You can't throw a stick these days without hitting another batch of film critics huddling to pick their best films of the year.
At least you can't if you're in San Diego or Austin or Chicago.
First, the San Diego Film Critics Society bathes Quentin Tarantino in, shall we say, gloury:
Best Film: “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Director: Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Actress: Michelle Monaghan, “Trucker”
Best Actor: Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Best Supporting Actress: Samantha Morton, “The Messenger”
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Original Screenplay: “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Adapted Screenplay: “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Il Divo”
Best Documentary: “The Cove”
Best Cinematography: “The Road”
Best Editing: “(500) Days of Summer”
Best Production Design: “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Score: “A Single Man”
Best Ensemble Performance: “Inglourious Basterds”
Body of Work award: Woody Harrelson for “The Messenger,” “Zombieland,” and “2012.”
Then the Austin Film Critics Association chimes in with love for "Hurt Locker" and some kudos for Austinite Richard Linklater's "Me and Orsom Welles":
Best Film: “The Hurt Locker”
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Actor: Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Best Actress: Melanie Laurent, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, “Up in the Air”
Best Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd, “The Hurt Locker”
Best Original Score: Michael Glacchino, “Up”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Sin Nombre”
Best Documentary: “Anvil! The Story of Anvil”
Best Animated Feature: “Up”
Best First Film: “District 9,” Neill Blomkamp
Breakthrough Artist Award: Christian McKay, “Me & Orson Welles”
Austin Film Award: “Me & Orson Welles”
Top 10 Films:
1. ”The Hurt Locker”
2. “Star Trek”
3. “Up”
4. “A Serious Man”
5. “Up in the Air”
6. “Avatar”
7. “Inglourious Basterds”
8. “District 9”
9. “Where the Wild Things Are”
10. (tie) “Moon,” “The Messenger”
Top 10 Films of the Decade:
1. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)
2. “There Will Be Blood” (2007)
3. “The Lord of the Rings” (2001-2003)
4. “The Dark Knight” (2008)
5. “Requiem for a Dream” (2000)
6. “Kill Bill” (2003/4)
7. “No Country for Old Men” (2007)
8. “The Incredibles” (2004)
9. “Children of Men” (2006)
10. (tie) “Memento” (2000), “The Departed” (2006)
And finally, the Chicago Film Critics Association has revealed their faves -- but unlike the other groups, which release lists of winners, the Chicago critics go with a two-part process. This week, the nominations; soon, the winners.
Best Picture:
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“A Serious Man”
“Up in the Air”
“Where the Wild Things Are”
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Joel and Ethan Coen, “A Serious Man”
Spike Jonze, “Where the Wild Things Are”
Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”
Quentin Tarantino, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Matt Damon, “The Informant!”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “A Serious Man”
Best Actress:
Abbie Cornish, “Bright Star”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Maya Rudolph, “Away We Go”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia”
Best Supporting Actor:
Peter Capaldi, “In the Loop”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christian McKay, “Me and Orson Welles”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”
Best Supporting Actress:
Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”
Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique, “Precious”
Julianne Moore, “A Single Man”
Natalie Portman, “Brothers”
Best Original Screenplay:
“Away We Go”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
Best Adapted Screenplay:
“An Education”
“In the Loop”
“The Informant!”
“Up in the Air”
“Where the Wild Things Are”
Best Foreign-Language Film:
“Broken Embraces”
“Red Cliff”
“Sin Nombre”
“Summer Hours”
“The White Ribbon”
Best Documentary:
“Anvil!: The Story of Anvil”
“Capitalism: A Love Story”
“The Cove”
“Food, Inc.”
