List

CHICAGO – The general consensus in Park City this year was that the overall quality of films presented to critics, industry, and paying audiences was near the highest it’s ever been. There seemed to be a lack of true stand-outs — I heard people say “There’s no Beasts of the Southern Wild” repeatedly — but the overall picture was a pretty one.

CHICAGO – I expected to write this feature from a relatively satisfied place. After all, it was such a good year for film and it seemed likely that the Academy were going to make some smart, forward-thinking decisions this morning. And then they took several steps back. Taking safe routes when more interesting ones were available.

CHICAGO – The 2013 Oscar nominations were announced on Thursday morning and “Lincoln” led the way as the most-nominated film of the year with 12 nominations. Come back later today for a list of this year’s biggest snubs and stick with HollywoodChicago.com for all of your Oscar features and news leading up to the big day on Feb. 24, 2013!

CHICAGO – If everything goes as expected, fans of “Lincoln,” “Les Misérables,” and “Zero Dark Thirty” will be very happy on Thursday morning, as those three films will certainly be among the most nominated for this year’s Academy Awards. After that, the certainty ends.

CHICAGO – The significant HollywoodChicago.com show business interviews of 2012 – eclectic, independent and varied – flowed throughout the year from the perspectives of Matt Fagerholm, Brian Tallerico and Patrick McDonald. All three contribute to this year-end survey of the 15 Best Interviews of 2012.

CHICAGO – Sitting in the dark, watching 2012 unspool through the reels of the year’s films, often creates a situation in which time can actually be felt going by. That happens when viewing “The 10 Worst Films of 2012.” Brian Tallerico and Patrick McDonald join forces to analyze these time wasters.

CHICAGO – Hot on the heels of the wondrous 10 Most Overlooked Films of 2012 and the illustrious first look at The 10 Best Films of 2012 comes “The 10 Best Films of 2012, Part Two,” as rendered by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com.

CHICAGO – Call me a critical cheater but I separated out documentary films from my traditional Best of 2012 but I don’t want to let the strong year for non-fiction film go un-recapped. The broad variety of documentary work in 2012 was incredibly notable from true crime stories to historical documents to stories of cities in crisis. Let’s hope 2013 is just as strong for the form.

CHICAGO – The wider range of films critics see during a single year, the less susceptible they are to the inevitable onslaught of expensive awards campaigns. Just because a studio can bark the loudest doesn’t mean its product has any bite.

CHICAGO – It’s that weird time of year where movie fans around the world try to capture different projects from different parts of the world with entirely different motives and compare them as if they were the same. What does a sci-fi instant classic like “Looper” have in common with a personal piece like “Beasts of the Southern Wild”?