLES"
Best Original Screenplay:  THE MASTER
Best Adapted Screenplay:  ARGO
Best Animated Film:  FRANKENWEENIE
Best Foreign Language Film:  AMOUR
Best Documentary:  THE IMPOSTER
Best Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Horror Film:  THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

Critics Top Tens -- Christy Lemire, David Germain and Jake Coyle

All three of these critics write for The Associated Press, however Christy Lemire is by far the most known. For a while she even appeared on "At the Movies" with Richard Roeper, after Roger Ebert took ill.

Christy Lemire -- The Associated Press

1. ARGO
2. Beasts of the Southern Wild
3. Skyfall
4. Holy Motors
5. Zero Dark Thirty
6. The Master
7. The Imposter
8. Moonrise Kingdom
9. Oslo, August 31st
10. This Is Not a Film

DAVID GERMAIN -- The Associated Press

1. MOONRISE KINGDOM
2. Life of Pi
3. Zero Dark Thirty
4. Argo
5. Searching for Sugar Man
6. Rust and Bone
7. The Master
8. Lincoln
9. West of Memphis
10. Looper

JAKE COYLE -- The Associated Press

1. AMOUR
2. The Master
3. Margaret
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Not Fade Away
6. Lincoln
7. Jeff, Who Lives at Home
8. The Dust Bowl
9. Holy Motors
10. Premium Rush

2012 Awards -- Houston Film Critics Society nominees/winners

Nominations from the Houston critics are out. Lincoln leads with 8. The Master and Les Miserables are 2nd with 6 apiece.

BEST PICTURE
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Cloud Atlas
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck -- "Argo"
Kathryn Bigelow -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Tom Hooper -- "Les Miserables"
Steven Spielberg -- "Lincoln"
Quentin Tarantino -- "Django Unchained"

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis -- "Lincoln"
John Hawkes -- "The Sessions"
Hugh Jackman -- "Les Miserables"
Joaquin Phoenix -- "The Master"
Denzel Washington -- "Flight"

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva -- "Amour"
Quvenzhane Wallis -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Naomi Watts -- "The Impossible"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin -- "Argo"
Javier Bardem -- "Skyfall"
Tommy Lee Jones -- "Lincoln"
Philip Seymour Hoffman -- "The Master"
Matthew McConaughey -- "Magic Mike"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams -- "The Master"
Judi Dench -- "Skyfall"
Sally Field -- "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway -- "Les Miserables"
Helen Hunt -- "The Sessions"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Argo
Lincoln
Looper
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Skyfall

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Cloud Atlas
Hitchcock
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Skyfall

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Learn Me Right" -- Brave
"Skyfall" -- Skyfall
"Song of the Lonely Mountain" -- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
"Suddenly" -- Les Miserables
"Touch the Sky" -- Brave

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
Holy Motors
The Intouchables
A Royal Affair
Rust and Bone

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Bully
The Central Park Five
The House I Live In
The Imposter
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man

TEXAS INDEPENDENT FILM AWARD
Bernie
Incendiary: The Willingham Case
Kid-Thing
Sushi: The Global Catch
Trash Dance

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi

WORST FILM
Anna Karenina
Battleship
Prometheus
That's My Boy
The Three Stooges

List of 7 semi-finalists in the Best Makeup race

I do have to say, I was a bit surprised with a few of these choices. The inclusion of Hitchcock and Looper both kind of threw me, especially with the snubs of The Hunger Games, and much more surprisingly, Cloud Atlas. Games has been all but forgotten, but since they changed the official name of the category to Makeup & Hairstyling, I think it might have a realistic shot. Huh. This is one of those categories that I usually don't agree with. As of now, I'd guess the eventual nominees to be The Hobbit, Les Mis and Lincoln, but with this category, you never know. Norbit anybody???

Official press release from the Academy about this year's Best Makeup category...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that seven films remain in competition in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 85th Academy Awards®.

• “Hitchcock”
• “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
• “Les Misérables”
• “Lincoln”
• “Looper”
• “Men in Black 3”
• “Snow White and the Huntsman”

On Saturday, January 5, all members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films. Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

Critics Top 10s -- A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis

2 of the more read critics, A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis both write for the New York Times. I have a slight affinity for Scott, as his taste and mine seem to usually match up pretty well. Both critics match with their top choice, both picking Amour as the best film of the year.

A.O. SCOTT -- The New York Times

1. AMOUR
2. Lincoln
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
4. Footnote
5. The Master
6. Zero Dark Thirty
7. Django Unchained
8. Goodbye, First Love
9. Neighboring Sounds
10. The Grey

MANOHLA DARGIS -- The New York Times

1. AMOUR
2. The Deep Blue Sea
3. The Gatekeepers
4. Holy Motors
5. The Master
6. Moonrise Kingdom
7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
8. Searching for Sugar Man
9. Silver Linings Playbook
10. Zero Dark Thirty

282 Films are eligible for 2012

Here's the official press release from the Academy about the film pool for the year...

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Two hundred eighty-two feature films are eligible for the 2012 Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

To be eligible for 85th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days.

Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format

Feature films that receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release are not eligible for Academy Awards in any category. The “Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 85th Academy Awards” is available at
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/reminderlist.html.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

2012 Awards -- Chicago Film Critics nominees/WINNERS

The final of the of the Big 3 (NY, Chi, LA) has announced their nominees for the year. Chicago, in the past, has been ridiculously good at picking out the Best Picture winner at the Oscars. In fact, if my memory serves correct, since they started releasing their "nominees", I don't think any Best Picture Oscar winner has NOT been on their shortlist of 5.

(updated)

And Zero Dark Thirty has taken the top prize from the Chicago group!

BEST PICTURE
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Lincoln
The Master
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck -- "Argo"
Paul Thomas Anderson -- "The Master"
Kathryn Bigelow -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Steven Spielberg -- "Lincoln"
Benh Zeitlin -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis -- "Lincoln"
John Hawkes -- "The Sessions"
Denis Lavant -- "Holy Motors"
Joaquin Phoenix -- "The Master"
Denzel Washington -- "Flight"

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Helen Hunt -- "The Sessions"
Jennifer Lawrence -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva -- "Amour"
Quvenzhane Wallis -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Naomi Watts -- "The Impossible"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jason Clarke -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Leonardo DiCaprio -- "Django Unchained"
Dwight Henry -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Philip Seymour Hoffman -- "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones -- "Lincoln"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams -- "The Master"
Emily Blunt -- "Looper"
Judi Dench -- "Skyfall"
Sally Field -- "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway -- "Les Miserables"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Django Unchained
Looper
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Lincoln
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Secret World of Arrietty
Wreck-It Ralph

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST FILM EDITING
Argo
Cloud Atlas
The Master
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ART DIRECTION
Anna Karenina
Les Miserables
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
Holy Motors
The Intouchables
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Rust & Bone

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Central Park Five
The Invisible War
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man
West of Memphis

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Stephen Chbosky -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
Drew Goddard -- "The Cabin the Woods"
Nicholas Jarecki -- "Arbitrage"
Colin Trevorrow -- "Safety Not Guaranteed"
Benz Zeitlin -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Samantha Barks -- "Les Miserables"
Kara Hayward -- "Moonrise Kingdom"
Dwight Henry -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Tom Holland -- "The Impossible"
Quvenzhane Wallis -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

2012 Awards -- Golden Globe Awards

The biggest award party (in a literal sense) of the year is always at the booze-friendly Golden Globes, selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Somewhat infamous for being a star-studded gala, they've been known to nominate those who are not always worthy. However, this year it looks like they toned it down a bit, snubbing many A-list stars, and instead given out nominations to worthy performers. So a light pat on the back to them for that. Still some surprises here and there, especially Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, a film that I enjoyed, but sure didn't expect to figure into any major awards this year.

BEST PICTURE (DRAMA)
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Li
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook 

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck -- "Argo"
Kathryn Bigelow -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Ang Lee -- "Life of Pi"
Steven Spielberg -- "Lincoln"
Quentin Tarantino -- "Django Unchained"

BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)
Daniel Day-Lewis -- "Lincoln"
Richard Gere -- "Abitrage"
John Hawkes -- "The Sessions"
Joaquin Phoenix -- "The Master"
Denzel Washington -- "Flight"

BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Jack Black -- "Bernie"
Bradley Cooper -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Hugh Jackman -- "Les Miserables"
Ewan McGregor -- "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen"
Bill Murray -- "Hyde Park on Hudson"

BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Jessica Chastain -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Marion Cotillard -- "Rust and Bone"
Helen Mirren -- "Hitchcock"
Naomi Watts -- "The Impossible"
Rachel Weisz -- "The Deep Blue Sea" 

BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Emily Blunt -- "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen"
Judi Dench -- "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"
Jennifer Lawrence -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Maggie Smith -- "Quartet"
Meryl Streep -- "Hope Springs"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin -- "Argo"
Leonardo DiCaprio -- "Django Unchained"
Philip Seymour Hoffman -- "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones -- "Lincoln"
Christoph Waltz -- "Django Unchained"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams -- "The Master"
Sally Field -- "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway -- "Les Miserables"
Helen Hunt -- "The Sessions"
Nicole Kidman -- "The Paperboy"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Argo
Django Unchained
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Anna Karenina
Argo
Cloud Atlas
Life of Pi
Lincoln

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"For You" -- Act of Valor
"Not Running Anymore" -- Stand Up Guys
"Safe & Sound" -- The Hunger Games
"Skyfall" -- Skyfall
"Suddenly" -- Les Miserables

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour -- Austria
The Intouchables -- France
Kon-Tiki -- Norway/UK/Denmark
A Royal Affair -- Denmark
Rust and Bone -- France

2012 Awards -- Las Vegas Film Critics

Ah. Home sweet home. 

The Las Vegas critics have announced their winners, and it's the first win of the year for Life of Pi, which actually took a total of 6 awards! Nice to see a bit of diversity, and also loving the mention for Looper.

 
Top Film Films

1. LIFE OF PI
2. Zero Dark Thirty
3. Argo
4. Silver Linings Playbook
5. Lincoln
6. Moonrise Kingdom
7. The Impossible
8. Les Miserables
9. Beasts of the Southern Wild
10. The Master

Best Director:  ANG LEE -- "LIFE OF PI"
Best Actor:  DANIEL DAY-LEWIS -- "LINCOLN"
Best Actress:  JENNIFER LAWRENCE -- "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"
Best Supporting Actor:  TOMMY LEE JONES -- "LINCOLN"
Best Supporting Actress:  ANNE HATHAWAY -- "LES MISERABLES"
Best Screenplay:  LOOPER
Best Animated Film:  PARANORMAN
Best Cinematography:  LIFE OF PI
Best Film Editing:  ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Art Direction:  PROMETHEUS
Best Costume Design:  ANNA KARENINA
Best Visual Effects:  LIFE OF PI
Best Original Score:  LIFE OF PI
Best Original Song:  "SKYFALL" -- SKYFALL
Best Foreign Film:  AMOUR
Best Documentary:  BULLY
Best Young in Film:  SURAJ SHARMA -- "LIFE OF PI"
Breakthrough Filmmaker:  BENH ZEITLIN -- "BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD"
Best DVD:  HITCHCOCK MASTERPIECE COLLECTION (BLU-RAY)
William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award:  ALAN ARKIN

2012 Awards -- SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards

The SAG is always one of the biggest awards of the year, and also an important one to follow when considering Oscars. Especially since the largest group of voters in the Academy are actors. Never count out the power of the acting side.

We have a few surprises this year sprinkled in with most of the usual suspects. Several films (Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook) scored quite big, while others didn't even make a splash (Django Unchained, Amour, Moonrise Kingdom, Dark Knight Rises). A few nice surprises (Watts, Bardem!, Kidman!!!!) and a few surprise snubs (No Phoenix or Adams for The Master?). But regardless, here they are. The 2012 SAG nominees...

BEST ACTOR

BRADLEY COOPER -- "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS -- "LINCOLN"

JOHN HAWKES -- "THE SESSIONS"

HUGH JACKMAN -- "LES MISERABLES"

DENZEL WASHINGTON -- "FLIGHT"

BEST ACTRESS

JESSICA CHASTAIN -- "ZERO DARK THIRTY"

MARION COTILLARD -- "RUST AND BONE"

JENNIFER LAWRENCE -- "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"

HELEN MIRREN -- "HITCHCOCK"

NAOMI WATTS -- "THE IMPOSSIBLE"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

ALAN ARKIN -- "ARGO"

JAVIER BARDEM -- "SKYFALL"

ROBERT DE NIRO -- "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK"

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN -- "THE MASTER"

TOMMY LEE JONES -- "LINCOLN"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

SALLY FIELD -- "LINCOLN"

ANNE HATHAWAY -- "LES MISERABLES"

HELEN HUNT -- "THE SESSIONS"

NICOLE KIDMAN -- "THE PAPERBOY"

MAGGIE SMITH -- "THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL"

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

ARGO

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

LES MISERABLES

LINCOLN

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK  

    

2012 Awards -- Detroit Film Critics

And now the Detroit critics have chimed in. A few new choices here, mostly in the form of The Impossible and Take This Waltz both scoring several major nods. The Impossible is one of those films that had tons of prebuzz, and in the light of all the awards being announced, it has dropped back significantly. But Oscar ballots haven't even gone out yet, so it's still too early to call it dead in the water.

BEST PICTURE
Argo
The Impossible
Silver Linings Playbook
Take This Waltz
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck -- "Argo"
Juan Antonio Bayona -- "The Impossible"
Kathryn Bigelow -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Sarah Polley -- "Take This Waltz"
David O. Russell -- "Silver Linings Playbook"

BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Daniel Day-Lewis -- "Lincoln"
John Hawkes -- "The Sessions"
Bill Murray -- "Hyde Park on Hudson"
Joaquin Phoenix -- "The Master"

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Greta Gerwig -- "Damsels in Distress"
Jennifer Lawrence -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Naomi Watts -- "The Impossible"
Michelle Williams -- "Take This Waltz"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert De Niro -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Philip Seymour Hoffman -- "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones -- "Lincoln"
Matthew McConaughey -- "Magic Mike"
Ewan McGregor -- "The Impossible"
Ezra Miller -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams -- "The Master"
Ann Dowd -- "Compliance"
Sally Field -- "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway -- "Les Miserables"
Helen Hunt -- "The Sessions"

BEST ENSEMBLE
Argo
The Avengers
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST SCREENPLAY
The Cabin in the Woods
Lincoln
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Silver Linings Playbook
Take This Waltz

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The House I Live In
The Imposter
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man

BEST BREAKTHROUGH
Stephen Chbosky -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
Zoe Kazan -- "Ruby Sparks"
Rebel Wilson -- "Pitch Perfect"
Benh Zeitlin -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Craig Zobel -- "Compliance"

2012 Awards -- Phoenix Film Critcs

And now the Phoenix Film Critics have chimed in with their mostly similar thoughts. Although I would like to point out that, for variety's sake, they did have both The Avengers and Skyfall in their top choices.

BEST PICTURE
Argo
The Avengers
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck -- "Argo"
Kathryn Bigelow -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Tom Hooper -- "Les Miserables"
Ang Lee -- "Life of Pi"
Steven Spielberg -- "Lincoln"

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis -- "Lincoln"
John Hawkes -- "The Sessions"
Anthony Hopkins -- "Hitchcock"
Hugh Jackman -- "Les Miserables"
Joaquin Phoenix -- "The Master"

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain -- "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence -- "Silver Lininks Playbook"
Quvenzhane Wallis -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Mary Elizabeth Winstead -- "Smashed"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem -- "Skyfall"
Robert De Niro -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Philip Seymour Hoffman -- "The Master"
Tommy Lee Jones -- "Lincoln"
Ezra Miller -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Judi Dench -- "Skyfall"
Sally Field -- "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway -- "Les Miserables"
Helen Hunt -- "The Sessions"
Emma Watson -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Argo
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Abitrage
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Argo
Les Miserables
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
Wreck-It Ralph

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST FILM EDITING
Argo
The Dark Knight Rises
Life of Pi
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Anna Karenina
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Anna Karenina
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Miserables
Lincoln
A Royal Affair

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Avengers
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Prometheus

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Hitchcock
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Skyfall" -- Skyfall
"Suddenly" -- Les Miserables
"When Can I See You Again" -- Wreck-It Ralph 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
Headhunters
The Intouchables
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
A Royal Affair

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Bully
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man

BEST BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER
Stephen Chbosky -- "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
Seth MacFarlane -- "Ted"
Benh Zeitlin -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Craig Zobel -- "Compliance"

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Mark Duplass -- "Safety Not Guaranteed"
Dwight Henry -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Suraj Sharma -- "Life of Pi"
Quvenzhane Wallis -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

BEST LIVE-ACTION FAMILY FILM
Big Miracle
Chimpanzee
Life of Pi
The Odd Life of Timothy Green

BEST MALE YOUTH PERFORMANCE
CJ Adams -- "The Odd Life of Timothy Green"
Jared Gilman -- "Moonrise Kingdom"
Tom Holland -- "The Impossible"
Daniel Huttlestone -- "Les Miserables"

BEST FEMALE YOUTH PERFORMANCE
Isabelle Allen -- "Les Miserables"
Maude Apatow -- "This is 40"
Kara Hayward -- "Moonrise Kingdom"
Quvenzhane Wallis -- "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

BEST STUNTS
The Avengers
The Bourne Legacy
The Dark Knight Rises
Looper
Skyfall

MOST OVERLOOKED FILM
The Cabin in the Woods
Jeff, Who Lives at Home
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Safety Not Guaranteed
Sound of My Voice

75 Songs are eligible for the Oscar this year...

HERE IS THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ACADEMY ABOUT THE ELIGIBLE SONGS FOR THE 2012 OSCAR. 

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Seventy-five songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2012 are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 85th Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film and song title:

• “For You” from “Act of Valor”
• “Metaphorical Blanket” from “Any Day Now”
• “Let It Rain” from “Being Flynn”
• “Learn Me Right” from “Brave”
• “Touch the Sky” from “Brave”
• “Airport” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
• “Come on Girl” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
• “Someday” from “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”
• “Protect the King” from “Brooklyn Castle”
• “California Solo” from “California Solo”
• “Casa De Mi Padre” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
• “Del Cielo” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
• “Yo No Se” from “Casa De Mi Padre”
• “No Other Plans” from “Celeste and Jesse Forever”
• “Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice”
• “By the Light of the Moon” from “Crossroad”
• “The Sambola! International Dance Craze” from “Damsels in Distress”
• “When You Comin’ Home” from “Darling Companion”
• “Death by China” from “Death by China”
• “Delhi Safari” from “Delhi Safari”
• “Ancora Qui” from “Django Unchained”
• “Freedom” from “Django Unchained”
• “100 Black Coffins” from “Django Unchained”
• “Who Did That to You?” from “Django Unchained”
• “How Bad Can I Be?” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
• “Let It Grow” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
• “Thneedville” from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
• “Ain’t No Train” from “Downtown Express”
• “You Don’t Have to Be a Star” from “Fame High”
• “Jose’s Martyrdom” from “For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada”
• “Strange Love” from “Frankenweenie”
• “Voodoo” from “Halloween Party”
• “Luna Nascosta” from “Hidden Moon”
• “Song of the Lonely Mountain” from “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
• “Abraham’s Daughter” from “The Hunger Games”
• “Master of the Seas” from “Ice Age Continental Drift”
• “We Are” from “Ice Age Continental Drift”
• “Looking for a Sign” from “Jeff, Who Lives at Home”
• “From Here to the Moon and Back” from “Joyful Noise”
• “He’s Everything” from “Joyful Noise”
• “I’m Yours” from “Joyful Noise”
• “Wide Awake” from “Katy Perry: Part of Me”
• “Cosmonaut” from “Lawless”
• “Beaten Up and Broken Down” from “Least among Saints”
• “Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
• “Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi”
• “When I Grow Up” from “Losing Control”
• “Love Always Comes as a Surprise” from “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”
• “Ladies of Tampa” from “Magic Mike”
• “The Baddest Man Alive” from “The Man with the Iron Fists”
• “This Gift” from “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”
• “Still Alive” from “Paul Williams Still Alive”
• “Dotted Line” from “People Like Us”
• “Snake Eyes” from “Promised Land”
• “Razors.Out” from “The Raid: Redemption”
• “I’m Not Leaving” from “Re:Generation”
• “Still Dream” from “Rise of the Guardians”
• “Undercover Love” from “Rock of Ages”
• “Big Machine” from “Safety Not Guaranteed”
• “I Be Here” from “Saint Dracula”
• “I Have Secrets” from “Saint Dracula”
• “Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
• “Breath of Life” from “Snow White and the Huntsman”
• “Gone” from “Snow White and the Huntsman”
• “One Wing” from “Sparkle”
• “Not Running Anymore” from “Stand Up Guys”
• “Feel Love” from “Struck by Lightning”
• “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from “Ted”
• “Never Had” from “10 Years”
• “Dull Tool” from “This Is 40″
• “She Won’t Let Go” from “Until They Are Home”
• “Kiss Me Goodbye” from “Virginia”
• “Anything Made of Paper” from “West of Memphis”
• “Hashishet Albi” from “Where Do We Go Now?”
• “When Can I See You Again?” from “Wreck-It Ralph”

During the nominations process, all voting members of the Music Branch will receive a Reminder List of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.

To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits.