The Watchers Film Show Blog is 10 today!

 I can scarcely believe I'm writing these words, but it's true: The Watchers Film Show Blog is 10 today. Double digits, y'all!

We've gone on longer than Game Of Thrones, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Star Trek: The Next Generation (to name but a few) which is utterly astounding.

The Watchers Film Show itself celebrated its 10th birthday/anniversary/whatever you call it back in November 2021, but the blog itself launched a couple of months after we started recording, hence the delay in the two celebrations.

In the decade since the blog has been running, we've had over 382,000 page views from all around the globe, including Japan, Canada, Indonesia, South Korea, Belgium, Hong Kong, Singapore, Czechia (the Czech Republic), Australia, Romania, Poland, Germany, Turkey, and Italy. 

Our Top 5 Most popular posts are:

• Revisiting A Classic: The Star Wars Saga (Episodes IV-VI)
• Revisiting A Classic: The Star Wars Saga (Episodes I-III)
• Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
• Masters Of The Universe (1987)
• Alien (1979)

So, a massive Thank You to everyone who's supported us during this time - here's to many more years of chatting nonsense about films with your mates!

Much love,

The Watchers

(Rhys, Matt, & Tez)

Awards Season 2022: Producers Guild Awards (PGA), Directors Guild Awards (DGA) and Writers Guild Awards (WGA) Nominations

 

Typical, isn't it? You wait for some awards season news, and then three come along at the same time. Today [Thursday 27th January 2022] saw the three major Guilds- the Producers Guild (PGA), Directors Guild (DGA), and Writers Guild (WGA)- announce their award nominations for this year. 

So here we go...

* * *

PRODUCERS GUILD AWARD (PGA)

Here are the nominations for the 33rd Producers Guild of America Awards

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

Being The Ricardos

Belfast

CODA

Don't Look Up

Dune

King Richard

Licorice Pizza

The Power Of The Dog

tick, tick...Boom!

West Side Story

Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures

Encanto

Luca

The Mitchells Vs The Machines

Raya And The Last Dragon

Sing 2

Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures 

(previously announced)

Ascension

The First Wave

Flee

In The Same Breath

The Rescue

Simple As Water

Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Writing With Fire

The PGAs will be given out on Saturday 19th March (moved from their original date of Saturday 26th February). 

* * *

DIRECTORS GUILD AWARDS (DGA)

Here are today's DGA Awards nominations:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film

Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)

Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)

Jane Campion (The Power Of The Dog)

Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)

Denis Villeneuve (Dune)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film

Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter)

Rebecca Hall (Passing)

Tatiana Huezo (Prayers For The Stolen)

Lin-Manuel Miranda (tick, tick...Boom!)

Michael Sarnoski (Pig)

Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby)

The winners will be announced at the 74th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday March 12th.

* * *

WRITERS GUILD AWARDS (WGA)

And finally, here are the nominees for this year's Writers' Guild Awards (WGA).

Long-time readers of the awards season nonsense on here will know that the screenplay categories are not ones that I try and guess nominees (or winners) for, but as a writer, I'm interested to see what's got the nod.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Being The Ricardos

Don't Look Up

The French Dispatch

King Richard

Licorice Pizza

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

CODA

Dune

Nightmare Alley

tick, tick... Boom!

West Side Story

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Being Cousteau

Exposing Muybridge

Like A Rolling Stone: The Life And Times Of Ben Fong-Torres

Due to how the Writers Guild of America works (where non-members are not permitted to be nominated for a WGA Award), there are several major films that were ineligible (but will be eligible for the Oscars): these include The Power Of The Dog, Belfast, Cyrano, The Lost Daughter, Parallel Mothers, Passing, and A Hero.

The Writers' Guild Awards will be handed out on Sunday 20th March.

Congratulations to all nominees!

Our next awards announcement is a week away, when the BAFTA Film Awards nominations are announced on Thursday February 3rd.

Awards Season 2022: Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) Awards Nominations

This afternoon (Wednesday 12th January), the nominations for the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards were announced, with Vanessa Hudgens (tick, tick... BOOM!, High School Musical, Spring Breakers) and Rosario Dawson (Daredevil, Sin City, Rent) doing the honours via Instagram Live. 

Last year's SAG Awards were also announced this way and, just like last year, there were a few technical issues to start, with no sound on Rosario Dawson's feed. This was soon rectified, though, and the nominees were announced.

Below is the list of film nominations:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Belfast

CODA

Don't Look Up

House Of Gucci

King Richard

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (Being The Ricardos)

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power Of The Dog)

Andrew Garfield (tick, tick… Boom!)

Will Smith (King Richard)

Denzel Washington (The Tragedy Of Macbeth)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain (The Eyes Of Tammy Faye)

Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)

Lady Gaga (House Of Gucci)

Jennifer Hudson (Respect)

Nicole Kidman (Being The Ricardos)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar)

Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza)

Troy Kotsur (CODA)

Jared Leto (House Of Gucci)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power Of The Dog)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Caitriona Balfe (Belfast)

Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley)

Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

Kirsten Dunst (The Power Of The Dog)

Ruth Negga (Passing)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

Black Widow

Dune

The Matrix Resurrections

No Time To Die

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

House Of Gucci and The Power Of The Dog both have three nods apiece. 

A couple of surprises here (for me, the main one is that neither Jamie Dornan or Ciaran Hinds got a nod in Supporting Actor for Belfast). This is the first major awards love for Jennifer Hudson, Bradley Cooper, and Cate Blanchett this season, so it'll be interesting to see if this continues. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot of the same names cropping up again, so it's looking like (in the acting categories at least) there's a strong core of 3-4 consistent names, with some variation then in the remaining 1-2. 

Also, as previously announced, the living legend that is Helen Mirren will be given this year's SAG Life Achievement Award. 

The SAG Awards will be handed out on Sunday February 27th 2022.

Congratulations to all nominees!

For those of you with absolutely no interest in this utter trivia, you'll be glad to know you've got a good two weeks' respite from this as the next awards announcements aren't until Thursday 27th January, when all three of the major Guilds- Producers', Writers' and Directors'- will announce their nominations. A three-for-one deal. How exciting!

Awards Season 2022: Golden Globes Winners

Last night (Sunday 9th January 2022), the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the winners of the 79th Annual Golden Globe Awards, for both television and film.

There was no traditional ceremony, no red carpet, no telecast, and no media. The winners were released via Twitter and a press release afterwards. The show itself focused on the HPFA's philanthropy. As one unnamed commentator said, "This was essentially the most expensive Instagram production ever."

Here is the full list of film winners.

Best Motion Picture (Drama): The Power Of The Dog

Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): West Side Story

Best Director: Jane Campion (The Power Of The Dog)

Best Actor (Drama): Will Smith (King Richard)

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical): Andrew Garfield (tick, tick… Boom!)

Best Actress (Drama): Nicole Kidman (Being The Ricardos)

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical): Rachel Zegler (West Side Story)

Best Supporting Actor: Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power Of The Dog)

Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)

Best Screenplay: Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)

Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer (Dune)

Best Original Song: "No Time To Die" (No Time To Die)

Best Foreign Language Film: Drive My Car

Best Animated Feature Film: Encanto

The Power Of The Dog and West Side Story were the big winners of the evening, with three Globes apiece. 

Yesterday should also have been the 27th Critics Choice Awards ceremony, but - in a statement released just before Christmas- a decision was made to postpone the ceremony, given the current public health crisis (something that has also seen the Grammys and the Sundance Film Festival cancel in-person events). A new date is still to be announced. 

Congratulations to all winners!

Next up with awards season is the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations, which will be revealed on Wednesday (12th January)

Happy New Year From The Watchers!

 

Happy New Year to you all!

However you spent last night, we hope you enjoyed it and hopefully 2022 has started well for everyone. 

If 2021 was not a good year for you, may 2022 be better. If 2021 was a good year for you, may 2022 continue to be good. In any and all cases,

In terms of upcoming cinematic treats, there's plenty that The Watchers are excited by: Scream (or Scream 5, or 5cream if you will), The Tragedy Of Macbeth, Death On The Nile (finally due in February if all goes to plan!), The Batman, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World Dominion, Thor: Love And Thunder, Black Adam, Mission: Impossible 7, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Part One), Halloween Ends, The Flash, Creed III, Morbius, Turning Red, Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom, and John Wick: Chapter 4, to name but a few. 

Obviously there's a lot that can still change, so we'll keep an eye out and let you know of any big shifts. 

We wish you all the very best - may the upcoming year bring you what you want and need to thrive. 

The Watchers

(Rhys, Matt & Tez)