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Merry Christmas, one and all, it's time to break out the mince pies (as if you haven't already), pour the prosecco and put on some festive music.

Christmas songs don't always have to be merry – among the most beloved festive tunes are "2,000 Miles" by The Pretenders, which is curiously bleak, and the heartbreak of Wham!'s "Last Christmas".

Of course, there are plenty of upbeat songs on our list, too, from Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" to Mariah Carey's"All I Want for Christmas is You".

Here are some of our favourites, from Forties classics to more recent pop hits, to get your Christmas celebrations into full swing.

18) “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” – John Lennon and Yoko Ono

There’s a caveat to the optimistic message of the song’s title. “War is over,” sing a choir of children over festive tambourines, but only, they add,...

Merry Christmas, one and all, it's time to break out the mince pies (as if you haven't already), pour the prosecco and put on some festive music.

Christmas songs don't always have to be merry – among the most beloved festive tunes are "2,000 Miles" by The Pretenders, which is curiously bleak, and the heartbreak of Wham!'s "Last Christmas".

Of course, there are plenty of upbeat songs on our list, too, from Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" to Mariah Carey's"All I Want for Christmas is You".

Here are some of our favourites, from Forties classics to more recent pop hits, to get your Christmas celebrations into full swing.

18) “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” – John Lennon and Yoko Ono

There’s a caveat to the optimistic message of the song’s title. “War is over,” sing a choir of children over festive tambourines, but only, they add,...

Frances McDormand has won the Best Actress Academy Award at the 2021 Oscars Sunday night for her celebrated performance in “Nomadland.” It’s a historic win: In taking home her third Best Actress statuette, McDormand has now won the prize more times than anyone else besides Katharine Hepburn.

McDormand beat out Viola Davis in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Carey Mulligan in “Promising Young Woman,” Vanessa Kirby in “Pieces of a Woman,” and Andra Day in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”

“Nomadland” won Best Picture right before the presentation of Best Actress, the first time the top award hadn’t been issued at the very end of the ceremony since the 1972 show.

Despite the BAFTA win and Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, SAG, and Critics Choice nods for her performance, McDormand was not widely viewed as the frontrunner in this year’s race. Instead, many prognosticators saw the Oscar going to Davis...

Linda May and Swankie, two of the featured performers in “Nomadland,” are attending the Oscars. The two nonprofessional actors are the plus-ones of Chloé Zhao (nominated for four Academy Awards) and the movie’s nominated cinematographer, Joshua James Richards (who is also Zhao’s partner). “Nomadland,” based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 nonfiction book of the same name, hired some of the real people Bruder had interviewed during her reporting journey, including May, Swankie, van-dwelling guru Bob Wells and many others.

In an interview with Variety, during which she was at a Walmart preparing for her trip to Los Angeles, May talked about her experience making “Nomadland” — and the idea of going to the Academy Awards.

“I can’t believe it!” May exclaimed. “I got the schedule yesterday.”

She continued with a gush. “And Josh — I get to ride to the Oscars with Josh. I love Josh, and I flirted with...

On Thursday night, Nomadland‘s Oscars push was further bolstered by four wins at the virtually held 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards, in the categories of Best Picture, Director, Editing and Cinematography.

The former award went to producers Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears and Chloé Zhao, with Zhao also claiming prizes for Director and Editing, and Joshua James Richards taking home the statuette for Cinematography.

“In our film, Bob Wells says to [McDormand’s] Fern that you’ve come to the right place to connect with your tribe, your community,” said Asher, in her Best Picture acceptance speech, “and Independent Film, you are our community.”

“We couldn’t have done it without all the hearts and hands of our fellow collaborators, our fellow filmmakers, who were the Nomadland company,” added Janvey, “so to all of you, we accept this on your behalf.”

While the Indie Spirits aren’t a perfect bellwether for the Oscars,...

Searchlight’s Nomadland won the marquee Best Feature category on Thursday to cap the 36th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, the final big awards show ahead of Sunday’s Oscars. The Chloé Zhao film, a frontrunner all movie-awards season, won a leading four trophies tonight in the virtual ceremony, including Director and Editing for Zhao and Cinematography for Joshua James Richards.

“In our film Bob Wells says to Fern that you’ve come to the right place to connect with your tribe, your community and independent film you are our community,” producer Mollye Asher said during the Nomadland team’s acceptance speech. Added fellow producer Dan Janvey: “We couldn’t have done it without all the hearts and hands of our fellow collaborators, our fellow filmmakers, who were the Nomadland Company, so to all of you we accept this on your behalf.”

The marquee indie-focused awards show hosted by...

Filmmaker Chloè Zhao, as any Oscar fan probably knows, has set a record this year, becoming the first woman ever to be nominated for four individual Oscars in a single year, with her work on “Nomadland” being cited for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. Though “Nomadland” is considered by many to be the front-runner in several Oscar categories, one contest that is proving to be particularly hot this year is the writing race.

Having already won the Critics Choice and the USC Scripter Awards, Zhao’s screenplay is locked in an extremely competitive contest against two other award-winning screenplays — Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller‘s “The Father” which triumphed at the BAFTAs and the writing team behind “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” which won this year’s Writers Guild Award (where “Nomadland” and “The Father” were ineligible). Add to that two other highly-regarded screenplay adaptations — Kemp Powers...

In Nomadland, Fern (Frances McDormand) attends the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, an annual gathering of nomads in Quartzsite, Arizona, led by Bob Wells. The scene was shot just a week before the real-life Rtr, with more than 50 nomads, including Wells, playing themselves. At one point, the nomads sit around a campfire, telling stories about how they came to live a transient life. “We recorded every single person there. They didn’t all make it into the cut, but everybody had a chance to tell their story,” says Nomadland producer Mollye Asher. “It’s just such a beautiful moment,...

In Nomadland, Fern (Frances McDormand) attends the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, an annual gathering of nomads in Quartzsite, Arizona, led by Bob Wells. The scene was shot just a week before the real-life Rtr, with more than 50 nomads, including Wells, playing themselves. At one point, the nomads sit around a campfire, telling stories about how they came to live a transient life. “We recorded every single person there. They didn’t all make it into the cut, but everybody had a chance to tell their story,” says Nomadland producer Mollye Asher. “It’s just such a beautiful moment,...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 SAG Awards Predictions:

Best Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role In A Motion Picture

Updated: Apr. 1, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: This is the place for Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”) to cement her status as the one to beat since she won...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Picture

Updated: Mar. 18, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Netflix’s “Mank” led the fray with 10 nominations, but the story of this lineup is Searchlight Pictures’ “Nomadland” and Focus Features’ “Promising Young Woman” nabbing all the “essentials” of a best picture winner, including director,...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Director

Updated: Mar. 18, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Two women made the cut in best director, which is a first in the category, with only one first-time filmmaker making the cut (Fennell). Feeling there would be a swell in the European vote, BAFTA...

Traditionally mounted by the USC Libraries as an elegant black-tie, sit-down dinner at the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library at the University of Southern California, this year the Scripter Awards went global. On Saturday, March 13, the USC Libraries opened up their exclusive awards show to honor the year’s best film and television adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based, as a virtual event.

This diverse group of academics, industry professionals, and critics (for which I vote) is often predictive of the Adapted Screenplay Oscar race. Last year’s Scripter winners on the film and TV side were Oscar and Emmy nominees Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), respectively. Past winners of both the Scripter and the Oscar include “Call Me by Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” and “The Imitation Game.” In fact, before 2019, eight Scripter Award winners went on to win Oscars.

Traditionally mounted by the USC Libraries as an elegant black-tie, sit-down dinner at the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library at the University of Southern California, this year the Scripter Awards went global. On Saturday, March 13, the USC Libraries opened up their exclusive awards show to honor the year’s best film and television adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based, as a virtual event.

This diverse group of academics, industry professionals, and critics (for which I vote) is often predictive of the Adapted Screenplay Oscar race. Last year’s Scripter winners on the film and TV side were Oscar and Emmy nominees Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), respectively. Past winners of both the Scripter and the Oscar include “Call Me by Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” and “The Imitation Game.” In fact, before 2019, eight Scripter Award winners went on to win Oscars.

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Adapted Screenplay

Updated: Mar. 4, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: The WGA weighed in and gave some gas for the campaigns for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” which will have the largest amount of screenwriters ever nominated at nine, surpassing “Toy Story,” which had seven. “The White Tiger...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Cinematography

Updated: Mar. 4, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Łukasz Żal got into this race for “Cold War” and this category never has just newcomers so expect his work for “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” to make some headway, perhaps even with American Society of Cinematographers.

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Film Editing

Updated: Mar. 4, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: 50,000 feet out, “Sound of Metal” could go the way of Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash” (2013), which won editing and sound mixing, after surprising wins at BAFTA and other guilds. “The Trial of the Chicago 7...

Currently streaming on Hulu, Chloé Zhao's Nomadland has been an award season darling so far, already picking up best director and best drama motion picture accolades at the 78th Golden Globes Awards. The film follows Frances McDormand as a woman named Fern who takes seasonal jobs to make ends meet as she travels across the country after her husband dies. Zhao's movie captures lush and realistic views of the American West, and at times, it even looks like a documentary with tight close-ups of actual nomads. But is Nomadland actually based on a true story? In part, yes.

While Fern's story is fictional, Zhao's script and film are based on Jessica Bruder's 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. So, which parts of the movie are based on reality? Here's what you need to know.

What Is the Nomadland Book About?

In her book, Bruder closely follows nomads,...

The 78th annual Golden Globe Awards has concluded and is finally in the history books. The ceremony, which had all of the honorees accepting via video conferencing, got off to a rocky start with the audio issues that Daniel Kaluuya experienced when he won Best Film Supporting Actor. But as the evening went on, we managed to get some great speeches. Some served as a galvanizing call to action like this year’s recipient of the DeMille Award, Jane Fonda. Others were incredibly moving such as Simone Ledward Boseman accepting Best Film Drama Actor on behalf of her late husband, Chadwick Boseman. Then there were those that were just sweet and nice to watch like Best TV Drama Actor winner, Josh O’Connor.

Below, we’ve listed our picks for the night’s best speeches. But, we also want to know which one you liked the best? Vote in our Golden...

Image Source: Getty / Amanda Edwards

Nomadland director Chloé Zhao's Golden Globe win on Sunday night marked a series of historic firsts. She's not only the first Asian woman and woman of color to take home the best director win but also the second woman ever to win a Golden Globe for directing. The first was Barbra Streisand for her work in Yentl back in 1983, which means it took a shocking 38 years for another woman to win the category.

"This is why I fell in love with making movies and telling stories, 'cause it gives us a chance to laugh and cry together and it gives us a chance to learn from each other and have more compassion for each other."

And in a long-overdue first, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominated three women in the best director category: Zhao, Regina King for One Night in Miami, and Emerald Fennell for Promising Young Woman.

“Nomadland” has won the Golden Globe for best picture drama, making history for the Globes, as well as for director Chloé Zhao and for the “Nomadland” producing team.

The win is the first time a film directed by a woman has ever won the top prize in the Globes’ 78 ceremonies. And since Zhao produced “Nomadland” as well, she’s also the first Asian woman to win best picture drama as a producer. Star Frances McDormand, who also produced “Nomadland,” is the second woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe both for producing and acting, and the first to win as a producer.

The victory solidifies the frontrunner status of the Searchlight film as Oscar season begins in earnest. And because Zhao directed, wrote, produced and edited the lauded “Nomadland,” she has become the most-awarded filmmaker in a single awards season.

Zhao accepted the award for best picture drama on behalf of “Nomadland,...

We’ve already written more generally about how director and writer Chloé Zhao used documentary techniques to blur real life and fiction in her neo-western drama Nomadland, which is now available to stream on Hulu. One of the chief filmmaking choices Zhao made was to utilize non-actors to play fictionalized versions of themselves. Characters like Linda May and Swankie are played by real-life nomads who live in their vans. Bob Wells, a vlogger and author who writes about life lived in his refurbished van, is the most famous of the actual nomads to appear in Nomadland. Wells is an older American in his 60s who runs a website and YouTube channel called CheapRVliving. Both platforms chronicle his life living in a van.

“Society told me that this was the worst possible thing that could happen to me, to live in a van,” Wells told PBS’ Independent Lens in January. “To be homeless,...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Director

Updated: Feb. 24, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: The Golden Globes nominations were announced on Feb. 3, with Netflix’s “Mank” from David Fincher leading with six nods. As the ceremony approaches on Feb. 28, the categories have been analyzed to determine what they mean for the awards season.

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Golden Globe Predictions:

Best Actress In A Motion Picture (Drama)

Updated: Feb. 24, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: The Golden Globes nominations were announced on Feb. 3, with Netflix’s “Mank” from David Fincher leading with six nods. As the ceremony approaches on Feb. 28, the categories have been...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Golden Globe Predictions:

Best Motion Picture (Drama)

Updated: Feb. 24, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: The Golden Globes nominations were announced on Feb. 3, with Netflix’s “Mank” from David Fincher leading with six nods. As the ceremony approaches on Feb. 28, the categories have been analyzed to determine...

— — Nomadland (2020) Video Movie Review, a Searchlight Pictures movie written and directed by Chloé Zhao and stars Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Bob Wells, Linda May, Swankie, Karie Lynn McDermott Wilder, Rachel Bannon, Annette Webb, Makenzie Etcheverry, and Brandy Wilber. In this video review, I talk about the [...]

Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Nomadland (2020): An Emotionally Immersive Film From Chloé Zhao...

Nomadland, the Oscar-tipped feature film from Chloé Zhao, debuted on Hulu Friday after getting a limited theatrical release in the U.S. The film stars Frances McDormand as Fern, an older woman and working class widow who travels the American west in a van, in which she also lives. Though Nomadland is not a true story or a documentary, the film often blurs the line between fiction and reality by centering real places and communities, as well as casting a number of real people who are playing fictionalized versions of themselves.

To further capture the feel of the nomadic experience, Zhao used a bare bones crew who traveled in vans and stayed in motels for the four-month production. Many critics and early reviewers, including our review out of TIFF last September, responded to a more authentic representation of America than we tend to get in mainstream cinema. When one considers...

System of a Down is a renowned, Grammy-winning hard rock band, but the new Garin Hovannisian-directed documentary Truth To Power at Oscilloscope Laboratories shows a different side of them — specifically putting the spotlight on the band’s frontman, Serj Tankian.

Opening in virtual theaters today, Truth to Power brings audiences into the world of Tankian. Through exclusive interviews and original footage personally filmed by the international rock star, the docu pulls the curtain back as we see his revolutionary music career, his work in social justice and how he uses his platform for political change. His decades-long campaign for formal U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide was finally approved by Congress in 2019. He’s loved by his fans but has a very divisive relationship with the government.

The film features insight from his bandmates, producer Rick Rubin, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello as well as social...

“No, I’m not homeless. I’m just houseless. Not the same thing, right?” says Academy Award-winner Frances McDormand as Fern, in the trailer for Chloé Zhao‘s new, award-winning film Nomadland.

The critically-acclaimed drama is playing in select theaters now (check showtimes here) but if you’d prefer to watch the Golden Globe-nominated film from home, we’ve found a couple of ways to stream Nomadland online on Hulu.

Nomadland: Release Date and Where to Watch It

Following a run in IMAX theaters earlier this year (which earned...

Jim Batts says in his review of the film, “Writer/director Chloe Zhao, in adapting the book by Jessica Bruder, uses a real cinema verite style, with her camera becoming a “fly on the wall” drinking in the “alien world” on the fringes of “nine to five” society.”

This Friday, meet Vanguard. Nomadland is now playing in select IMAX theaters. The film opens in theaters and on Hulu This Friday, February 19. Reserve your tickets now: http://WatchNomadland.com

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, Nomadland features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.

The post Nomadland...

Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” is a tiny indie film on a huge scale, an intimate drama set against the vast spaces of the American West. It’s also a typical production for the young Chinese-American director Zhao in that its cast is made up of non-actors playing themselves, or versions of themselves — except that at the center of the film is a two-time Oscar-winning actress whose very presence, you’d think, would upset the delicate balance that Zhao struck in her films “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” and “The Rider.”

Then again, Frances McDormand isn’t your usual two-time Oscar-winning actress. Grounded and devoid of vanity, she’s probably the only double Oscar-winning performer who doesn’t seem out of place pooping in a bucket, as she does on screen in this film.

That’s not to say that she can’t glam it up when the part calls for it.

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Chloé Zhao’s Oscar contender “Nomadland” premiered to critical acclaim at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, and now it’s available for viewers to stream at home on Hulu. Beginning Friday, Feb. 19, the film will run on IMAX and regular screens in areas where movie theaters are open, and will be available to stream at the same time on Hulu.

There’s no additional purchase necessary; like 2020’s “Palm Springs,” “Nomadland” will premiere on the streaming service’s regular tier. Not a subscriber? You can join for just $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year at its most basic level, or upgrade to commercial-free (at $11.99 per month) or Hulu plus live TV (starring at $64.99 per month).

Thanks to corporate synergy,...

The Hi-Pointe Theater, at 1005 McCausland Ave in St. Louis, is the best place to see movies. Frances McDormand in Nomadland opens this Friday February 19th at The Hi-Pointe. The Hi-Pointe’s site can be found Here. Read Jim Batts’ We Are Movie Geeks review of Nomadland Here

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, Nomadland features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.

The post Frances McDormand in Nomadland Opens in St. Louis Friday at The Hi-Pointe – The Critics Call It “Brilliant”! appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Supporting Actor

Updated: Feb. 11, 2021

Awards Commentary:

Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”) bounces back with a Critics Choice nomination after missing Globes and SAG. There’s a three-horse race seemingly afoot with Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”), Daniel Kaluuya...

"I maybe spent too much of my life just remembering." Searchlight Pictures has debuted one final trailer for Nomadland, which is now opening in theaters in the US in a few weeks (here's the teaser & other trailer). It will also launch on Hulu the same day for everyone to watch. The third feature from acclaimed filmmaker Chloe Zhao, the film follows a woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the "Great Recession", embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. A story about our changing times. Starring Frances McDormand. It also features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern's mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West. This is currently the Best Picture frontrunner for the Oscars from 2020, and it could end up winning (deserves it). If you haven't seen it yet, we...

With the Golden Globes weighing in today with their choices, the Screen Actors Guild awards are next on the docket and have a stronger correlation to the Oscars.

A group of 2,500 randomly selected SAG-AFTRA members vote for the coveted awards, often resulting in an eclectic group of nominees. In past years, shocking inclusions like Sarah Silverman (“I Smile Back”), Emily Blunt (“The Girl on the Train”) and Peter Dinklage (“The Station Agent”) have shaken things up. They’re also known for their big omissions, like Clive Owen and Natalie Portman in “Closer,” who both won Golden Globe awards for their performances in 2005.

Could “Mank” lead the way as it did with the Golden Globes? Will “The Trial of the Chicago 7” assert itself as the most likely Oscar contender for Netflix? Can “Da 5 Bloods” and “One Night in Miami” bounce back after the HFPA gave it the shaft? Can...

The following review originally appeared on December 4, 2020

As the temps turn chilly and you’re counting down the days till the year’s last big holiday, most folks are looking forward to hunkering down next to the fireplace (or just clicking on the thermostat) and whipping up a nice meal, complete with baked treats, to share with visiting family and friends. Yes, that’s the plan for most. But there’s an ever-growing segment of the population that can’t really afford to “put down stakes”, as they must go “where the work is” just to survive to another year. Right now, not like the Goads in The Grapes Wrath. These real-life wanderers, basically playing themselves, support one of our finest actresses in the new narrative feature that truly feels like a documentary, as we enter a place (or is it a state of mind) they call Nomadland.

The short...

Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed film “Nomadland,” a road drama that’s expected to be a major awards player, has modified its release plan due to the pandemic.

The movie — starring Frances McDormand as a woman who leaves her small town to travel the American west — will debut in select Imax venues on Jan. 29 before opening in traditional theaters and drive-in locations on Feb. 19. On the same day as its wide release in February, “Nomadland” will premiere on Hulu.

Searchlight Pictures, the Disney-owned specialty studio, is distributing the film and plans to premiere it internationally throughout the spring (pandemic permitting) starting on March 4.

Prior to its theatrical rollout, “Nomadland” made rounds on the festival circuit, winning top prizes at Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival. It also landed on many critics’ best of the year lists, including Variety’s Peter Debruge. In his review, Debruge called the film an “ode to American independence.

A nomad is a person who roams without a fixed residence. And the lifestyle is alive and well in the Western United States. In 2017, writer Jessica Bruder published her acclaimed non-fiction book “Nomadland: Surviving in the America in the 21st Century,” which looked at the phenomena of older Americans who because of financial difficulties take to the road in Rv’s, vans and travel trailers and become a new style of migrant laborers. In fact, the call themselves “workampers.’

Chinese-born director/writer/editor Chloe Zhao has received great acclaim for “Nomadland,” her fictionalized adaptation of the book starring Frances McDormand as Fern, a 61-year-old widow who not only has lost her job and husband, she’s also lost her home-the entire mining town has become a ghost town. She sets out in a van and finds a new community among other nomads like real-life roamers Linda May and Swankie and...

Searchlight Pictures has released a new look at Director/Writer Chloé Zhao Nomadland.

The film is set to open on February 19, 2021.

In his review, Jim Batts says:

“Writer/director Chloe Zhao, in adapting the book by Jessica Bruder, uses a real cinema verite style, with her camera becoming a “fly on the wall” drinking in the “alien world” on the fringes of “nine to five” society. She shows us the joy of their communal gatherings while never shying away from the underlying despair and the near-constant air of danger.” “The use of real locales, intimate cinematography (you can almost feel the chill from the grey skies) and the talented McDormand make for an unforgettable portrait of the always mobile working class that exists in Nomadland.”

Read the entire review here.

Watch the new trailer now.

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs...

'Nomadland' trailer is out now and we couldn’t be more excited.

Searchlight Pictures released a brand new trailer for the upcoming drama film 'Nomadland,' featuring Oscar-winning actress Frances McDormand in the lead.

Based on Jessica Bruder's 2017 novel of the same name, the film has premiered at Venice Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion honor and has already garnered critical acclaim, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Set in the aftermath of 2008's Great Recession, 'Nomadland' revolves around Fern (McDormand), a woman in her sixties who, after losing both her husband and her home during the crisis sets off on the road, exploring life outside of conventional society, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

The film's official synopsis is as follows: "Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the...

Nomadland Trailer 2 — Searchlight Pictures has released the second movie trailer for Nomadland (2020). The first film trailer for Nomadland can be viewed here. Cast Chloé Zhao‘s Nomadland stars Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Bob Wells, Linda May, Swankie, Karie Lynn McDermott Wilder, Rachel Bannon, Annette Webb, Bob Wells, Makenzie Etcheverry, [...]

Continue reading: Nomadland (2020) Movie Trailer 2: Frances McDormand journeys through the American Midwest in Chloé Zhao’s Film...

One of the more highly praised films of the year so far, Nomadland is not just a critical favorite, but a surefire Academy Award contender. Before it competes for Oscar love, however, it’s going to need to actually come out. We now know that February 19th is when it goes into wide release, just in time to qualify with the Academy. Frances McDormand is phenomenal in Chloé Zhao’s touching movie, commenting beautifully on the tough state of those living on the fringes of society. To coincide with the date announcement, a full trailer has been released as well, which you can see below. This is a top notch flick, folks, so believe the hype… Once again, here is the official synopsis from Searchlight Pictures: “Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road...

Searchlight Pictures has released the official trailer for Nomadland, the newest film from director Chloé Zhao (The Rider) that was awarded the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival. It is slated to be theatrically released in the United States on February 19th, 2021.

Based on Jessica Bruder’s non-fiction book of the same name, Nomadland stars Frances McDormand as Fern, a woman in her sixties who loses everything during the Great Recession. With no future for her in the rural Nevada company town where she lives, Fern decides...

"I think Fern's part of an American tradition." Searchlight Pictures has revealed a full-length official trailer for Nomadland, the award-winning wonderful film from Chloe Zhao that picked up the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. The third feature from acclaimed filmmaker Chloe Zhao, the film follows a woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the "Great Recession", embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. A story about our changing times. Starring Frances McDormand. Nomadland also features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern's mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West. I wrote in my glowing review that Nomadland "is the most soulful film of the year." Highly recommended viewing. Here's the full-length trailer (+ poster) for Chloe Zhao's Nomadland, direct from Searchlight's YouTube: You can also view the first...

“I’m not the kind of filmmaker who just makes films,” Chloé Zhao told IndieWire earlier this year. “I have to be in love with my subject matter and want to learn more about it. Someone once said to me that passion doesn’t sustain, but curiosity does. I have to be excited by little things I discover along the way.” Zhao’s approach is just one reason the upcoming “Nomadland” ranks among the best films of 2020. Starring two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand, the acclaimed drama won the Golden Lion at Venice and the People’s Choice Award at TIFF.

McDormand stars as Fern, a woman in her sixties who rebounds from losing everything in the Great Recession by journeying through the American West as a van-dwelling nomad. While the film also stars “Good Night, and Good Luck” Oscar nominee David Strathairn in a key supporting role, the majority of...

Nomadland is a stark and hauntingly poetic portrayal of poverty in America. It is perhaps the most pertinent film of our desperate economic times. Based on the book by journalist Jessica Bruder, Nomadland follows a lonely widower after the 2011 collapse of the United States Gypsum Company in Empire, Nevada. The town was abandoned and lost its postal code. The people left behind adapted to survive. Some chose to live in vans or recreational vehicles to save money. Driving around the country to find work wherever they could. Their hardscrabble existence formed a community of road travelers. Seeking solace in each other when their country failed them.

Nomadland opens at a gigantic Amazon shipping facility. Fern, played superbly by two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand, arrives for her shift. She is part of Amazon's CamperForce program, where seasonal workers travel to various warehouses throughout the year. Fern lives in an old utility van.

Chicago – In this challenging year the 56th Chicago International Film Festival provided a sense of normalcy, within the context of the “new normal.” Offering virtual, online and in-person drive-in screenings, it succeeded in doing what its 2020 slogan said, “Film Will Take You There.”

One more time: The 56th Chicago International Film Festival Celebrates Day 11 and 12 of the movie extravaganza, with films available for 2020 virtually and online. Click here for a complete how-to guide on navigating the 2020 Ciff.

Nomadland

Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Closing Night film will be at 6pm on Saturday, October 24th, at the Chi-Town Movies Drive-in at 2343 South Throop Street, Chicago. “Nomadland” (USA) follows the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada. Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao,...

They don’t recognize her at first. The students who once turned to Frances McDormand’s wearied and weathered Fern for tutoring are now almost walking right by their former educator in an early pivotal scene from Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland. Fern is at the same superstore as them to buy supplies for the beat-up Rv she lives in outside. In another life they were neighbors from the mining town of Empire, Nevada. But that place is gone, and today they’re practically strangers, scattered to the wind when they bump into each other.

The young girls’ mother reluctantly offers Fern a place to stay if she’s homeless, but as Fern explains, “I’m not homeless; I’m just houseless. Not the same thing.” And they are indeed quite different for someone as restless and resilient as McDormand’s heroine, even if the film she inhabits is clouded with wistful melancholy.

Above: NomadlandBy the time this last dispatch will be over the Lido will be a long, long way behind me. Truth be told, I never thought I’d get to write this, nor did I ever really imagine the festival would manage to pull through until the end. I began my first dispatch saying the 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival was nothing short of a miracle, all things considered: ten days after that first report, the conviction has only grown stronger. This was the first major film festival to roll out in the middle of a pandemic. It was a low-key edition, to be sure: the number of guests walking around the Lido this year was an all-time low, and if I’ve kept banging on about how spectral the place looked it was only because I’ve been fortunate enough to walk these streets in normal years,...