The 15 Best Performances in Horror Movies

Scream queens like Jamie Lee Curtis have made careers out of expressing their characters' fears through that most primal of responses: a bloodcurdling, hair-raising shriek. No knock on those actors whose vocal cords are their primary arsenal, but there is so much more that horror film actors have at their disposal to show abject terror: facial spasms, nervous ticks, wide bloodshot eyes, tears, catatonia, etc. In the history of cinema, horror film actors have not been given as much respect as they deserve for convincing audiences that what they are experiencing--terrifying, sometimes supernatural assaults on the mind, body, or spirit--is real. There are many acting gems in horror cinema, ranging from eerily subtle to full-on unhinged mania. Here are the 15 best, in my view:

15. VERA FARMIGA (THE CONJURING, 2013)

Role: Lorraine Warren, a paranormal investigator and psychic

Citations:
Nomination, Best Scared-As-Shit Performance, MTV Movie Awards

Vera Farmiga already showed in another horror movie, Orphan, how good she is at playing scared. But the role of Lorraine Warren, burdened by a strange power and sense of obligation, beset by both internal and external demons, is a much more challenging and plum one that used the best of her considerable talents. You can see in Farmiga's eyes how some of the things that Lorraine has seen have shaken her to her very core, but she retains a steely, warm strength all the same. She gives a similarly strong performance in the sequel.

14. CATHERINE DENEUVE (REPULSION, 1965)

Role: Carol, a beautician who is repulsed by sex and spirals into depression and mania

Citations:
3rd Place, Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle

You've probably heard of someone being described as "unraveling" or "coming undone." That is exactly what Catherine Deneuve, one of the legends of French cinema, does over 105 minutes of this Roman Polanski classic, and it's painful to watch. But it's also never short of mesmerizing. As the film progresses and Carol falls further away from reality, you won't be able to help but feel yourself unraveling just a little bit, too. That's largely due to the expert direction of Polanski, but it would have been much less disconcerting and powerful if handled by a less capable actress than Deneuve.

13. JULIE HARRIS (THE HAUNTING, 1963)

Role: Eleanor Lance, an unstable and insecure clairvoyant

Citations: None

In the best of all haunted house movies, revered theater, film, and television actress Julie Harris plays a mousy clairvoyant somehow convinced to brave the horrors of Hill House. She easily becomes our gateway to the creepy mysteries of the mansion, and it is her fears that we also feel because they're so palpable and real. Starkly contrasting with the bluster of Theodora (Claire Bloom), Eleanor is all nerves and brittle vulnerability. Who can't feel empathy toward a character who could so easily break at any moment, and one portrayed so convincingly by one like Julie Harris?

12. BETTE DAVIS (WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, 1962)

Role: Baby Jane Hudson, a former child vaudeville star who torments her paraplegic sister

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Nomination, Best Actress - Drama, Golden Globes

Everything is crumbling and decaying in the decadently horrifying Grand Guignol piece called What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, most of all its eponymous character. The grand Bette Davis, one of Hollywood's best ever, is scary as Baby Jane Hudson in almost the same way as a vicious monster clown is, though this one has been wasted away by time, misery, and loathing. Her creepiest moment: when she sings "I've Written a Letter to Daddy" with wistful, child-like, pitiful nostalgia. Yes, that and not the moment with the rat. Davis is a powerhouse and is awesome at playing angry, but it's in the more restrained moments that the dementia is most eerie.

11. KATHY BATES (MISERY, 1990)

Role: Annie Wilkes, obsessed super-fan of author Paul Sheldon

Citations:
Win, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Nomination, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Win, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes
Win, Best Actress, Chicago Film Critics Association
Win, Best Actress, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
3rd Place, Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle

Kathy Bates's Annie Wilkes is still the standard by which crazy obsessed fans are set. No wonder since she made sledgehammers extra scary (and she apologized for it in her Oscar acceptance speech). Bates's handling of the Wilkes character is nothing short of astonishing, as outwardly she's jolly and unobtrusive, but as the film progresses, the veneer slowly drops and the monster emerges. But it's never jarring; the transition is unnerving because it's so smooth and deftly done by both director Rob Reiner and the woman who held Wilkes's reins. Bates has gone on to portray more deranged characters, primarily in television ("American Horror Story"), but it's hard to match the level of batshit crazy that Annie Wilkes attained.

10. JASON MILLER (THE EXORCIST, 1973)

Role: Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest who faces diabolical forces

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Academy Awards

Jason Miller got a very well deserved Oscar nomination for his performance as the Jesuit priest with a crisis of faith, but I'd still say that his is an underrated turn in a movie with a grieving mother and a vomit-spewing, head-spinning possessed child getting almost all of the attention. But Miller handles the character's emotional and spiritual crises with astounding skill. You can easily feel his weariness and his loss of hope, primarily with the slump of his shoulders and the ways his eyes change. It's an amazing performance.

9. SIGOURNEY WEAVER (ALIENS, 1986)

Role: Ellen Ripley, the alien-busting heroine of the Alien franchise

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes

That very rare Oscar nomination for a performance in science fiction/horror hybrid was achieved by Sigourney Weaver because of her iconic, badass portrayal of embattled but never defeated Ellen Ripley, a warrior woman for the ages. At times maternal and vulnerable, at others vicious and almost superhero-ish, she is never less than human, and that's what makes her turn so, so memorable, especially as she's surrounded by so much emptiness and abomination. Along with Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and Furiosa (Charlize Theron), Ellen Ripley is a grand manifestation of feminine strength. One can't imagine the role in the hands of any actress other than Weaver.

8. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG (ANTICHRIST, 2009)

Role: She, a grieving mother and wife whose retreat to the woods brings out the unspeakable

Citations:
Win, Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival
2nd Place, Best Actress, Central Ohio Film Critics Association

Such a bravura performance! Even critics' or journalists' groups that shunned the film itself lauded Charlotte Gainsbourg for her bravery. The pain, anguish, self-loathing and terror are all so raw, like a delicate fresh wound. There is a certain helpless, apathetic vulnerability to the character that only Gainsbourg's understated and subdued acting style can portray. The demonic forces of nature would not have been as unsettling had a more fiery actress taken on the role. Gainsbourg and Lars von Trier are a perfect match, as they also proved in Melancholia and Nymphomaniac.

7. NICOLE KIDMAN (THE OTHERS, 2001)

Role: Grace Stewart, a woman who lives in a dark house with her two photosensitive children

Citations:
Win, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, BAFTA
Win, Best Actress, Kansas City Film Critics Circle
Nomination, Best Actress, Online Film Critics Society
Nomination, Best Actress, Phoenix Film Critics Society

In the same year that saw her get an Oscar nomination for playing the tragic Satine in Moulin Rouge!, Nicole Kidman gave another excellent, award-worthy performance (some, like myself, would have preferred a nomination for this one). Luminous and ethereal, Kidman's Grace Stewart is nevertheless solidly grounded, fiercely maternal. A lesser actress would not have been able to give Grace the fragility that gave the now infamous twist such a heart-rending poignancy to it.

6. HALEY JOEL OSMENT (THE SIXTH SENSE, 1999)

Role: Cole Sear, a boy who sees dead people

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, Golden Globes
Nomination, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, Screen Actors Guild
Win, Best Child Performance, Critics Choice Awards
Nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Kansas City Film Critics Circle
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Online Film Critics Society
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Southeastern Film Critics Association

"I see dead people." Who can forget those immortal words uttered by an equally unforgettable Haley Joel Osment? Precociously and frighteningly good, Osment portrayed the perturbed, harassed Cole Sear with warmth and innocence that made us want to tell him "Everything will be ok" even as restless spirits assailed him. He is aces in all scenes, but the one with his mother (played superbly by fellow Oscar nominee Toni Collette) in the car is the best of them. Here he shows us that despite Cole's supernatural talent and Osment's own, they are just kids. That makes it all the more impressive.

5. ANTHONY HOPKINS (THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, 1991)

Role: Dr. Hannibal Lecter, former psychiatrist and now cannibalistic serial killer

Citations:
Win, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Actor, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Nomination, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes
Win, Best Actor, BAFTA
Win, Best Supporting Actor, Boston Society of Film Critics
Win, Best Actor, Chicago Film Critics Association
Win, Best Actor, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Win, Best Actor, Kansas City Film Critics Circle
Win, Best Supporting Actor, National Board of Review

Few roles in horror cinema are as iconic as Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter, and while several other actors have portrayed him (Brian Cox, Gaspard Ulliel, Mads Mikkelsen), it's Anthony Hopkins's deliciously wicked turn that is definitive. He won an Oscar for less than 16 minutes of screen time (the second shortest performance to win a Best Actor Oscar) but that's not surprising given how unforgettable Hopkins made the character. His obvious brilliance and insanity, his amorality, his words and ticks...all of these get under the skin of not only Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) but our own. It's truly insidious.

4. SISSY SPACEK (CARRIE, 1976)

Role: Carrie White, a friendless and lonely telekinetic

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Win, Best Actress, National Society of Film Critics
3rd Place, Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle

Another truly iconic role in horror films? The titular character Carrie White, one of Stephen King's most brilliant creations. Long known for her range, Sissy Spacek, already in her late 20s when she portrayed 17-year-old Carrie, truly made the character her own: shy, naive, repressed...and uncontrollably vindictive. Carrie has an innocent fragility all the way until the floodgates of horror are opened, but the transition is entirely realistic. In fact, audiences can't help but cheer on the cathartic carnage because we feel that Carrie has been wronged. That would not have been possible if Spacek had not made her so sympathetically ordinary before the metamorphosis.

3. ESSIE DAVIS (THE BABADOOK, 2014)

Role: Amelia, a single mother who's at wit's end due to her husband's violent death and her child's psychoses

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Win, Best Actress, Central Ohio Film Critics Association
Nomination, Best Actress, Detroit Film Critic Society
Nomination, Best Actress, Houston Film Critics Society
Nomination, Best Actress, London Critics Circle
Win, Best Actress, North Caroline Film Critics Association
Nomination, Best Actress, Online Film Critics Society
Nomination, Best Actress, San Francisco Film Critics Circle

Is her very high ranking in my list due to the film having been a recent release? Perhaps, but to attribute it to that would be to undermine the sheer brilliance of the performance. The maternal--whether protective or smothering--has long been a fixture of horror cinema, and Essie Davis brings this in spades to the excellent film. She is so genuine as both a sympathetic figure and a terrifying embodiment of the "monstrous feminine" as she comes undone. That the film was directed and written by a woman (Jennifer Kent) probably made the difference, but that she had such an amazing actress in the lead role made the film transcendent.

2. ELLEN BURSTYN (THE EXORCIST, 1973)

Role: Chris MacNeil, film actress and mother of a child possessed by a demonic force

Citations:
Nomination, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Academy Awards
Nomination, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, Golden Globes

Talk about mothers in horror films! The Exorcist's primary conceit is that a mother is forced by desperation to go against her [lack of] belief just to save a daughter assaulted by inexplicable forces. Ellen Burstyn's Chris MacNeil is a strong, confident, and rational actress who is also an agnostic. She is, above all, a loving mother, and this always comes across to the audience. So does her terror when she realizes what her fragile daughter is coping with. She does not accept the failure of medicine and psychiatry and turns to a faith that she has largely abandoned. The anguish within her is real and keenly felt. With six Oscar nominations and a win to her name, Burstyn has long been one of Hollywood's most respected actresses, and while this would not necessarily be her most iconic role, it is surely one of horror cinema's most effective.

1. ISABELLE ADJANI (POSSESSION, 1981)

Roles: Anna, an unhinged wife and mother; and Helen, a gentle school teacher

Citations:
Win, Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival
Win, Best Actress, César Awards

We've heard of actors being described as committed to their craft. For me, commitment is nearly three full minutes of physical contortions, screaming, and emission of blood and other fluids in a dingy subway. It's having a sex scene with an otherworldly tentacled monstrosity. It's spending practically the whole film contorting one of world cinema's most beautiful faces to a visage of confusion, terror, and desperation. Just as there is no other film like the mind-boggling puzzle that is Possession, there is no other performance in a horror film--or perhaps even outside the genre--like Isabelle Adjani's. Unhinged and mercurial, Anna is an actress letting go of all ego. She also delivers a deranged monologue after the subway scene where she says, among other strange things, "What I miscarried there was sister Faith, and what was left is sister Chance." Truly unnerving. On top of that, she also plays a different character, the gentle teacher Helen, whose fate at the end of the film is nevertheless as mysterious as the rest of it. Today, Adjani is rightly recognized as one of the true greats of French cinema. No one less capable would have plumbed the depths of Anna the way she did.

Can Doctor Strange break the MCU's Oscar-less streak?

If any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) stable can break through and finally win the Achievement in Visual Effects category of the Oscars, that's Doctor Strange. The visuals are trippy, mesmerizing, fantastic, and ultimately important to the mystical world being set up in the latest MCU installment. It's unlike anything that's been seen before in MCU...or perhaps even outside of it.

The following MCU films have been nominated in this category before:

Iron Man (81st Academy Awards, 2009)
Iron Man 2 (83rd Academy Awards, 2011)
The Avengers (85th Academy Awards, 2013)
Iron Man 3 (86th Academy Awards, 2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (87th Academy Awards, 2015)
Guardians of the Galaxy (87th Academy Awards, 2015)

I am predicting a nomination for Doctor Strange (as many others are), and I also feel like this is finally the year when we'll have an MCU movie win in the category. The likeliest competition for the film are Arrival, Captain America: Civil War, The Jungle Book, Passengers, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

A win for Doctor Strange would also be the first Oscar for an MCU film.

I believe that aside from the Visual Effects category, the film also has quite a good chance of being nominated in Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Production Design, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Even just three out of these seven potential nominations would put it on top of all other MCU movies; only Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy have more than one nomination (two for Iron Man: one for Visual Effects and another for Sound Editing; two for Guardians: Visual Effects, Makeup and Hairstyling). With its Oscar-friendly release date and glowing reviews, it stands the best chance of achieving this feat (especially if it becomes a box office hit).

80s twofer

Just watched Everybody Wants Some (Richard Linklater) and Sing Street (John Carney), two movies set in the 80s. Both are well-made, feel-good movies made expertly by filmmakers who are both so good at making these types of films, but Sing Street is on a different of inspirational fun altogether. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo should become a big star.

Thoughts I had while watching Hail, Caesar!

I wanted to see more Ralph Fiennes.

And also Tilda Swinton.

Which reminds me that I have to watch A Bigger Splash pronto.

AMPAS should invite these Filipino filmmakers to be members

In an official memo released on 22 January this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced that they will be stepping up their efforts to diversify their membership. This came in response to the latest wave of criticisms regarding the Academy being a predominantly white (94% as of 2012) and male (77% as of 2012) organization, which was ultimately manifested in a completely white slate of nominees for the acting awards (the shut-out for Idris Elba in the Supporting Actor category is particularly egregious).

As part of this laudable campaign for membership diversity, the Academy vowed to "supplement the traditional process in which current members sponsor new members by launching an ambitious, global campaign to identify and recruit qualified new members who represent greater diversity."* Global cinema powerhouses like France, Italy, Germany, China, and Japan are the most likely to benefit from this, and any fan of international film will be delighted at seeing such screen icons as Isabelle Huppert, Gong Li, and Takeshi "Beat" Kitano become members of the Academy. But if the desire for diversification and globalization is sincere, then the Academy should also turn to smaller industries that have nevertheless had a rich history of cinema both within and outside their territories.

Movies have been made in the Philippines since 1897, and then in 1919 the first film made by a Filipino (Dalagang Bukid by Jose Nepomuceno) was released. With stalwarts like Gerardo de Leon, Manuel Conde, Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal (both deceased) leading the way, the Philippines went through two recognized Golden Ages of cinema before the slump of the 1990s and the early 2000s. Now, a burgeoning market in indie and digital films has allowed the country to return to the international scene with a very strong presence in recent years in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and other major film festivals.

If AMPAS were to ask the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP, the organization that sends our official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category every year) for a list of names that they should invite to join their rank and file, it would be a prime opportunity not only to contribute to the outcome of the annual Oscar race but also, more importantly, to reward the efforts of some of our luminaries in uplifting Philippine cinema. Here's a list of those filmmakers that I believe should make the shortlist of FAP in such an event:

DIRECTORS

Brillante Mendoza. This should be a no-brainer. He has enjoyed more exposure and success in international film festivals in the last 10 or so years than any other Filipino filmmaker, even going so far as to win the Best Director award for Kinatay in Cannes in 2009. With his latest (Ma' Rosa) having bagged Jaclyn Jose the first Best Actress award for a Southeast Asian, he deserves to be invited to become a member of AMPAS with or without the 22 January memo.

Lav Diaz. The other very prominent figure in international cinema is Lav Diaz, known as much for his films' long running times as for his austere but powerful imagery. His Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan was a favorite of many cineastes last year and may have been the country's best shot at the elusive Foreign Language Film nomination in recent memory. This year, Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis competed for the Golden Berlin Bear and won the Alfred Baur Award. Many fans of foreign cinema see him as a true, uncompromising visionary.

Mike de Leon. His last directed film, Bayaning 3rd World, was released in 2000. However, his contributions to the Second Golden Age of cinema in the Philippines are much known and still revered to this date. Itim, Kisapmata, Batch '81, and Sister Stella L. are among the best Filipino films of all time. An invitation to the membership of AMPAS will be a fitting tribute to this true master of film.

Peque Gallaga. Gallaga has not made a great film in decades, but he was largely responsible for bringing prosthetic-heavy horror films to a respectable level (primarily with the classic Shake, Rattle and Roll franchise) and, most importantly, he brought to audiences Oro, Plata, Mata, a true masterpiece. If only for that, his name deserves to be put in any shortlist of the country's best directors.

WRITERS

Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr. The brilliant del Mundo is the most frequent collaborator of de Leon, having penned the script for his best films including Kisapmata and Batch '81. He also wrote the screenplay of Lino Brocka's Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, probably the most highly regarded of all Filipino films.

Ricardo Lee. He has written some of the all-time best Filipino films, including the masterpiece Himala directed by Bernal as well as his other films and several by Brocka and Marilou Diaz-Abaya, another major player in the Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema. He is still very active in the industry and is undoubtedly one of local cinema's most awarded writers.

Michiko Yamamoto. Many of the most heralded Filipino films both locally and abroad were written by Yamamoto, one of Philippine cinema's most consistent and intelligent screenwriters. These include the gems Magnifico, Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (a Best Foreign Film nominee in the Independent Spirit Awards of 2007), Norte, On the Job, and Honor Thy Father.

Armando Lao. Mendoza's films aren't really praised primarily for their writing, but their consistently strong showing in international film festivals is undoubtedly due in no small part to that element. Aside from his collaborations with Mendoza, Lao also wrote the script for other festival circuit favorites like Pila Balde and Kubrador.

ACTORS

Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos. The two biggest actresses of Philippine cinema, bar none. Undoubtedly, Aunor has had greater exposure to international audiences (not only with the seminal Himala but also recently with Mendoza's Thy Womb), but both deserve to be recognized as the pillars of the film acting profession. They have worked with the best directors of the country, including Brocka, Bernal, and de Leon, and they have remained significant and popular until now. One other important reason why the FAP should submit both their names: doing so would satisfy both ultra-passionate groups of fans (the Noranians and Vilmanians).

Charo Santos-Concio. Santos-Concio deserves a place in the Academy in either of two branches: the Actors branch or the Producers branch. As Chief Content Officer of ABS-CBN Corporation, one of the biggest entertainment conglomerates in the Philippines, she has producing credits on over 300 films. In her heyday as a film actress, she worked with the best, including Brocka and frequent collaborator de Leon.

Mercedes Cabral. This amazingly genuine and effortless actress may very well be the Philippines's "indie queen," having appeared in over 50 independent films since her debut in Mendoza's Cannes entry Serbis. Since then, she has impressed audiences in Kinatay, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, and Thy Womb and has even starred in Park Chan-wook's vampire film Thirst.

Joel Torre. For a while, he was typecast in the role of Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. He has since become known for less than sympathetic roles in dark, gritty films, including the much praised On the Job. His contribution to the local film and television industry has been significant. Having worked in international productions like John Sayles's Amigo and Tony Gilroy's The Bourne Legacy, he is no stranger among Hollywood actors.

Sid Lucero. Perhaps the most talented actor of his generation (not surprising given his pedigree; Batch '81's Mark Gil is his father and the respected actress Bing Pimentel is his mother), Lucero has broken into the international film scene with a string of indies, most prominent of which is Diaz's Norte. He recently won the Best Actor award in the 19th Los Angeles Comedy Festival for the film Toto.The sky's the limit for this brilliant actor who always seems to make intelligent choices with his films, and adding him to the Academy membership will also add youth (he is only 35) to its roster.

Coco Martin. Mendoza's oeuvre is known almost as much for his muse Coco Martin as it is for its artistry. This charismatic young actor is mostly working in television now, but there is enough recognition and residual goodwill for him in the international film industry to justify an invitation to the Academy.

Jaclyn Jose. No one expected it, but Jose did it: she won the Best Actress award in this year's Cannes Film Festival over favorites Isabelle Huppert, Marion Cotillard, Kristen Stewart, Ruth Negga, and Charlize Theron. She is the first Southeast Asian actress to net that prestigious prize. The win is very unlikely to translate into an Oscar nomination for the same performance, but perhaps an invitation to the Academy would be reward enough? She's a respected veteran of the film industry.

Others for consideration: Erik Matti (director, On the Job), Raymond Red (director, Anino), Amado Lacuesta (writer, Working Girls, Macho Dancer), Hilda Koronel (actor, Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Insiang, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang), Christopher de Leon (actor, Ganito Kami Noon...Paano Kayo Ngayon?, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang), Bembol Roco (actor, Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag), Eugene Domingo (actor, Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, Barber's Tales)

*http://www.oscars.org/news/academy-takes-historic-action-increase-diversity

Film-Otaku Awards 2015

BEST PICTURE

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Bridge of Spies

The Martian
Spotlight
Brooklyn
Ex Machina
Steve Jobs
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The Revenant
Room

BEST DIRECTOR

GEORGE MILLER (MAD MAX: FURY ROAD)

Alejandro G. Iñárritu (The Revenant)
Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies)
Ridley Scott (The Martian)
Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
Todd Haynes (Carol)
Danny Boyle (Steve Jobs)
Alex Garland (Ex Machina)
J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Adam McKay (The Big Short)

BEST ACTOR

LEONARDO DICAPRIO (THE REVENANT)

Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl)
Andrew Garfield (99 Homes)
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
Jacob Tremblay (Room)
Bryan Cranston (Trumbo)
Will Smith (Concussion)
Michael Caine (Youth)
Jake Gyllenhaal (Southpaw)
Paul Dano (Love and Mercy)

BEST ACTRESS

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING (45 YEARS)

Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)
Cate Blanchett (Carol)
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Brie Larson (Room)
Juliette Binoche (Clouds of Sils Maria)
Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Rooney Mara (Carol)
Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl)
Emily Blunt (Sicario)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

IDRIS ELBA (BEASTS OF NO NATION)

Sylvester Stallone (Creed)
Tom Hardy (The Revenant)
Michael Shannon (99 Homes)
Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
Michael Keaton (Spotlight)
Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)
Walter Goggins (The Hateful Eight)
Tom Courtenay (45 Years)
Kurt Russel (The Hateful Eight)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

RACHEL WEISZ (YOUTH)

Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria)
Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak)
Elizabeth Banks (Love and Mercy)
Jane Fonda (Youth)
Rose Byrne (Spy)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (Anomalisa)

BEST SCREENPLAY

THE MARTIAN (DREW GODDARD)

Bridge of Spies (Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen)
Steve Jobs (Aaron Sorkin)
Spotlight (Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy)
Ex Machina (Alex Garland)

BEST ART DIRECTION

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

The Martian
Crimson Peak
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Suffragette

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (JOHN SEALE)

The Revenant (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Bridge of Spies (Janusz Kaminski)
Sicario (Roger Deakins)
The Martian (Dariusz Wolski)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

CAROL (SANDY POWELL)

Crimson Peak (Kate Hawley)
Mad Max: Fury Road (Jenny Beavan)
The Danish Girl (Paco Delgado)
Suffragette (Jane Petrie)

BEST EDITING

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (MARGARET SIXEL)

Bridge of Spies (Michael Kahn)
The Revenant (Stephen Mirrione)
Spotlight (Tom McArdle)
The Big Short (Hank Corwin)

BEST MAKEUP

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

The Revenant
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight
Crimson Peak

BEST SCORE

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (JUNKIE XL)

The Hateful Eight (Ennio Morricone)
Carol (Carter Burwell)
The Martian (Harry Gregson-Williams)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (John Williams)

BEST SONG

"COLD ONE" (RICKI AND THE FLASH)

"Writing's On the Wall" (Spectre)
"Flashlight" (Pitch Perfect 2)
"Love Me Like You Do" (Fifty Shades of Grey)
"Simple Song #3" (Youth)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

The Martian
Mad Max: Fury Road
Ex Machina
Ant-Man

BEST ENSEMBLE

SPOTLIGHT

The Big Short
The Hateful Eight
Trumbo
Steve Jobs

The Jesuits Might Rule 2016 Cinema: Will the Oscars Respond?

With a Jesuit currently holding the highest position in the Roman Catholic Church, the Society of Jesus has considerable power in the hierarchy. This year, two important films about the Society are set to be released, with at least one likely poised to dominate the race in the 89th Academy Awards sometime in early 2017. These films are Martin Scorsese's long-gestating passion project Silence and the St. Ignatius of Loyola (founder of the Society) biopic Ignacio de Loyola.

Jesuits and the Oscars

There have not been many films made about the Jesuit order or its founder; of the St. Ignatius biographical films, only San Ignacio de Loyola (1929) and Loyola, the Soldier Saint (1949), both Spanish productions, are listed in IMDB. Black Robe, a 1991 Bruce Beresford film, is about a young Jesuit priest who spreads the word of God to the Algonquins of Canada. The Man in the Iron Mask, an underrated Three Musketeers movie directed by Randall Wallace in 1998, features Jeremy Irons as the retired Musketeer Aramis who has become not only a Jesuit priest but the order's Superior General.

Of those films with Jesuits (or purported to have them), only three have made a dent in the Oscar race. William Friedkin's seminal horror masterpiece The Exorcist (1973) featured a young Jesuit exorcist named Fr. Damien Karras, S.J. The film received 10 nominations (including one for Best Picture and another for the actor who played Fr. Karras, Jason Miller, in the Supporting Actor category), winning two (Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound). In the Academy Awards of 1955, Karl Malden was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance as Father Barry in Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront (1954). The film never explicitly mentioned him as being a Jesuit, but it is widely known that the inspiration for his character was the Jesuit priest Fr. John M. Corrigan, S.J., who fought against crime and organized crime in the waterfront of New York.

Undoubtedly, Roland Joffé's The Mission (1986) is the most unabashedly Jesuit among the Oscar players (and incidentally, it also stars Jeremy Irons as a Jesuit). Like Black Robe after it, it is about the Society's missions in the Western frontier; this was set in South America. It received seven nominations, including Best Picture, and won one (Best Cinematography). Of all the Jesuit-related films, it is also the closest in theme to Silence.

The 2016 Films

Silence has been in development under Scorsese since 1991. It is based on the novel by Shusaku Endo about two Portuguese Jesuits (Fr. Sebastião Rodrigues, S.J. and Fr. Francisco Garrpe, S.J., played by Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver, respectively) who face persecution in Japan where they have traveled to seek their mentor (Fr. Cristóvão Ferreira, S.J., portrayed by Liam Neeson) and spread the teachings of Christianity. With principal photography finally commencing on 30 January 2015 and the cast headlined by Garfield, Driver, Neeson, and Tananobu Asano (replacing Ken Watanabe), it is set to make a wave in the next Academy Awards. It is aiming to have its premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Given its pedigree and the excited buzz that it has been generating for years, it is already a likely candidate in the following categories:

Picture
Director
Actor (Andrew Garfield)
Supporting Actor (Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, and/or Tadanobu Asano)
Adapted Screenplay
Cinematography (Rodrigo Prieto)
Costume Design (Sandy Powell?)
Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker)
Makeup and Hairstyling
Original Score (Howard Shore)
Production Design (Dante Ferretti)

The other film, Ignacio de Loyola is the latest of the biopics of Iñigo de Loyola and will conceivably have a more difficult uphill climb in the Oscar race than Silence. It is a Filipino production; the Jesuit Communications Foundation is the production company and its director is Paolo Dy, a Filipino short film director. It stars Spanish actor Andreas Muñoz as St. Ignatius, and the film was shot on location in Spain. It is set for a July 2016 release in the Philippines, and plans are still underway for international distribution and screening at film festivals. It is interesting to note that while the Academy has no rule about a country's Best Foreign Language Film contender having to feature its native language, it is not an option for the Philippines as an entry since the film is in English. However, if it is well received in any of the major international film festivals, it has a slim chance to break into at least the technical races (perhaps foremost among them Costume Design and Production Design). It remains to be seen how a "diversified" Academy (the changes introduced by the Academy's Board of Governors will be in effect by then) will matter at all in this respect, if it at all does in any. Here is a link to the official trailer of Ignacio de Loyola: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfuaLkKjynI

Regardless of the outcome at the Oscars, however, the Society of Jesus and those affiliated with the Jesuits are bound to have an eventful and meaningful year in cinema.

Heneral Luna Goes to War: Thinking Seriously About that Elusive Oscar Nomination

When was the last time in recent memory that a Filipino film received such an outpouring of affection, ardor, and support? Cineastes, students, historians, and casual moviegoers alike have bombarded social networking sites with praise for Jerrold Tarog’s Heneral Luna and admonitions to those who have not seen it during its run in cinemas. Rarely have the words “must-see movie” seen so much use over a local production. A few days ago, the local film industry (by way of a seven-man committee under the Film Academy of the Philippines) gave its own stamp of approval, and a far-reaching, burdensome one at that: Heneral Luna is our country’s entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 88th Academy Awards (aka the Oscars).

Since its release on 9 September, Heneral Luna has become a rallying point for various sectors of society that are usually at odds with each other on a multitude of other issues. Those less aware of the excellent films that such independent festivals as Cinemalaya and CinemaOne have been churning out on a yearly basis have certainly made it one for high-quality cinema (with “mistress” movies—as if that were a real genre—being the scapegoat). Those decrying the shortcomings of history education in our schools have also used it as such; there are calls for the Department of Education to make it required viewing for elementary and high school students. When in its third week, cinema houses announced that they would be removing the film from over half of their theaters, the public made Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites their battleground in pressuring the houses to abort such plans (and they largely did). When word got out that the pirates have been busy with creating bootlegged copies of the movie, it suddenly became popular for one to speak up against piracy.

Like the true general that the title character was, Heneral Luna has called Filipinos to arms.

Perhaps one more battle is not too much to ask for? Heneral Luna could very well be the rallying point for our pursuit of recognition in the global film arena, that Oscar nomination that has eluded us since the 1950s.

Flirting with the Foreign Language Film Oscar

The Philippines has been sending movies to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the Oscars since 1956, the year that the category became a competitive one with five nominees. That inaugural race, where we sent Lamberto Avellana’s Anak Dalita, was won by Federico Fellini’s La Strada. Including Anak Dalita, we have fielded 25 entries prior to Heneral Luna. Not one has made it to the nominees’ circle of five. Presumably, some have made it to the shortlist, but certainly not since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) first publicly announced their shortlists in 2006. To see a Filipino film getting attention from the Academy, we would have to go all the way back to 1953, when Manuel Conde’s Genghis Khan was under consideration for the Honorary Foreign Language Film Award (then non-competitive) in the 26th Academy Awards.

Last year, we sent a particularly worthy contender: Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan by Lav Diaz. It was nominated for the Un Certain Regard Award in the Cannes Film Festival and a won a slew of other international citations. Such attention from the foreign film industry is not to be underestimated; even simply making rounds and creating buzz in such festivals as those in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Tribeca, or Sundance can do wonders for a competing film. Prior to getting its first nomination with The Missing Picture, Cambodia’s film made its rounds in the international festival circuit (and won that same Un Certain Regard race to boot). Unfortunately, Norte’s Cannes debut came over a full year before it was submitted for consideration in the 87th Academy Awards (in contrast, The Missing Picture was submitted for the 86th—just five months after its Cannes win).

Interestingly, Brillante Mendoza, clearly one of the vanguards of Philippine cinema in international cinema with repeated Cannes, Berlinale, and Venezia appearances, has never represented the country in the Oscar race.

Digging the Trenches

Simply put, Heneral Luna must have international screenings if it is to even make a dent in the consciousness of the Academy voters. The film has been shown in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York, but mainly for the Filipino communities there. Right now, there is virtually no buzz from Oscar watchers and insiders on the film, something that even Bwakaw had healthy amounts of two years ago because of participation in international film festivals. And no, that article on Variety about the selection of the film does not count for much (but an advertisement in the magazine, which is very costly, probably will—any willing sponsors?).

Several films already have a significant advantage going into the race by virtue of their strong performance in international festivals: The Second Mother (Anna Muylaert, Brazil), Embrace of the Serpent (Ciro Guerra, Colombia), Labyrinth of Lies (Giulio Ricciarelli, Germany), The Wave (Roar Uthaug, Norway), A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (Roy Andersson, Sweden), The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Taiwan), and the presumed frontrunner, Son of Saul (László Nemes, Hungary). Even if the Foreign Language committee does not normally warm up to horror movies, Austria’s Goodnight Mommy (Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz) has at least word-of-mouth from international cineastes going for it. With the selection above, five of which could very well be the actual nominees, Heneral Luna truly has to make an uphill climb. This is especially true because Tarog is unfortunately not yet a very recognizable name outside the Philippines.

Aside from creating the needed buzz, screening Heneral Luna in theaters in the United States will also make it eligible for the awards bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (aka the Golden Globes). Say what you may about that group of international journalists, but their power in bringing attention to films up for Oscar consideration is not to be underestimated.

On that note, perhaps the Nepaleses (Janet and Ruben), the two Filipino members of the HFPA, can more vocally champion the film among their peers?

The General Needs Champions

Having someone in Hollywood as a very vocal supporter of Heneral Luna could do wonders. When the Philippines made its final pitch to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to host the World Cup in 2019, the delegation included boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and veteran actor Lou Diamond Philips. Presumably, neither has much clout within the Academy.

Thankfully, we do not need to limit ourselves to compatriots. Perhaps John Arcilla can ask for a little help from his The Bourne Legacy colleagues Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz (both big stars, Academy members, and Oscar nominees; Weisz actually won as Oscar for The Constant Gardener). Or maybe Hollywood heavyweights Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who promoted the City of Dreams casino resort complex in Manila, could become Heneral Luna advocates?

Why not Quentin Tarantino? A proud fan of Asian cinema (including the drive-in staples of Filipino directors Eddie Romero and Gerardo de Leon), he was feted in the Cinemanila International Film Festival in 2007. He is an Academy favorite, having just recently won Best Original Screenplay honors for Django Unchained and his upcoming The Hateful Eight being widely anticipated as another Oscar contender. He had championed Zhang Yimou’s Hero, which was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category and several others.

Some might see this as shameless campaigning, but Oscar watchers recognize that the race is as much about the campaign as it is about the quality of films in contention. This late in the game (the official list of foreign language film entries comes out in October, with the shortlist of nine following perhaps in December), public screenings might not be enough to pull off the magic trick of a nomination. Sending physical screeners (e.g. DVDs) or even providing links for download or streaming content to select Academy insiders might be the extra shot in the arm that this particular campaign needs.

Spread That Love

Filipinos are very comfortable with social media. The online hoopla surrounding Heneral Luna just proved how powerful a weapon the Internet can be with our advocacies. The film seems to have struck a collective nerve in most of those who have seen it, and most telling of that is the sentimentality over its importance as a work of art and a tool for history education.

A strong online campaign for Heneral Luna in the Best Foreign Language Film category will not be seen as presumptuous, especially with a good number of known Oscar watchers like Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby) and Nathaniel Rogers (The Film Experience) having lamented the lack of attention that regular entrants like the Philippines are getting in the race. The effort will likely be seen as proactive and nationalistic (as befitting the actual film), qualities that most Academy voters (i.e. American) would presumably be able to appreciate.

One other thing that many American voters will probably appreciate: Heneral Luna does not pander to them as our colonial masters. Some Filipinos may be worried that voters will find the film offensive given its sentiments against American colonialists, but modern liberalist America—with its strong slant on social liberalism and social justice—will probably develop a fondness for this poke at past oppressionist imperial America. The almost cartoonish portrayal of American generals may actually help.

It’s certainly a riveting story from any angle: a developing nation, the film industry of which has had glorious past decades (many international cineastes still know who Lino Brocka and Ishmael Bernal) and is currently back on the upswing (with Mendoza and Diaz at the vanguard); submitting an Oscar entry since the 1950s but never being nominated; comes together to champion a film about patriotism, respect for history, and sheer conviction.

We could definitely put those memes and hashtags to very good use these next few months. Foreign Oscar journalists and bloggers like O’Neil, Rogers, Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Kristopher Tapley (Variety), and Anne Thompson (Indiewire) might pick the message up and pass it on.

The Odds

As things stand right now, Heneral Luna will easily get lost in the sea of foreign language film entries (at least 80 territories are expected to submit theirs), with early festival favorites Son of Saul and The Second Mother making it even more difficult for us to get breathing space. However, if enough buzz picks up and attention shifts to this gem of a movie from an emerging film culture, then getting into at least the shortlist isn’t unlikely (especially with the Committee having the power to include three films that do not get enough popular votes).

That’s exactly what the film is: a gem that deserves to be seen by fans of cinema not only here in our country but elsewhere. It’s a war film/biopic with excellent technical quality, powerful writing and direction, and impeccable performances by its ensemble cast. It has the trappings of a Best Foreign Language Film Award shoo-in.

The right people just have to know about it and watch it. So now, it’s a matter of us making sure that happens.

Image from the Heneral Luna Facebook page