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Archives for : January2015

Quick Review: “Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of”

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 29, 2015
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Category: Movie Reviews

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Before One Direction, before The Jonas Brothers, and even before N’Sync there was The Backstreet Boys.  We all remember them because, whether you liked their music or not, you knew their songs.  The group had a debut international album, Backstreet Boys (1996).  In the following year they released their second international album Backstreet’s Back (1997), and their U.S. debut album which continued the group’s success worldwide.  They rose to superstardom with their third studio album Millennium (1999) and its follow-up album, Black & Blue (2000).

The legendary 90’s boy band finally gets a chance to tell their whole story, the good and the bad.  For BSB fanatics, most of what is revealed will come as no shock.  But, for those who aren’t Backstreet savvy, it may be surprising and intriguing to learn of their struggles with health, drugs, alcohol, and even a shocking betrayal.

The film follows the reunited boy band as they prepare for their 20th anniversary world tour in 2013.  Along the way, the boys take a stroll down memory lane back to where it all began.  Nearly half the film is told through older video footage from the 90’s, back when the boys were only performing in High School gyms.  Meanwhile in present day, Nick, Brian, AJ, Kevin, and Howie re-visit their hometowns, old rehearsal studios, and a few influential people from their lives.

Other film highlights to look forward to–The Backstreet Boys’ react when they first learn of N’Sync.  The members re-tell funny embarrassing stories.  Nick loses his cool and goes off on Brian in a raw, intense scene.  But what’s most enjoyable to see is how much these guys mean to each other.  Their bond is only solidified in the film when Kevin emotionally tells the group, “Not only are we group members and business partners, but we’re family.”

Director Stephen Kijak does such a fantastic job presenting the Backstreet Boys’ rise from a group of small town boys to the sensation of a decade, that it makes Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of worth a watch whether you’re a fan or not.

Rating: 4/5

Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of  is playing in select theaters and is available on VOD.

“Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of” Official Trailer HD

Interview: Director Kevin MacDonald talks “Black Sea”

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 28, 2015
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Category: Interviews, Movie Reviews

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Black Sea tells the story of Robinson (Jude Law), a submarine captain who, in order to make good with his former employers, takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a submarine rumored to be loaded with gold.

We got a chance to sit down with the Academy Award winning director, Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland), to discuss his latest film.

 

Besides the fear of being at the bottom of the ocean, these men are also kind of thinking about this money that they are about to find.  And some of them aren’t too happy about the fact that they have to do the even split, even though it would still be plenty of money. What do you think it is about money that changes people and makes them act in psychotic ways?

“Yeah I mean; I think the center of this movie is sort of what greed can do to people.  And not even so much what money can do to people, ‘cause it’s not sort of anti-money in this film.  It’s sort of anti-greed, I suppose.  And it’s the idea that, people, instead of realizing when you’ve got enough, it’s like I always want more.  I want more and more!  And that’s kind of part of human nature.  That kind of dark part of human nature, isn’t it?  Yeah, it’s the positive and negative of human nature, both present in this extreme circumstance.”

This was probably one of my favorite roles to see Jude Law in as Robinson.  I really felt for his character, especially, with him losing his family to his job.  Because I think in any work that you do, you can get wrapped up in it and kind of lose sight of the ones you love.

“I think that’s exactly, that’s the sort of central theme I suppose.  And it’s a very simple one really of this movie.  Is that we all kind of think that our jobs are so important; that we only get respect from other people, because of whether we’re successful in our jobs and all these sort of things.  And the pressure that there is to be successful to earn money, but actually when all is said and done; that’s not what’s important about life.  And at the end of our lives none of us are going to think, “oh I wish I had spent more time at the office.”  We’re going to think, “I wish had spent more time with my family.  I wish I loved that person more, and made that relationship work.”  Those are the things that you’ve got to think about.  And I guess that’s what’s fundamentally at the heart of this movie.”

I mean for me, the moment they entered the water; I was on the edge of my seat.  I was just terrified the whole time.  So, is there another film for you that has given you that same excitement while watching?

“I mean, I think Gravity has that feeling for me.  You know pretty much as soon as the movie starts, and you’re in this precarious situation space walking with Sandra Bullock. You’re terrified.  And you’ve got vertigo (laughs), and yeah, I think this is sort of the underwater version of that.”

Yeah, it is. It gave me the same effect actually, because I struggled to breathe in both those films.

“(Laughs) So there’s a good recommendation.  If you want to struggle to breathe, go and see this movie!”

Black Sea opens in select theaters January 30.

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Movie Review: “The Boy Next Door” is a Foolishly Redundant Tale

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 23, 2015
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Men beware; just a taste of JLo can lead to an unhealthy addiction!

Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez) is a high school teacher in the middle of a separation from her cheating husband (John Corbett).  Amidst the stress and drama, she has only been able to focus on her work and her son, Kevin (Ian Nelson).  She hasn’t been on a date in years.  Somehow, this always made-up beauty hasn’t even felt wanted by a man since the split.  She is lonely and vulnerable.  (Yeah, right…)  Here comes the new hot, young, and extremely fit neighbor.  Noah Sandborn (Ryan Guzman) seems harmless.  He’s a sweet kid taking care of his elderly uncle, and now he’s even befriended Claire’s awkward, wheezing son.  After going on a horrible double date with her friend/vice principal of her school, Vicky (Kristin Chenoweth), she receives a phone call from Noah who is need of her assistance.  The evening escalates from inappropriate to disgustingly wrong within seconds.  Claire wakes up immediately regretting the whole thing, but it’s too late.  A night of “passion” with “Jenny from the block” has caused Noah to catch a fever that he just can’t shake.

The Boy Next Door is a story we’ve seen before, multiple times.  In fact, you could probably figure out the entire film, without ever watching it.  Writer Barbara Curry offers no originality to this script, unless you count the record breaking amount of cheese in the dialogue.  Director Rob Cohen (Fast and Furious, The Skulls) does serve a few moments of excitement movie-goers can look forward to, particularly the end sequence.

January is known to be the worst month for films, and The Boy Next Door is no exception to that rule.  However, it is a film that audience members could possibly, still, enjoy.  I went in with the mindset of knowing this movie would be ridiculous and just had fun with it.  The acting is embarrassing, and the storyline doesn’t always make sense. Yet, there is plenty to laugh about.  Take for example, how Jennifer Lopez never looks bad.  It doesn’t matter if she’s fighting for her life in a burning barn, or if she’s about to go to bed; her lip gloss is always intact.

Sadly, The Boy Next Door does not provide the same entertainment value as other popular teen /stalker flicks like Fear or SwimFan.  But, if you’ve already seen all of the Oscar nominated films, and you’re looking for a thoughtless, outlandish comedy, The Boy Next Door maybe worth the watch!

Rating: 2/5

The Boy Next Door opens in theaters today.

Interview: Writer Graham Moore discusses “The Imitation Game”

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 22, 2015
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I sat down with the now Academy Award nominee writer Graham Moore (Now winner!).  We discussed Alan Turing, Joan Clarke, how to flirt and more!

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Get Passes to See “The Americans”

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 19, 2015
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Category: Special Events

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STARRING Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, Keidrich Sellati, Susan Misner, and Holly Taylor

RATED TV-MA

ABOUT

The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of “Philip” and  “Elizabeth Jennings”, who have two children –  14-year-old “Paige” and 11-year-old “Henry” who know nothing about their parents’ true identity – grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly rested by the escalation of the Cold War and the inimate, dangers and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control. Thei neighbor, “FBI Agent Stan Beeman” has already come dangerly close to discovering their secret, but was thwarted by “Nina”, his KGB mole and paramour. Torn between his wife “Sandra” and his deepening feelings for Nina, Stan is completely unaware that the beautiful Russian is actually a double agent, reporting on him to the KGB. Philip has been more successful handling his mole within the FBI, “Martha”, his assistant to Stan’s boss, “Special Agent Gaad”. Romancing Martha under the guise of one of his cover identities, an FBI bureaucrat named “Clark”, Philip has secured her unquestioning loyalty… by marrying her. Meanwhile, in the Jennings’  house, Paige has become increasingly suspicious that her parents are hiding something.

Screening Details

Location:

Angelika Film Center & Cafe
5321 E. Mockingbird Ln
Dallas, TX 75206

Date and Time:

January 21, 2015
Arrive before 6pm for a first come, first served pre-reception with FREE Food/Drinks, there will also be a photobooth, an ice bar for vodka tasting, etc.   Screening starts @7:45pm
(Have your pass ready to show at the door)

Click Here for Passes!

 

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Top 5 Oscar 2015 Nomination Snubs

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 16, 2015
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Category: Special Features

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5. Foxcatcher for Best Picture

The film is nominated for Best Director, Actor, and Supporting Actor.   Somehow this movie couldn’t nab a nomination for Best Picture when there is still room for TWO more nominees??

 

4. The Lego Movie for Best Animated Feature

Everything is NOT awesome for The Lego Movie.  However, director/writer, Phil Lord took to twitter yesterday to show that he can just build his own Lego Oscar.  The film is still being represented at the Oscars by it’s Best Original song nomination.

 

3. Jake Gyllenhaal for Best Actor

Guess the Academy didn’t think it was much of a transformation? Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance in Nightcrawler became one of awards seasons strongest contenders throughout the last two months, yet he was snubbed on Thursday in the Best Actor category.  Shocking, considering Gyllenhaal previously grabbed nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards.

 

2. Gone Girl for Best Picture & Adapted Screenplay

Smart, twisted, and a hell of thrill ride.  Gone Girl not only got snubbed for Best Picture, but for Adapted Screenplay as well!  Not sure what happened here, still processing.

 

1. Ava DuVernay for Best Director

DuVernay would have been the first African American woman ever nominated for Best Director and the only woman to be nominated in the category this year.  Her direction for Selma  is more than worthy of a nomination, seeing as how she managed to give audiences a powerful and original perspective on a part of history we thought we’d already seen.

To see a full list of the nominees click here.

 

Nominations for the 87th Academy Awards

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 15, 2015
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Category: Special Features

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Performance by an actor in a leading role

  • Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher”
  • Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”
  • Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game”
  • Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
  • Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

  • Robert Duvall in “The Judge”
  • Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”
  • Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
  • Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”
  • J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

  • Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”
  • Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”
  • Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”
  • Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”
  • Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

  • Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood”
  • Laura Dern in “Wild”
  • Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”
  • Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
  • Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”

Best animated feature film of the year

  • “Big Hero 6” Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli
  • “The Boxtrolls” Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable and Travis Knight
  • “How to Train Your Dragon 2” Dean DeBlois and Bonnie Arnold
  • “Song of the Sea” Tomm Moore and Paul Young
  • “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” Isao Takahata and Yoshiaki Nishimura

Achievement in cinematography

  • “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Emmanuel Lubezki
  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Robert Yeoman
  • “Ida” Lukasz Zal and Ryszard Lenczewski
  • “Mr. Turner” Dick Pope
  • “Unbroken” Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design

  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Milena Canonero
  • “Inherent Vice” Mark Bridges
  • “Into the Woods” Colleen Atwood
  • “Maleficent” Anna B. Sheppard and Jane Clive
  • “Mr. Turner” Jacqueline Durran

Achievement in directing

  • “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu
  • “Boyhood” Richard Linklater
  • “Foxcatcher” Bennett Miller
  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson
  • “The Imitation Game” Morten Tyldum

Best documentary feature

  • “CitizenFour” Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky
  • “Finding Vivian Maier” John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
  • “Last Days in Vietnam” Rory Kennedy and Keven McAlester
  • “The Salt of the Earth” Wim Wenders, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and David Rosier
  • “Virunga” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Best documentary short subject

  • “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1” Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry
  • “Joanna” Aneta Kopacz
  • “Our Curse” Tomasz Sliwinski and Maciej Slesicki
  • “The Reaper (La Parka)” Gabriel Serra Arguello
  • “White Earth” J. Christian Jensen

Achievement in film editing

  • “American Sniper” Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
  • “Boyhood” Sandra Adair
  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Barney Pilling
  • “The Imitation Game” William Goldenberg
  • “Whiplash” Tom Cross

Best foreign language film of the year

  • “Ida” Poland
  • “Leviathan” Russia
  • “Tangerines” Estonia
  • “Timbuktu” Mauritania
  • “Wild Tales” Argentina

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

  • “Foxcatcher” Bill Corso and Dennis Liddiard
  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier
  • “Guardians of the Galaxy” Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Alexandre Desplat
  • “The Imitation Game” Alexandre Desplat
  • “Interstellar” Hans Zimmer
  • “Mr. Turner” Gary Yershon
  • “The Theory of Everything” Jóhann Jóhannsson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

  • “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie” Music and Lyric by Shawn Patterson
  • “Glory” from “Selma” Music and Lyric by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn
  • “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights” Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
  • “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me” Music and Lyric by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond
  • “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again” Music and Lyric by Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois

Best motion picture of the year

  • “American Sniper” Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan, Producers
  • “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole, Producers
  • “Boyhood” Richard Linklater and Cathleen Sutherland, Producers
  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson, Producers
  • “The Imitation Game” Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky and Teddy Schwarzman, Producers
  • “Selma” Christian Colson, Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
  • “The Theory of Everything” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers
  • “Whiplash” Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook and David Lancaster, Producers

Achievement in production design

  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
  • “The Imitation Game” Production Design: Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration: Tatiana Macdonald
  • “Interstellar” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
  • “Into the Woods” Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
  • “Mr. Turner” Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Charlotte Watts

Best animated short film

  • “The Bigger Picture” Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees
  • “The Dam Keeper” Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi
  • “Feast” Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
  • “Me and My Moulton” Torill Kove
  • “A Single Life” Joris Oprins

Best live action short film

  • “Aya” Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis
  • “Boogaloo and Graham” Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney
  • “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak)” Hu Wei and Julien Féret
  • “Parvaneh” Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger
  • “The Phone Call” Mat Kirkby and James Lucas

Achievement in sound editing

  • “American Sniper” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
  • “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Martín Hernández and Aaron Glascock
  • “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” Brent Burge and Jason Canovas
  • “Interstellar” Richard King
  • “Unbroken” Becky Sullivan and Andrew DeCristofaro

Achievement in sound mixing

  • “American Sniper” John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
  • “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and Thomas Varga
  • “Interstellar” Gary A. Rizzo, Gregg Landaker and Mark Weingarten
  • “Unbroken” Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño and David Lee
  • “Whiplash” Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley

Achievement in visual effects

  • “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Bryan Grill and Dan Sudick
  • “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist
  • “Guardians of the Galaxy” Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould
  • “Interstellar” Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher
  • “X-Men: Days of Future Past” Richard Stammers, Lou Pecora, Tim Crosbie and Cameron Waldbauer

Adapted screenplay

  • “American Sniper” Written by Jason Hall
  • “The Imitation Game” Written by Graham Moore
  • “Inherent Vice” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
  • “The Theory of Everything” Screenplay by Anthony McCarten
  • “Whiplash” Written by Damien Chazelle

Original screenplay

  • “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” Written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. & Armando Bo
  • “Boyhood” Written by Richard Linklater
  • “Foxcatcher” Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman
  • “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness
  • “Nightcrawler” Written by Dan Gilroy

Movie Review: “Whitney”- I will NOT Always Love your Lifetime Biopic

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 12, 2015
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If you thought that Lifetime’s new Whitney Houston biopic, directed by Angela Bassett, would be filled with excitement and thrilling drama; you thought wrong.  Whitney is just another unnecessary biopic that reveals no real insight into the singer’s life.  This story strictly focuses on Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston’s tumultuous relationship.

The film might as well air on Valentine’s Day as it feels much more like a romance.  Up until the last 15 minutes (when the real drama begins), we are forced to endure a painfully cheesy love story about how Bobby Brown was never good enough for “The Whitney Houston.”  Oh, but don’t worry, Whitney doesn’t care what her family or anyone else thinks!  She loves Bobby.  The audience will be constantly reminded of that love through the numerous amounts of times that it is said in the film, and by watching their ridiculous, soap opera styled sex scenes.

From what I have gathered from this biopic, Whitney was already into drugs before she met Bobby.  The two were, apparently, a very happy and cute couple.  It wasn’t until Bobby Brown realized Whitney Houston was more famous than him (Duh) that it all went downhill.

For all the Whitney Houston fans out there, the film is not entirely miserable.  Though Houston is played by Yaya DaCosta (America’s Next Top Model), her vocals are actually beautifully sung by Deborah Cox.  She sings all the favorite hits, “The Greatest Love of All,” “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” “I’m Every Woman,” and “I Will Always Love You.”

Whitney Houston on the left. Yaya DaCosta on the right.

Since America’s Next Top Model, DaCosta is slowly making a name for herself in the Acting Biz by making small appearances in notable films.  Whitney is a solid breakout performance for the rising actress.  Despite a few overly dramatic moments, DaCosta nails this role.  She embodies Whitney “from head to toe,” as Tyra Banks would say.  And even though it’s not her vocals in the movie, her movement and expressions would have you believing otherwise.  Not to mention the many times DaCosta strikes an uncanny resemblance to the singing sensation.

Even after all my ranting, I still recommend fans to give Whitney a one-time watch.  I think you will be pleased with the casting.  And if anything, you can turn your viewing into a fun sing-along.

“Whitney” premieres on Lifetime Saturday January 17.

North Texas Film Critics Association Name “BOYHOOD” Best Picture Of 2014

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : January 5, 2015
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Category: Movie Reviews, Special Features

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2014
The North Texas Film Critics Association is proud to announce their Best of 2014 and winners in eleven categories…

The coming-of-age drama BOYHOOD was voted as the best film of 2014, according to the results of its annual critics’ poll which was released today.

The finalized list of the top 10 films of the year were WHIPLASH (2), THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (3), BIRDMAN (4), THE IMITATION GAME (5), GONE GIRL (6), THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (7), NIGHTCRAWLER (8), CHEF (9) and INTERSTELLAR (10).

Jake Gyllenhaal was voted Best Actor for NIGHTCRAWLER. Runners-up included Eddie Redmayne for THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (2), Benedict Cumberbatch for THE IMITATION GAME (3), Michael Keaton for BIRDMAN (4) and David Oyelowo for SELMA (5).

For Best Actress, Rosamund Pike was the winner for GONE GIRL. Runners-up included Reese Witherspoon for WILD (2), Felicity Jones for THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (3),  Amy Adams for BIG EYES (4) and Julianne Moore for STILL ALICE (5).

In the Best Supporting Actor category, the winner was J.K. Simmons for WHIPLASH. He was followed by Edward Norton for BIRDMAN (2), Ethan Hawke for BOYHOOD (3), Mark Ruffalo for FOXCATCHER (4) and Tom Wilkinson for SELMA (5).

In the Best Supporting Actress category, the winner was Patricia Arquette for BOYHOOD. Runners-up were Emma Stone for BIRDMAN (2), Keira Knightley for THE IMITATION GAME (3), Jessica Chastain for A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (4) and Tilda Swinton for SNOWPIERCER (5).

Best Director went to Richard Linklater for BOYHOOD. Alejandro González Iñárritu was next for BIRDMAN (2), Wes Anderson for THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (3), Damien Chazelle for WHIPLASH (4) and Joon-ho Bong for SNOWPIERCER (5).

The Best Foreign Language film of the year was awarded to IDA. Second place was a three way tie between (in alphabetical order) ACCUSED, FORCE MAJEURE and WINTER SLEEP (2) and rounding out the list, WILD TALES (5).

LIFE ITSELF won Best Documentary followed by CITIZENFOUR (2), SUPERMENSCH: THE LEGEND OF SHEP GORDON (3) JODOROWSKY’S DUNE (4) and THE CASE AGAINST 8 (5).

THE LEGO MOVIE was named the Best Animated film of 2014, with HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (2), THE BOOK OF LIFE (3) and BIG HERO 6 (4).

The award for Best Cinematography went to Hoyte Van Hoytema for INTERSTELLAR. This was followed by Emmanuel Lubezki for BIRDMAN (2) and Roger Deakins for UNBROKEN (3).

This is the first year that the North Texas Film Critics Association has given an award for Best Ensemble Cast. It was awarded to BIRDMAN followed by THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2) and BOYHOOD (3).

NTFCA

The North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) is an unincorporated, members-only organization of print, broadcast and internet film reviewers serving the North Texas area.   The association was founded in 2005 and consists of a group of twelve film critics.  For more information, visit www.northtexasfilmcritics.com.