The Movies, Books, Theater, Concerts, CDs I Saw/Read/Heard In 2020

Updated as of December 31, 2020

KEY: star rating is on the four star scale
          meaning of "/" or "\"
          *** is three stars out of four
          ***/ is three stars leaning towards  3 1/2
          ***\ is three stars leaning towards 2 1/2


BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
(Increasingly, I am sampling books, reading 10%, 20% even 40 or 50% before deciding to move on. The books below are only the ones I've read completely. That also explains what looks like generous grading -- more and more, if I sense a book is not going to be among my favorites, I stop reading. Too many books; too little time!)


1. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo *** 1/2
2. Thank You, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse *** 1/2 (despite the blackface)
3. Walt and Skeezix aka Gasoline Alley Volume Three 1925-1926 by Frank King *** 
4. Bubble In The Sun by Christopher Knowlton ** 1/2
5. A World Without Work by Daniel Susskind **
6. Tightrope by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn ** 1/2
7. Arguing With Zombies by Paul Krugman ***
8. The Complete Terry and the Pirates Vol. 5 1943-1944 by Milton Caniff *** 1/2
9. The Complete Terry and the Pirates Vol. 6 1945-1946 by Milton Caniff *** 1/2
10. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate ***
11. Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler ****
12. The Queen Of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner *** 1/2
13. The King Of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner *** 1/2
14. Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh *** 1/2
15. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown ***
16. Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner ** 1/2 
17. Apropos of Nothing by Woody Allen **
18. Thick As Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner ***
19. Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein **
20. Gold Rush Girl by Avi ** 1/2
21. The Singapore Wink by Ross Thomas **
22. The Few by Alex Kershaw (nonfic on Battle Of Britain) *** 

23. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson ** 1/2 (read too many books about Churchill and his wartime cabinet) 

24. The Warden by Anthony Trollope (1855) book one of Barsetshire Chronicles *** 1/2 

25. Trumpocalypse by David Frum * 

26. Rigged by David Shimer (history of covert election interference) *** 

27. Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen *** 

28. Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope (1857) book two of Barsetshire Chronicles *** 1/2 

29. An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor (2008) ** 

30. An Irish Country Christmas (2008) ** 

31. Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor (2013) ** 1/2 

32. An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor (2010) ** 

33. Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith ** 

34. An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor * 1/2 

35. The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame, radio play by Alan Bennett *** 

36. The Mirror and The Light by Hilary Mantel *** 1/2 \ 

37. The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark ** 1/2 

38. Owls Of The Eastern Ice by Jonathan C. Slaght *** 

39. Shane by Jack Schaefer *** 

40. The Human Cosmos by Jo Marchant *** 1/2 \ 

41. The Searchers by Alan Le May *** 1/2 

42. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke **/ 

43. The Butterfly Effect: Insects and the Making Of The Modern World by Edward D. Melillo ** 1/2 

44. The End Of Everything by Katie Mack *** 

45. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik ***

46.  The Ministry For The Future by Kim Stanley Robinson *** 1/2 

47. Warlock by Oakley Hall *** 1/2  

48. All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot (read by Christopher Timothy) *** 1/2 

49. Subversive Orthodoxy by Robert Inchausti ** 

50. Wrecked by Joe Ide *** \ 

51. The Magic Pudding written and illustrated by Norman Lindsay *** 1/2 

52. Hi Five by Joe Ide ** 1/2 

53. 





CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS CDS (A strong emphasis on the ones I like, so don't think I love everything I listen to -- I just don't bother really listening to the ones I don't )


1. Neil Young -- Tonight's The Night (1975) *** 1/2 /
2. Neil Young -- Zuma (1975) *** 1/2
3. Neil Young -- After The Goldrush (1970) *** 1/2 /
4. Neil Young -- American Stars N Bars (1977) ** 1/2
5. Neil Young -- Comes A Time (1978) *** 1/2
6. Neil Young -- Rust Never Sleeps (1979) *** 1/2
7. Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto -- Getz/Gilberto #2 (1965) *** 1/2
8. John Luther Adams -- Become Ocean (2014) ****
9. Green Day -- Father Of All Motherfuckers *** 1/2
10. Teddy Thompson -- Heartbreaker Please *** 1/2
11. The Magnetic Fields -- Quickies *** 1/2
12. Drake Bell -- The Lost Album (2000) ***
13. Moses Sumney -- grae, Part 1 *** 1/2
14. Randy Travis -- Worship & Faith **
15. James Taylor -- American Standard **
16. Various Artists -- Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Collection (1995) *** 1/2
17. Various Artists -- Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Collection Vol. Two (1999) ***
18. Nancy Priddy -- You've Come This Way Before (1968) **
19. Brandy Clark -- Your Life Is A Record *** 1/2
20. Jose Feliciano -- Behind This Guitar **
21. Judy Collins -- Silver Blue Skies (w Ari Hest) (2016) ***
22. John Denver -- Greatest Hits (1973) **
23. Jose James -- No Beginning No End 2 **
24. Mike and the Moonpies -- Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold ** 1/2
25. Minnie Ripperton -- Come To The Garden (1970) **
26. Nathaniel Rateliff -- And It's Still Alright **
27. Kate Bush -- Never For Ever (1980) ***/
28. The Lone Bellow -- Half Moon Light ** 1/2
29. Louis Armstrong -- The Standard Oil Sessions **
30. Michael Doucet -- Lacher Prise ** 1/2
31. Nazz -- Nazz (1968) ***
32. Nick Frater -- Full Fathom Freight-Train ***
33. Oh Wonder -- No One Else can Wear Your Crown ** 1/2
34. Parliament -- Mothership Connection (1975) ****
35. Paul Weller -- In Another Room ep **
36. Kate Bush -- The Dreaming (1981) ***/
37. Luke Haines and Peter Buck -- Beat Poetry For Survivalists **
38. Robert Cray -- That's What I Heard ***/
39. Old Crow Medicine Show -- Fifty Years Of "Blonde On Blonde" ** 1/2
40. Rumer -- B-Sides and Rarities ***
41. Judy Collins and Stephen Stills -- Everybody Knows (2017) ** 1/2
42. John Denver -- A Lime Creek Christmas ***
43. Jim Sullivan -- UFO (1969) ***
44. Kalapana -- Best of Black Sand: The Best Of Kalapana **
45. Kate Bush -- Hounds Of Love (1985) ****
46. The Kinks -- Face To Face (1966) ** 1/2
47. Matt Monroe -- Matt Sings and Nelson Swings (1967) *
48. Major Matt Mason USA -- Me Me Me (1998) **
49. William Prince -- Reliever **
50. Various Artists/Wynton Marsalis -- Motherless Brooklyn soundtrack ***
51. Beta Radio -- All Remains ep ***
52. R.E.M. -- Monster (1994) ** 1/2
53. Maria McKee -- La Vita Nuova *** 1/2
54. Gordon Lightfoot -- Solo **
55. Brian Eno and Roger Eno -- Mixing Colours ***/
56. Rod McKuen -- Greatest Hits Of (1969) *
57. Barry Manilow -- Night Songs II *** 1/2
58. Bill Fay -- Countless Branches ***
59. The Everly Brothers -- The Hit Sounds of the Everly Brothers (1967) ** 1/2
60. The Everly Brothers -- Sing (1967) **
61. Mister Rogers -- It's Such A Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers ** 1/2
62. Cowboy Junkies -- Ghosts ***/
63.  Bill Withers -- Just As I Am ****
64. Bill Withers -- Still Bill ****
65. Bill Withers -- Live at Carnegie Hall *** 1/2
66. Bill Withers -- +Justments *** 1/2
67. Bill Withers -- Make Music ***
68. Bill Withers -- Naked and Warm ***
69. Bill Withers - Menagerie ** 1/2
70. Bill Withers -- 'Bout Love **
71. Bill Withers -- Watching You, Watching Me ** 1/2
72. John Prine -- John Prine (1971) ***
73. John Prine -- Diamonds in the Rough (1972) *** 1/2
74. Ron Sexsmith -- Hermitage ** 1/2
75. John Prine -- Sweet Revenge (1973) ** 1/2
76. John Prine -- Bruised Orange (1978) ** 1/2 

77. John Prine -- The Missing Years (1991) *** 1/2 

78. John Prine -- A John Prine Christmas (1994) ** 

79. Todd Rundgren -- Runt: The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren (1971) *** 1/2 

80. Todd Rundgren -- Something/Anything? (1972) *** 1/2 

81. Huey Lewis -- Weather ep ** 1/2 

82. Todd Rundgren -- A Wizard, A True Star (1973) *** 1/2 

83. A Girl Called Eddy -- Been Around ***/ 

84. Todd Rundgren -- Todd (1974) *** 

85. Todd Rundgren -- Faithful (1976) ** 1/2 

86. Boy George -- This Is What I Dub Vol. 1 ** 

87. Brian Fallon -- Local Honey ** 

88. Todd Rundgren -- Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978) *** 

89. Judy Collins -- Silver Skies Blue (2016) *** 1/2 

90. Judy Collins -- Strangers Again (2015) ** 

91. iLe -- iLevitable *** 

92. Chatham County Line -- Strange Fascination ** 

93. Jeri Southern -- The Southern Style (1955) ** 

94. Kenny Rogers -- Gideon (1980) ** 

95. Kenny Rogers -- What About Me (1984) ** 

96. Kenny Rogers -- Water and Bridges (2006) *** 

97. Kraftwerk -- Trans Europe Express (1977) *** 1/2 

98. Various -- Funny People soundtrack ** 1/2 

99. Beau Jennings -- The Christmas Light ** (title song good)  

100. Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians -- Twas The Night Before Christmas * 

101. Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians -- Christmas Time *

102. George Benson -- Beyond The Blue Horizon (1971) * 1/2 

103. Jim Lauderdale -- When Carolina Comes Home Again ** 1/2 

104. David Archuleta -- Therapy Sessions ** 

105. Badly Drawn Boy -- Banana Skin Shoes ** 

106. Steve Earle -- Ghosts of West Virginia *** 1/2 

107. Coconut Records -- Nighttiming (2007) ** 

108. George Jones and Tammy Wynette -- Golden Ring (1976) *** 

109. Alec Benjamin -- These Two Windows *** 

110. Teddy Thompson -- Heartbreaker Please *** 1/2 

111. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton -- Porter Wayne and Dolly Rebecca (1970) *** 

112. The Magnetic Fields -- Quickies *** 1/2 

113. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton -- Two Of A Kind (1971) ** 1/2 

114. Kris Kristofferson -- Kris (1970) *** 

115. Philip Glass -- Music In Eight Parts *** 1/2 

116. Todd Rundgren -- Nearly Human (1989) *** 

117. Jimmy Buffett -- Life On The Flip Side ** 1/2 

118. Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton -- The Right Combination (1972) ** 1/2 

119. Dion -- Blues With Friends ** 

120. Todd Rundgren -- Liars (2004) *** 

121. Todd Rundgren -- Arena (2008) ** 1/2 

122. Todd Rundgren -- Healing (1981) *** 

123. The Dwight Tilley Band -- Sincerely (1976) *** 

124. Dolly Parton -- Release Me ep * 1/2 

125. Emahoy Tsegu-Maryam Gubrou -- Ethiopiques Vol. 21: Ethiopia Song Piano Solo (1963) *** 1/2 

126. Janet Devlin -- Confessional ** 1/2 

127. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever -- Sideways To New Italy ** 1/2 

128. The Kinks -- Something Else By The Kinks (1967) ** 1/2 

129. The Sylvers -- The Sylvers (1972) ** 1/2 

130. Norah Jones -- Pick Me Up Off The Floor ** 

131. Odetta -- Christmas Spirituals (1960) *** 1/2 

132. Niall Horan -- Heartbreak Weather ** 

133. Rush -- Permanent Waves (1980) ** 1/2 

134. Shelby Lynne -- Shelby Lynne ** 

135. M Ward -- Migration Stories *** 

136. Canyons -- Gone West ** 

137. Neil Young -- Homegrown (1975/2020) *** 1/2 

138. John Legend -- Bigger Love ** 

139. Phoebe Bridgers -- Punisher ***/ 

140. Perfume Genius -- Set My Heart On Fire Immediately ** 1/2 

141. The 1975 -- Notes on A Conditional Form *** 

142. Van Dyke Parks and Brian Wilson -- Orange Crate Art (1995) *** 

143. Bob Dylan -- Rough And Rowdy Ways *** 1/2 

144. Andi Rae Healy -- Last Time I Checked This Was A Free World and I Wasn't Anybody's Girl ** 

145. Run The Jewels -- RTJ4 ** 1/2 

146. Nicole Atkins -- Italian Ice ** 

147. Pet Shop Boys -- Hotspot ** 1/2 

148. Temporex -- Care ** 1/2 

149. Corb Lund -- Agricultural Tragic ** 1/2 

150. Johnny Cash -- Johnny Cash Is Coming To Town (1987) ** 1/2 

151. Johnny Cash -- Water From The Wells of Home (1988) ** 

152. Johnny Cash -- The Mystery Of Life (1991) ** 

153. Johnny Cash -- Out Among The Stars (2014) ** 

154. Distant Cousins -- Here & Now ** 

155. Supergrass -- The Strange Ones: 1994-2008 *** 1/2 

156. Ambrose Akinmuserie -- On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment ** 1/2 

157. Lady Gaga -- Chromatica ***\ 

158. Teyana Taylor -- The Album *** 1/2 

159. Richard Thompson -- Bloody Noses ep *** 

160. Willie Nelson -- First Rose Of Spring *** 1/2 \ 

161. Paul Weller -- On Sunset *** / 

162. Tom Petty -- Southern Accents (1985) ** 

163. Tom Petty -- Let Me Up, I've Had Enough (1987) ** 

164. The Jayhawks -- Xoxo *** / 

165. Margo Price -- That's How Rumors Get Started ** 

166. Ray Wylie Hubbard -- Co-Starring ** 

167. My Morning Jacket -- The Waterfall II *** 

168. Joe Ely -- Love In The Midst of Mayhem ** 

169. Rufus Wainwright -- Unfollow The Stars *** 

170. Lianne La Havas -- Lianne la Havas *** 

171. Emitt Rhodes -- Emitt Rhodes (1970) *** 1/2 

172. Logic -- No Pressure *** 

173. Caetano Veloso -- Transa (1972) *** 

174. Cinder Well -- No Summer ** 

175. Taylor Swift -- folklore ** 1/2 

176. Paul Kelly -- Please Leave Your Light On (w Paul Grabowsky) *** 

177. Seasick Steve -- Love & Peace ** 

178. Thomas Bartlett -- Shelter *** 

179. Tom Petty -- Full Moon Fever (1989) *** 1/2 

180. Tom Petty -- Into the Great Wide Open (1991) ** 1/2 

181. Tom Petty -- Wildflowers (1994) ** 

182. Mary Chapin Carpenter -- The Dirt and the Stars ** 

183. Holly Humberstone -- Falling Asleep At The Wheel ** 1/2 

184. Rumer -- Nashville Tears: The Songs Of Hugh Prestwood *** 1/2 

185. Trini Lopez -- Live At PJ's (1963) * 

186. Bruce Hornsby -- Non-secure Connection ** 

187. Kathleen Edwards -- Total Freedom ** 

188. Gloria Estefan -- Brazil305 ** 1/2 

189. Matt Rollings -- Mosaic ** 1/2 

190. Mandy Barnett -- A Nashville Songbook ** 

191. Beta Radio -- Way Of Love ep ** 1/2 

192. Ryland James -- Ryland James ** 

193. The Texicana Mamas -- The Texicana Mamas ** 

194. Troye Sivan -- In A Dream ep *** 

195. Michael Harrison w Roomful Of Teeth -- Just Constellations *** 

196. The Waterboys -- Good Luck, Seeker ** 

197. Bettye LaVette -- Blackbirds *** 

198. Toots & The Maytals -- Got To Be Tough ** 1/2 

199. Emitt Rhodes -- Mirror (1971) *** 

200. Linda Martell -- Color Me Country (1970) ** 1/2 

201. Hal Wilner/VA -- Angel-headed Hipster: The Songs Of Marc Bolan and T-Rex ** 1/2 

202. The Bangles -- All Over The Place (1984) *** 1/2 

203. Elliott Brood -- Keeper *** 

204. VA -- Bob Stanley Presents '76 In The Shade ** 1/2 

205. A Passing Fancy -- A Passing Fancy (1968) ** 

206. Frank Sinatra -- September Of My Years (1965) *** 1/2 

207. Suzanne Vega -- An Evening Of New York Songs and Stories *** 

208. Thelonius Monk -- Piano Solo (1954) **** 

209. Thelonius Monk -- Monk's Music (1957) **** 

210. Cat Stevens -- Tea For The Tillerman (1970) ** 

211. Toots and the Maytals -- Funky Kingston (1973) *** 

212. Paul McCartney -- Flaming Pie (deluxe) (1997) ** 1/2 

213. Fleet Foxes -- Shore 

214. Various Artists -- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season Three Soundtrack *** 

215. Diana Krall -- This Dream Of You ** 1/2 

216. Carrie Underwood -- My Gift * 1/2 

217. Dolly Parton -- A Holly Dolly Christmas * 

218. Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton: Once Upon A Christmas (1984) * 1/2 

219. John Michael Talbot -- Songs From Solitude * 1/2 

220. Lateral Blue -- This Christmas (2019) * 1/2 

221. Bob Mould -- Blue Hearts *** 1/2 

222. Dawn Landes -- ROW ** 

223. Loudon Wainwright -- I'd Rather Lead A Band ** 1/2 

224. The Budos Band -- Long In The Tooth *** 
225. John Lennon -- Gimme Some Truth boxed set ** 1/2 

226. Sturgill Simpson -- Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions) *** / 

227. The Struts -- Strange Days *** 1/2 

228. The Jaded Hearts Club -- You've Always Been Here *** 

229. Ella Fitzgerald -- Ella: The Lost Berlin Tapes (Live) *** 1/2 

230. Sam Amidon -- Sam Amidon ** 

231. Ryland James -- A Little Christmas ep * 1/2 

232. Tears For Fears -- Sowing The Seeds Of Love (1989) ** 

233. Ruel -- Bright Lights Red Eyes ep ** 

234. Sharon Jones -- Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Is In) ** 1/2 

235. The Doors -- Morrison Hotel (1970) ** 

236. Chuck Prophet -- The Land That Time Forgot *** 1/2 

237. Bran Van 3000 -- The Garden (2010) *** 

238. Bruce Springsteen -- Letter To You ** 1/2 

239. For King and Country -- A Drummer Boy Christmas * 

240. Drake Bell -- Sesiones En Casa *** 

241. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings -- All The Good Times ** 

242. The Goo Goo Dolls -- It's Christmas All Over * 1/2 (but "Ain't Getting Nothing" a keeper) 

243. Leslie Odom Jr. -- The Christmas Album * 1/2 

244. Straight No Chaser -- Social Christmasing * 1/2 

245. Joni Mitchell -- Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) *** 

246. Shirley Bassey -- I Owe It All To You * 1/2 

247. Sara Bareilles -- More Love: Songs From Little Voice, Season One ** 

248. Hello Forever -- Whatever It Is ** 

249. Common -- A Beautiful Revolution (Pt 1) ** 1/2 

250. Kim Wilde -- Wilde Winter Songbook * 

251. Grant-Lee Philips -- Yuletide ep ** 1/2 

252. Pentatonix -- We Need A Little Christmas * 

253. Professor Longhair -- Crawfish Fiesta (1980) *** 1/2 

254. Shenandoah -- Every Road ** (but I'll Take Another One Of Those a keeper) 

255. Frank Turner and Jon Snodgrass -- Buddies II: Still Buddies ** (but amusing) 

256. Chris Stapleton -- Starting Over ** 1/2 

257. Dua Lipa -- Future Nostalgia *** 

258. Ellie Goulding -- Songbook For Christmas * 

259. Anne Murray -- The Ultimate Christmas Collection * 1/2 

260. Black Violin -- Give Thanks * 1/2 

261. Engelbert Humperdink -- Sentiments ep * 

262. Jamie Cullum -- The Pianoman At Christmas *** (fun vibe) 

263. VA -- If The Fates Allow (A Hadestown Holiday Album) * 1/2 

264. Grace Jones -- Nightclubbing *** 

265. Jeff Tweedy -- Love Is The King ** 1/2 

266. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound -- A Jazzy Little Christmas * 

267. Courtney Marie Andrews -- Old Flowers ** 

268. Meghan Trainor -- A Very Trainor Christmas * 1/2 

269. The Best Of The Girl Groups Vol 1 **** Vol, 2 *** 1/2 

270. Haim -- Women In Music III *** 

271. Nick Cave -- Idiot Prayer (Nick Cave Alone At Alexandra Palace) *** 

272. Fiona Apple -- Fetch The Bolt Cutters *** 1/2 

273. Tori Amos -- Christmastide * 1/2 

274. Nellie McKay -- Bagatelles *** 

275. Ike Quebec -- Blue and Sentimental (1963) ***/ 

276. Count Basie Orchestra -- A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas ** 

277. Kamasi Washington -- Becoming soundtrack ** 1/2 

278. M Ward -- Think Of Spring ** 1/2 

279. Hailey Whitters -- The Dream ** 

280. Brett Eldredge -- Sunday Drive ** 1/2 

281. Joshua Ray Walker -- Glad You Made It ** 

282. Katie Pruitt -- Expectations ** 1/2 

283. Ashley McBryde -- Never Will *** 

284. Charley Pride -- Christmas In My Hometown * 

285. Colter Wall -- Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs ** 1/2 

286. Fred Hersch -- Songs From Home ** 1/2 

287. Hothouse Flowers -- Let's Do This Thing ** 

288. Michael Buble -- Christmas (Deluxe) ** 

289. The Explorers Club -- The Explorers Club *** 

290. A Girl Called Eddy -- Been Around *** 1/2 / 

291. Kali Uchis -- Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ** 1/2 

292. Lido Pimienta -- Miss Colombia ** 

293. Bonny Light Horseman -- Bonny Light Horseman *** 

294. Tame Impala -- The Slow Rush *** 

295. Harold Budd and Robin Guthrie -- Another Flower *** 1/2 

296. Shirley Collins -- Heart's Ease ** 1/2 

297. The Sparks -- A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip *** / 

298. Taylor Swift -- Evermore ** 

299. Ron Miles -- Rainbow Sign ** 

300. The Psychedelic Furs -- Made Of Rain ** 

301. Sufjan Stevens -- The Ascension *** 

302. Jessie Ware -- What's Your Pleasure? *** 

303. Chilly Gonzales -- A Very Chilly Christmas ** 1/2 

304. Sturgill Simpson -- Cuttin' Grass Vol. 2 (Cowboy Arms Session) *** 

305. Tony Allen and Hugh Masekala -- Rejoice! *** 1/2 

306. Jyoti -- Mama, You Can Bet! *** 

307. Tim Heidecker -- Fear Of Death ** 1/2 

308. Michael Harrison w Roomful Of Teeth -- Just Constellations *** 1/2 

309. Olafur Arnalds -- Some Kind Of Peace *** 1/2 

310. Chouk Bwa -- Vodou Ale ** 1/2 

311. Groupe RTD -- The Dancing Devils of Djibouti *** 1/2 

312. Songhoy Blues -- Optimisme *** 

313. Sharhabil Ahmed -- The King Of Sudanese Jazz *** 1/2 

314. A Girl Called Eddy -- A Girl Called Eddy (2004) *** 1/2 

315. Bad Bunny -- El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo *** 1/2 

316. Immanuel Wilkins -- Omega *** 1/2 

317. Lina Rodriguez -- Lina_Raul Refree *** 1/2 

318. Duma -- Duma ** 

319. Tami Neilson -- Chickaboom! ***/ 

320. Wynton Marsalis and JLCO -- A Swingin' Sesame Street Celebration ** 

321. Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra -- Puertos: Music from International Waters *** 

322. American Aquarium -- Lamentations *** 

323. Wynton Marsalis and JLCO -- The Ever Fonky Lowdown ** 

324. Gabriel Garzon-Montana -- Aquita ** 

325. S.G. Goodman -- Old Time Feeling ** 

326. Lilly Hiatt -- Walking Proof ** 

327. Kurt Rosenwinkel -- Searching The Continuum ** 

328. Kandace Springs -- The Women Who Raised Me ** 1/2 

329. Carla Bley -- Life Goes On *** 1/2 

330. Grimes -- Miss Anthropocene ** 1/2 

331. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah -- Axiom ** 

332. Los Mocosos -- All Grown Up ** 

333. X Alfonso -- Inside ** 

334. Bill Frisell -- Valentine ** 

335. Guillermo Klein -- Los Gauchos Cristal ** 

336. John Beasley -- MONK'estra Plays John Beasley *** 1/2 

337. Jason Isbell -- Reunions *** 

338. Jake Blount -- Spider Tales *** 1/2 

339. Watkins Family Hour -- Brother Sister ** 1/2 

340. Chloe x Halle -- Ungodly Hour ** 1/2 

341. Bones -- Damaged Goods ** 1/2 

342. Blake Mills -- Marble Set ** 

343. William Tyler -- New Vanitas ** 1/2 

344. Alejandro Fernandez -- Hecho En Mexico ** 1/2 

345. Ben Watt -- Storm Damage ** 1/2 

346. Burt Bacharach and Daniel Tashian -- Blue Umbrella  ep ** 

347. Flo Mill -- Ho, Why Is You Here? ** 

348. Don Bryant -- You Make Me Feel ** 1/2 

349. Frank Bey -- All My Dues Are Paid ** 1/2 

350. Bobby Rush -- Rawer Than Raw ** 1/2 

351. The Chicks -- Gaslighter *** 

352. Daniela Cotton -- A Different War ep ** 

353. The Flat Five -- Another World ** 1/2 

354. Jim Andralis -- My Beautiful Enemy ** 

355. Danny Barnes -- Man On Fire ** 

356. Conan Gray -- Kid Krow ** 

357. Jessica Reyez -- Before Love Came To Kill Us ** 1/2 

358. Jhene Aiko -- Cholombo ** 

359. Debi Nova -- 3:33 ** 1/2 

360. Jeff Parker -- Suite For Max Brown ** 

361. Harold Lopez-Nussa -- Te Lo Dije *** 1/2 

362. James Elkington -- Ever-Roving Eye *** 

363. Beastie Boys -- Music **** 

364. Gregory Porter -- All Rise ** 

365. Plants and Animals -- The Jungle ** 

366. Bright Eyes -- Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was *** 

367. Sarah Jarosz -- World On The Ground *** 

368. Clarice Jensen -- The Experience Of Repetition As Death *** 1/2 

369. Sarah Jarosz -- World On The Ground *** 
370. Gorillaz -- Song Machine Season One Strange Times ** 1/2 

371. Melody Gardot -- Sunset In The Blue *** 

372. Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra -- Tradiciones ** 1/2 

373. Brad Mehldau -- Suite April 2020 *** 

374. Miley Cyrus -- Plastic Hearts ***\ 

375. Kenny Washington -- What's The Hurry *** 

376. Kidd G -- Teenage Dreams: 1000 Miles From Georgia ** 1/2 

377. The Killers -- Imploding The Mirage ** 1/2 

378. Mighty Oaks -- All Things Go ** 1/2 

379. Matthew Sweet -- Catspaw ** 1/2 

380. Katrina Leskanich -- Hearts, Loves & Baby's ** 1/2 

381. Jimmy Heath -- Love Letter *** 1/2 

382. Andrew Bird -- Hark! ** 1/2 

383. Sault -- Untitled (Black Is) *** 1/2 

384. Bones -- Remains *** 

385. Jimmy Buffett -- Songs You Don't Know By Heart *** 

386. Harold Budd -- Another Flower *** 1/2 

387. Sault -- Untitled (Rise) *** 1/2 

388. William Tyler -- First Cow soundtrack *** 1/2 

389. Neil Young -- Archives Volume II *** 1/2 

MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES TV MOVIES 

(Not TV movies, of course, but movies and TV -- and TV movies if it comes to that. Mostly I only list TV shows when I've tackled an entire season at once or reappraising an entire series after it's over This doesn't really capture my ongoing watching of current TV.)


1. Local Hero (1983) ***
2. Where Is The Friend's House? (1987) *** 1/2
3. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) **
4. Local Hero (1983) ***\
5. Where Is The Friend's House? (1987) *** 1/2
6. L'Argent (1983) ** 1/2
7. Sans Soleil (1983) ** 1/2
8. High Hopes (1988) ***
9. Atlantic City (1981) ***
10. The Day Of Rest (1939) Robert Benchley short *
11. The Mandalorian S1 ** 1/2
12. Pacific Liner (1939) **
13. Tiger King (Netflix doc) ** 1/2
14. An Hour For Lunch (1939 Robert Benchley short) *
15. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) ** 1/2
16. Derry Girls S1 ***
17. Derry Girls S2 *** 

18. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance S1 *** 

19. The End of the F---ing World S2 **** 

20. The River (short film by Pare Lorentz) (1938) ** 

21. The Plow That Broke The Plains (1936) music by Virgil Thomson, Didactic, confusing and haphazard. barely gets across the idea that ending grasslands doomed the plains to drying up. Much mention of the war driving up wheat prices. 

22. Poetry of Nature: A Pete Smith Specialty (1939) "humorous" short about wildlife in California redwoods * 

23. The Sea Around Us (1953) ** 

24. Star Trek: Picard S1 ** 1/2 

25. A Small Town Idol (1921/1939) no stars 

26. Old Hickory (1939 short) * 

27. Seeing Red (1939 short w Red Skelton) * 

28.  Word Is Out (1977) *** 1/2 

29. Better Call Saul S1 *** 1/2 

30. Rough Riders' Round-up (1939) Roy Rogers * 

31. Welcome To Chechnya (doc) *** 

32. Unsettled: Seeking Refuge In America (doc) ** 1/2 

33. Sexual Exiles (1999 short; 30min) *** 

34. The Fighting Gringo (1939) * 1/2 

35. Family Romance LLC *** (Werner Herzog film) 

36. Beanpole *** 1/2 (plus acting, prod design) 

37. A Russian Youth ** 1/2 

38. Star In The Night (1945) Don Siegel dir short about hotel/diner in middle of nowhere on Christmas Eve * 1/2 

39. Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939) ** 

40. One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) * 1/2 

41. It Started With Eve (1941) ** 

42. I Know Where I'm Going! (1945) *** 1/2 

43. Brief Encounter (1945) *** 1/2 

44. Smashing The Money Ring (1939) * 1/2 

45. Big Wednesday (1978) * 1/2 

46. Rewind ** 1/2 

47. Death On The Nile (1978) * 1/2 

48. Another Thin Man (1939) *** \ 

49. The Mirror Crack'd (1980) * 1/2 

50. Evil Under The Sun (1981) *** \ 

51. The Personal History Of David Copperfield * 1/2  

52. Bill & Ted Face The Music ** (but sweet) 

53. Tenet ** 

54. The City (1939) doc ** 

55. James A FitzPatrick's TravelTalks: Rural Hungary (1939) ** 

56. James A FitzPatrick's TravelTalks: Land Of Alaska Nellie (1939) ** 

57. The Vast Of Night *** 1/2 (score, cinematography, supporting actress, etc) 

58. Ammonite *** 1/2 

59. Martin Eden ** 

60. Boys State ***/ 
61. Wolf Walkers *** 

62. Matthias & Maxime *** 1/2 

63. Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds (Herzog doc) *** 1/2 

64. Nomad: In The Footsteps Of Bruce Chatwin ** 1/2 

65. Nomadland *** 1/2 

66. The Painter and The Thief *** 

67. Palm Springs ** 1/2 

68. The Whistlers ** 1/2 

69. My Octopus Teacher ** 1/2 

70.  The Kid Detective *** 1/2 

71. Dick Johnson Is Dead *** 1/2 

72. Another Round *** 1/2 

73. Small Axe: Mangrove ** 1/2 

74. Small Axe: Lovers Rock *** / 

75. Small Axe: Red, White And Blue 

76. Small Axe: Alex Wheatle 

77. Small Axe: Education 

78. Time (Amazon doc) ***/ 

79. Weathering With You *** 

80. Collective *** 1/2 

81. Minari *** 1/2 

82. Sound Of Metal *** 1/2 

83. Never Rarely Sometimes Always *** 1/2 

84. First Cow *** 

85. Jasper Mall *** 

86. Crip Camp *** 1/2 

87. Judas And The Black Messiah ** 1/2 

88. 

THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS THEATER CONCERTS
(The names after the shows are the people who joined me at the performance.)


1. Dana H *** 1/2 (Lucas Hnath play; saw solo)

2. A Christmas Carol (w Jefferson Mays, streaming only) *** 

3. Nellie McKay at Joe's Pub Live on Demand (streaming only) *** 


Updated as of December 31, 2020

Christmas Music -- A MindSpace Discussion

 NEW STANDARDS -- CHRISTMAS SONGS OF THE 1970S TO TODAY 

CHRISTMAS PLAYLISTS 

Follow me on Spotify! 

Christmas Traditional 1 

Christmas Pop 1

Christmas Hip 1

Christmas Traditional 2 

Christmas Pop 2 

Christmas Hip 2

Christmas Traditional 3 

Christmas Pop 3 

Christmas Hip 3  

Christmas Traditional 4

Christmas Hip 4

Elvis Presley/Frank Sinatra's Jolly Christmas Album

THE ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS ALBUM LIBRARY 

Herb Alpert -- Christmas Album (1968)

Bing Crosby -- Merry Christmas aka White Christmas (many editions) 

Bing Crosby -- Sings Christmas Songs 

Ella Fitzgerald -- Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas (Just the first 12 songs, please; skip the rest) 

Vince Guaraldi -- A Charlie Brown Christmas

Emmylou Harris -- Light Of The Stable

Mahalia Jackson -- Silent Night: Songs For Christmas 

The Living Sisters -- Harmony Is Real: Songs For A Happy Holiday

Los Lobos -- Llegó Navidad 

Aimee Mann -- One More Drifter In The Snow

Wynton Marsalis -- Crescent City Christmas Card

Johnny Mathis -- Merry Christmas 

Liam Neeson -- The Polar Express (narrator) (out of print)

Willie Nelson -- Pretty Paper 

Odetta -- Christmas Spirituals (1960) or Christmas Spirituals (1987) (sometimes but not always repackaged as Beautiful Star)  

The Persuasions -- You're All I Want For Christmas 

Elvis Presley -- Elvis' Christmas Album side one **** (side two is mostly not Christmas!) pair it with Sinatra side one from Jolly 

Elvis Presley/Frank Sinatra's Jolly Christmas Album

Lou Rawls -- Merry Christmas Ho! Ho! Ho! (1967) pulled from compilation and sequenced properly

Martin Sexton -- Camp Holiday 

She & Him -- A Very She & Him Christmas 

Sia -- Everyday Is Christmas 

Frank Sinatra -- Christmas Songs By Sinatra (Columbia, 1994) 

Frank Sinatra -- A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra (1957) *** (first side ****, second **) pair it with Elvis side one

Elvis Presley/Frank Sinatra's Jolly Christmas Album

Jimmy Smith -- Christmas Cookin' aka Christmas '64  

Phil Spector -- A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records 

Sufjan Stevens -- Songs For Christmas Vol 1-5 and Silver & Gold Vol. 6-10 

Swingle Singers -- Noeles Sans Passeport: Christmastime 

Dylan Thomas -- A Child's Christmas In Wales and other poems 

Tracey Thorn -- Tinsel and Lights 

Marion Williams -- O Holy Night  (not on Spotify but you can buy the CD)

George Winston -- December 

VARIOUS ARTISTS, SOUNDTRACKS, COMPILATIONS 

A Big Band Christmas (Columbia, 1988) 

Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas (Verve, 2006) 

Hipster's Holiday (Rhino, 1989) (album not on Spotify, partial playlist)

I'll Be Home For Christmas: Songs That Won The War (does it exist?) 

The Original Soul Christmas (Atlantic, 1968) *** 1/2 

Where Will You Be Christmas Day (Dust To Digital, 2004) (partial playlist; album not on Spotify)

A MINDSPACE ROUNDTABLE ON CHRISTMAS MUSIC 

Great Songs/Standards  Since 1970 

Jose Feliciano -- "Feliz Navidad" (Nov 1970)

Donny Hathaway -- "This Christmas" (Dec, 1970) 

Joni Mitchell -- "River" (June 1971) 

The Pretenders -- "2000 Miles" (single from Learning To Crawl, for o.d. James Honeyman Scott) 

Ron Sexsmith -- "Maybe This Christmas" 

Wham -- "Last Christmas" 

Stevie Wonder -- "Someday at Christmas" (1967)

Great Records Since 1970

Band Aid -- "Do They Know It's Christmas" 

The Bangles -- "Hazy Shade of Winter" (cover of 1966 S&G) (Less Than Zero) 

Barenaked Ladies -- "Deck The Stills" 

Mariah Carey -- "All I Want For Christmas Is You" 

Bing Crosby and David Bowie -- "Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy" (1977 special)

Everything But The Girl -- "Come On Home" 

Aled Jones -- "Walking In The Air" from 1982's The Snowman TV special Raymond Briggs 

The Kinks -- "Father Christmas" 

John Lennon & Yoko Ono -- "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" 

The Pogues w Kristy MacColl -- "Fairytale Of New York" 

Queen -- "Thank God It's Christmas" 

Chris Rea -- "Driving Home For Christmas" (1988, Top 40 since 2008) 

Run-D.M.C. -- "Christmas In Hollis" 

Bruce Springsteen -- "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" 

U2 -- "New Year's Day" 

Kate Bush -- "December Will Be Magic Again" and "Home For Christmas" 

Most Emotional 

Band Aid -- "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (Bono) 

Darlene Love -- "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" On Letterman/The View 

John & Yoko -- "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" 

Terrible Records By Great Artists 

Elton John -- "Step Into Christmas" 

Paul McCartney -- "Wonderful Christmastime" 

Under-appreciated 

Extreme -- "Christmas Time Again" 

Stevie Wonder -- "One Little Christmas Tree"  

Greatest Christmas Songwriter?

Johnny Marks -- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, A Holly Jolly Christmas, Silver and Gold, I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day AND Run Rudolph Run for Chuck Berry! Plus all the songs on the Rankin-Bass TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Like "We're A Couple Of Misfits"

Rolling Stone 500 Best Albums of All Time 2003/2012/2020/?

• Albums Returning To 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time List 2020 Edition

• 
  
• Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded (2003: #444; 2012: Not on list; 2020: #239)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival's Cosmo's Factor (2003: #265; 2012: Not on list; 2020: #413)
• Massive Attack's Mezzanine (2003: #412; 2012: Not on list; 2020: #383)
• Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill (2003: #327; 2012: Not on list; 2020: #69)
• Linda Ronstadt's Heart Like A Wheel (2003: #164; 2012: Not on list; 2020: #490)
• Roxy Music's Avalon (2003: 307; 2012: Not on list; 2020: #336)

Albums No Longer On 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time List 2020 Edition

• AC/DC's Highway To Hell (2003: #199; 2012: #180)
• Aerosmith's Toys In The Attic (2003: #228; 2012: #229)
• Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2003: Unreleased; 2012: #371)
• The Beach Boys' The Smile Sessions (2002: Unreleased; 2012: #381)
• The Beach Boys' Sunflower (2003: #380; 2012: Not on list)
• The Beatles' Please Please Me (2003: #39; 2012: #39)
• The Beatles' With The Beatles (2003: #420; 2012: Not on list)
• Beck's Sea Change (2003: #440; 2012: #436)
• Blood, Sweat & Tears' Child Is Father To The Man (2003: #264; 2012: #266)
• Bobby Bland's Two Steps From The Blues (2003: #215; 2012: #217)
• Bob Marley's Burnin’ (2003: #319; 2012: #319)
• Bob Marley's Natty Dread (2003: #182; 2012: #181)
• David Bowie's Aladdin Sane (2003: #277; 2012: #279)
• David Bowie's Changesone (2003: #425; 2012: Not on list)
• James Brown's Greatest Hits (2003: #414; 2012: Not on list)
• James Brown's In The Jungle Groove (2003: #330; 2012: #329)
• Jackson Browne's For Everyman (2003: #457; 2012: #450)
• Jackson Browne's Late For The Sky (2003: #372; 2012: #375)
• Jackson Browne's The Pretender (2003: #391; 2012: #391)
• Buena Vista Social Club's Buena Vista Social Club (2003: #360; 2012: Not on list)
• Buffalo Springfield's Buffalo Springfield Again (2003: #188; 2012: #188)
• The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (2003: #476; 2012: #468)
• The Byrds's Greatest Hits (2003: #178; 2012: Not on list)
• The Byrds' The Notorious Byrd Brothers (2003: #171; 2012: #171)
• The Byrds'Younger Than Yesterday (2003: #124; 2012: #127)
• Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band's Trout Mask Replica (2003: #58; 2012: #60)
• The Carpenters' Close To You (2003: #174; 2012: #174)
• Johnny Cash's American Recordings (2003: #364; 2012: #366)
• Manu Chao's Proxima Estacion: Esperanza (2003: Not on list; 2012: #474)
• Ray Charles' The Genius Of Ray Charles (2003: #263; 2012: #265)
• Cheap Trick's At Budokan (2003: #430; 2012: #426)
• Cheap Trick's In Color (2003: #448; 2012: #443)
• Eric Clapton's 461 Ocean Boulevard (2003: #409; 2012: #411)
• Eric Clapton's Slowhand (2003: #312; 2012: #325)
• Leonard Cohen's Songs Of Love and Hate (2003: Not on list; 2012: #295)
• Alice Cooper's Love It To Death (2003: #460; 2012: #454)
• Elvis Costello's Armed Forces (2003: #482; 2012: #475)
• Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom (2003: #166; 2012: #166)
• Cream's Fresh Cream (2003: #101; 2012: #102)
• Cream's Wheels Of Fire (2003: #203; 2012: #205)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival's Chronicle, Vol. 1 (2003: Not on list; 2012: #59)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival's Green River (2003: #95; 2012: Not on list)
• The Cure's Boys Don’t Cry (2003: #442; 2012: #438)
• Miles Davis's Sketches Of Spain (2003: #356; 2012: #358)
• Def Leppard's Hysteria (2003: #472; 2012: #464)
• Def Leppard's Pyromania (2003: #384; 2012: Not on list)
• Neil Diamond's The Neil Diamond Collection (2003: #222; 2012: #224)
• The Doors' L.A. Woman (2003: #362; 2012: #364)
• The Doors' Strange Days (2003: #407; 2012: #409)
• Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left (2003: #283; 2012: Not on list)
• Nick Drake's Bryter Layter (2003: #245; 2012: Not on list)
• The Drifters' Golden Hits (2003: #465; 2012: #459)
• Bob Dylan's Desire (2003: #174; 2012: #174)
• Bob Dylan's Modern Times (2003: Unreleased; 2012: #204)
• Bob Dylan's Time Out Of Mind (2003: #408; 2012: #410)
• Steve Earle's Guitar Town (2003: #489; 2012: #482)
• Echo and the Bunnymen's Heaven Up Here (2003: #471; 2012: #463)
• EPMD's Strictly Business (2003: #459; 2012: #453)
• Eurythmics' Touch (2003: #500; 2012: #492)
• Fleetwood Mac's Fleetwood Mac (2003: #183; 2012: #182)
• Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim's Getz/Gilberto (2003: #454; 2012: #447)
• Grateful Dead's Anthem Of The Sun (2003: #287; 2012: #288)
• Grateful Dead's Live Dead (2003: #244; 2012: #247)
• Merle Haggard's Branded Man (2003: #484; 2012: Not on list)
• PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love (2003: #435; 2012: Not on list)
• Don Henley's The End Of The Innocence (2003: #389; 2012: #389)
• Buddy Holly's The “Chirping” Crickets (2003: #421; 2012: #420)
• John Lee Hooker's Ultimate Collection 1948-1990 (2003: #375; 2012: #377)
• Jane’s Addiction's Nothing’s Shocking (2003: #309; 2012: #312)
• Jane’s Addiction's Ritual De Lo Habitual (2003: #453; 2012: Not on list)
• Jefferson Airplane's Volunteers (2003: #370; 2012: #373)
• The Jesus and Mary Chain's Psycho Candy (2003: #268; 2012: #269)
• Jethro Tull's Aqualung (2003: #337; 2012: #337)
• Billy Joel's 52nd Street (2003: #352; 2012: #354)
• Dr. John's Dr. John’s Gumbo (2003: #402; 2012: #404)
• Elton John's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (2003: #158; 2012: #158)
• Elton John's Elton John (2003: #468; 2012: Not on list)
• Elton John's Greatest Hits (2003: #135; 2012: #136)
• Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection (2003: #463; 2012: #458)
• Joy Division's Substance (1988)(2003: #361; 2012: Not on list)
• Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign (2003: #499; 2012: #491)
• B.B. King's Live In Cook County Jail (2003: Not on list; 2012: #499)
• The Kinks' The Kink Kronikles (2003: #231; 2012: #232)
• Kiss' Destroyer (2003: #496; 2012: #489)
• Labelle's Nightbirds (2003: #272; 2012: #274)
• Little Walter's The Best Of (2003: #198; 2012: #198)
• LL Cool J's Radio (2003: #478; 2012: #470)
• Loretta Lynn's All Time Greatest Hits (2003: #485; 2012: #478)
• Madonna's Music (2003: #452; 2012: Not on list)
• The Mamas and the Papas' Greatest Hits (2003: #423; 2012: Not on list)
• The Mamas and the Papas' If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (2003: #127; 2012: #112)
• John Mayall's Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (2003: #195; 2012: #195)
• Curtis Mayfield's The Anthology 1961-1977 (2003: #179; 2012: #178)
• Paul McCartney and Wings' Band On The Run (2003: #418; 2012: #418)
• MC5's Back In The USA (2003: #451; 2012: #450)
• Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell (2003: #343; 2012: #343)
• The Meters' Rejuvenation (2003: #138; 2012: #139)
• MGMT's Oracular Spectacular (2003: Unreleased; 2012: #494)
• M.I.A.'s Kala (2003: Unreleased; 2012: #393)
• Steve Miller Band's Fly Like An Eagle (2003: #450; 2012: #445)
• Moby's Play (2003: #341; 2012: #341)
• Moby Grape's Moby Grape (2003: #121; 2012: #124)
• The Mothers Of Invention's Freak Out! (2003: #243; 2012: #246)
• The Mothers Of Invention's We’re Only In It For The Money (2003: #243; 2012: #246)
• Mott The Hoople's All The Young Dudes (2003: #491; 2012: #484)
• Mott The Hoople's Mott (2003: #366; 2012: #370)
• My Morning Jacket's Z (2003: Unreleased; 2012: #457)
• Willie Nelson's Stardust (2003: #257; 2012: #260)
• Randy Newman's Good Old Boys (2003: #393; 2012: #394)
• Randy Newman's 12 Songs (2003: #354; 2012: #356)
• New Order's Substance (1987) (2003: Not on list; 2012: #363)
• No Doubt's Rock Steady (2003: #316; 2012: Not on list)
• No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom (2003: #441; 2012: Not on list)
• The O’Jays' Back Stabbers (2003: #318; 2012: #318)
• Graham Parker's Squeezing Out Sparks (2003: #335; 2012: #334)
• Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel (2003: #429; 2012: #425)
• Pearl Jam's Vitalogy (2003: #492; 2012: #485)
• The Pogues' Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (2003: #445; 2012: #440)
• The Police's Ghost In The Machine (2003: #322; 2012: #323)
• The Police's Outlandos D’Amour (2003: #434; 2012: #428)
• The Police's Regatta De Blanc (2003: #369; 2012: #372)
• Professor Longhair's New Orleans Piano (2003: #220; 2012: #222)
• Public Enemy's Yo! Bum Rush The Show (2003: #497; 2012: Not on list)
• Public Image Ltd.'s Metal Box (2003: #469; 2012: #461)
• Quicksilver Messenger Service's Happy Trails (2003: #189; 2012: #189)
• Radiohead's Amnesiac 2003: Not on list; 2012: #320)
• Rage Against The Machine's The Battle Of Los Angeles (2003: #426; 2012: Not on list)
• Bonnie Raitt's Give It Up (2003: Not on list; 2012: #495)
• Otis Redding's Dock Of The Bay (2003: #161; 2012: #161)
• Otis Redding's Live In Europe (2003: #474; 2012: Not on list)
• Lou Reed's Berlin (2003: #344; 2012: #344)
• R.E.M.'s Document (2003: #470; 2012: #462)
• The Replacements' Tim (2003: #136; 2012: #137)
• The Rolling Stones' Between The Buttons (2003: #355; 2012: #357)
• The Rolling Stones' Now! (2003: #181; 2012: #180)
• The Rolling Stones' Out Of Our Heads (2003: #114; 2012: #116)
• The Rolling Stones' Tattoo You (2003: #211; 2012: #213)
• Linda Ronstadt's The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt (2003: #324; 2012: #164)
• Roxy Music's Country Life (2003: #387; 2012: Not on list)
• Roxy Music's Siren (2003: #371; 2012: #374)
• Santana's Santana (2003: #150; 2012: #149)
• Boz Scaggs' Boz Scaggs (2003: Not on list; 2012: #496)
• Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends (2003: #233; 2012: #234)
• Simon & Garfunkel's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (2003: #201; 2012: #202)
• Frank Sinatra's Songs For Swingin’ Lovers (2003: #306; 2012: #308)
• Sly and The Family Stone's Fresh (2003: #186; 2012: #186)
• Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (2003: #487; 2012: Not on list)
• The Smiths' Louder Than Bombs (2003: #365; 2012: #369)
• The Smiths' Meat Is Murder (2003: #295; 2012: #296)
• The Smiths' The Smiths (2003: #481; 2012: #473)
• Soundgarden's Superunknown (2003: #336; 2012: #335)
• Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift For You (2003: #142; 2012: #142)
• Bruce Springsteen's Greetings From Asbury Park (2003: #379; 2012: Not on list)
• Bruce Springsteen's The Rising (2003: Not on list; 2012: #424)
• Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel Of Love (2003: #475; 2012: #467)
• Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic (2003: #385; 2012: #386)
• The Stooges' Raw Power (2003: #125; 2012: #128)
• Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense (2003: #345; 2012: #345)
• Talking Heads' Talking Heads: 77 (2003: #290; 2012: #291)
• Richard & Linda Thompson's Shoot Out The Lights (2003: #333; 2012: #332)
• U2's All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2003: #139; 2012: #280)
• U2's Boy (2003: #417; 2012: #417)
• U2's War (2003: #221; 2012: #223)
• Vampire Weekend's Vampire Weekend (2003: Unreleased; 2012: #430)
• Tom Waits' The Heart Of Saturday Night (2003: #339; 2012: #339)
• Tom Waits' Mule Variations (2003: #416; 2012: #416)
• War's The World Is A Ghetto (2003: #449; 2012: #444)
• Muddy Waters' At Newport 1960 (2003: #348; 2012: #348)
• Muddy Waters' Folk Singer (2003: #280; 2012: #282)
• Barry White's Can’t Get Enough (2003: #281; 2012: #283)
• The White Stripes' White Blood Cells (2003: Not on list; 2012: #497)
• The Who's A Quick One (Happy Jack) (2003: #383; 2012: #384)
• The Who's Quadrophenia (2003: #266; 2012: #267)
• The Who's The Who Sing My Generation (2003: #236; 2012: #237)
• Hank Williams' The Complete Hank Williams (2003: #225; 2012: Not on list)
• Jackie Wilson's Mr. Excitement! (2003: #235; 2012: #236)
• Wings see Paul McCartney
• Howlin’ Wolf's Howlin’ Wolf (2003: #223; 2012: #238)
• Peter Wolf's Sleepless (2003: #432; 2012: #427)
• X's Wild Gift (2003: #334; 2012: #333)
• The Yardbirds' Having A Rave Up With The Yardbirds (2003: #353; 2012: #355)
• The Yardbirds' Roger The Engineer (2003: #349; 2012: #350)
• ZZ Top's Eliminator (2003: #396; 2012: #398)
• ZZ Top's Tres Hombres (2003: #498; 2012: #490)

• Various Artists' Anthology Of American Folk Music (2003: #276; 2012: #278)
• Various Artists' Best Of The Girl Groups Vol 1 and 2 (2003: #422; 2012: #421)
• Various Artists' The Sun Records Collection (2003: #308; 2102: #311)

DEANNA DURBIN -- A HUGE STAR THAT NEVER QUITE MADE IT

DEANNA DURBIN COLLECTION I 

$49.95 BluRay; Kino Lorber Studio Classics 

By Michael Giltz

What a talent. What a waste. For a brief period in the 1940s, singer and actress Deanna Durbin was the highest paid actress in the world. Her first two films were nominated for Best Picture and reportedly saved Universal from bankruptcy. Her fan club was the biggest in the world. The Metropolitan Opera came a'calling and offered this lyric soprano the chance to sing for them. Heck, she made her debut in a short opposite Judy Garland and soon eclipsed that artist in almost every way. Almost. 

The truth is Durbin never made a great film, a great album or even more than a decent single or two. She easily made the leap from juvenile lead to terrific-looking and talented adult star but to what purpose? Garland demanded the spotlight; Durbin fled from it. After 21 films at Universal, Durbin walked away from it all, married her third husband and never did anything creative again. It worked. Her death in 2013 was certainly noted but as more of a curiosity. Durbin became the answer to a trivia question, one most people would get wrong. Her movies are rarely watched; her recordings rarely listened to, even by those who dimly remember her. 

That indifference will probably extend to this odd selection of three films, as random a choice of movies as one could ask for. Durbin made 21 films for Universal and if you were going to showcase just three, surely you'd choose the 3 Smart Girls trilogy: the first was her debut and a massive success. Or maybe you'd choose her first three. Or the first three she made with director Henry Koster and producer Joe Pasternak, the men who snapped her up when MGM passed and coached Durbin into stardom. Or all six films she made with Koster. Or something that made a lick of sense. 

Instead, this collection includes the SECOND film in the 3 Smart Girls trilogy, her SECOND film at Universal (100 Men and a Girl) and her LAST film with Koster (It Started With Eve), which at least has the distinction of being considered one of Durbin's best. On the bright side, the three prints on this BluRay collection are solid, the sound quality good and to continue the random nature of this endeavor, it features TWO audio commentaries instead of three. You'll also find trailers for all three films, though weirdly none of them are available on YouTube. Here's a clip of Durbin singing the Irish traditional "Danny Boy" to Charles Laughton in It Started With Eve.

All three films are this side of good. They contain strong talent, decent scripts and enough smarts to make clear everyone was trying. It's easy to see why they were hits and why no one bothers with them much anymore. In 3 Smart Girls Grow Up, Durbin must untangle the romantic confusion of her two older sisters. The blonde is marrying a family friend but it's the OTHER sister (a brunette) who really loves him. To console the loser, Durbin dragoons Robert Cummings into falling for the brunette, but he too wants the blonde. Hilarity ensues. In 100 Men and A Girl, Durbin is the daughter of down on his luck classical musician Adolphe Menjou. They're surrounded by out of work artists (99 of them, to be exact) so naturally Durbin convinces a wealthy producer to back her new orchestra and shames conductor Leopold Stokowski into leading them. It Started With Eve cranks up the confusion even more: Cummings (again) is engaged to be married, which is easy to imagine since he's the son of one of the wealthiest men in America (Charles Laughton). When dad is dying and wants only to meet his son's fiancee, Cummings panics when she's not available and grabs a hat check girl (Durbin) to take the woman's place and let dad's last moments go quietly. Needless to say, Laughton recovers, Durbin sees a chance to launch her singing career and despite himself Cummings falls for this inconvenient gal. 

Each film is painless and breezy, as long as you're in an undemanding mood. Each features a few moments of real charm and artistry, along with laugh-out-loud nonsense like only old Hollywood can muster. And each film shows Durbin was a real, if squandered talent. My favorite comment on Durbin's career comes from Durbin herself when ending her career: she was tired of being "the highest-paid star with the poorest material." Indeed. It's not that these films are awful; they're just far from what she deserves. 

If Universal was going bankrupt until Durbin rescued her, it might have been due to construction costs. Even by the standards of Hollywood, the sets for these three films are bat shit crazy. We're used to Astaire and Rogers dancing across a massive living room floor in a sky-high penthouse. Nonetheless, the home of Stokowski in 100 Men and A Girl is bonkers. He apparently enjoys an atrium in the middle of his Manhattan home that's so elaborate, an entire 100 piece orchestra can be arrayed on three levels, with Stokowski popping out of his room and steps onto an interior balcony to check out the talent as the orchestra plays. (Indeed, the funniest moment of the film is the twitching in Stokowski's hands when he simply can't resist the desire to conduct.) The home of gazillionaire Lauhgton in It Started With Eve is cozy in comparison, even as Durbin shoves a grand piano from one cavernous room to another so she can serenade the old buzzard. 

But both are topped by the epic proportions on display in 3 Smart Girls Grow Up. Their Manhattan home is jaw-dropping in its immensity. And again, this is in comparison to other insanely lavish Hollywood movies, not reality. At one point Durbin must storm out of a room and upstairs in a huff. But the room is so gigantic, the next one so expansive, the stairs so sweeping that Durbin practically sprints so she can get to the landing on the next floor and deliver her final zinger. While she's running,  you could head to the concession stand, get popcorn and a soda and head back into the theater without missing a thing. Robert Cummings has the best line in the film. When asked if he had trouble finding their home Cummings admits he did. He walked by twice, Cummings says, because he thought their home was the Museum of Natural History. 

Cummings is a good example of the frustrating nature of Durbin's vehicles. He breezes in so naturally in 3 Smart Girls Grow Up, it's like a breath of fresh air. Durbin is surrounded by talent, even if they are forced to elevate the material rather than getting the script they deserve. Eugene Pallette is his usual, gravelly voiced charmer as a wealthy producer confused as to how he suddenly became the not-so-proud owner of a 100 piece orchestra. Laughton is slumming it in It Started With Eve, but he's got marvelous chemistry with Durbin and his hamminess is held in check. Butlers, waiters, cabbies -- these films are filled with strong bit players who make the most of their moments. It Started With Eve in particular is a bummer. It's got the bones of a good screwball comedy; they just needed to deliver another draft or two. 

And Durbin is a treat. Director Koster and the scripts do one thing right: they slip in the classical bits with ease. In 3 Smart Girls Grow Up, Durbin is allowed to trill away to annoy her two sisters, delivering the "classy" material with a girl-next-door casualness and a hint of comedy. Again and again, they incorporate her musical moments smoothly or give Durbin some comic bit to deliver physically while singing away. The singing is high class and never mocked, but if they can have Durbin flirt or joke while delivering a number, they do. 

Durbin is also a charmer as an actor, enjoying the same onscreen relaxed vibe that turned Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland into all American kids just when America needed them. And unlike so many child actors, Durbin grew up very nicely. Look at the scene in It Started With Eve where Laughton is thought to be dying. Durbin barely has a word to say, but her face tells it all: sympathy for a dying man, an immediate chemistry, shame over the trick they're playing on him (well intentioned though it may be) and above all a sweetness and goodness that Laughton immediately grasps and which powers the rest of the film. Best known for her singing, Durbin holds the screen here without saying a word. 

If you're one of the vanishing few that remembers Durbin, this random grab bag of movies is presented nicely and with care. If you've never heard of her,  you won't discover any gems from Hollywood's golden age. But pay attention and you'll appreciate her talent and wonder what might have been. 

The 45th Annual IRAs -- Argentine film "End Of The Century" Tops All, but "Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood" Wins The Most Awards

The 45st Annual IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS -- 2019 Releases

The IRAs are a mysterious but august film society launched in 1976 when it proudly named Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon the best film of the previous year. Officially known as the New York Independent Film Critics Awards -- but lovingly nicknamed the IRAs -- they are more international and indie focused than the Oscars, more mercurial than the LA Film Critics and more loyal to their favorites than the Golden Globes. The IRAs are proud to announce their picks for the best movies released commercially on any platform in 2019.

Without further ado, the IRA goes to... 

Best Picture: End Of The Century

Best Director: Lucio Castro for End Of The Century

Best Actor: Antonio Banderas for Pain And Glory

Best Actress: Lupita Nyong'o for Us

Best Supporting Actor: Asier Etxeandia for Pain And Glory 

Best Supporting Actress: Shuzhen Zhao for The Farewell 
Best Nonfiction Film: American Factory 
Best Screenplay:  Pedro Almodóvar for Pain And Glory

Best Cinematography: David Gallego for Birds Of Passage

Best Production Design: Barbara Ling for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood 
Best Score/Use Of Music: Mary Ramos for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood

Best Editing: Kim Horton for 63 Up 

Best Costumes: Arianne Phillips for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): The Lighthouse 
Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): Joker
Mechanical Actress: Renee Zellwegger for Judy  
Mechanical Actor: Joaquin Phoenix for Joker


In 2019, the IRAs braved a pandemic to cover both the best films of the 1980s and the best of 2019. True, handshakes and hugs were not to be seen, while snacks were available in individual bowl servings. A small gathering, following the protocols established by Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN and the evening was both medically responsible and a stirring example of "the show must go on." Reasons large and small kept four+ anticipated members from attending but we trust the influx of new members that made 2018 the start of a new, vibrant era for the IRAs will come through in 2021.  

And now a blow-by-blow description of the night, in order of voting. We begin, as always, with the category of Best Costumes and the first voter of the night, Ira. Dressed to the nines, as always, Ira juggled two absentee ballots and offered up the votes of both Adam Orman and Joe Smith. Uncannily, without makeup or changing his voice in any notable fashion, IRA seemed to become, to embody each member as he delivered their choices in each category. The IRA goes to...


BEST COSTUME

1. Arianne Phillips for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- by acclamation 
2. Catherine Rodríguez for Birds Of Passage -- 19 pts. (out of a possible 50 pts.)
3. Julian Day for Rocketman -- 16 pts.
4. Mayes C. Rubeo for Jojo Rabbit -- 11 pts.
5. Jacqueline Durran for Little Women, 1917 and Peterloo -- 10 pts.

POINT OF ORDER: This year ten ballots were in play. With a top score for each nominee of 5 pts, the maximum any one nominee could achieve in any category was 50 pts. However, voting begins with each member naming their top pick. If a majority of the ballots name the same winner, this triumph is acknowledged as a win "by acclamation." However a winner is chosen (by acclamation or by a complete vote), this is followed by the automatic vote to rescind.

The Vote To Rescind is offered after every single category. Why? Once the totals are in, members may feel the actual winner doesn't reflect the best choice. Or perhaps they prefer the runner-up. After the winner is announced, members are asked to consider a Vote To Rescind. If a majority of the members actively voting support it, the winner is rescinded and the runner-up is made the official champion. This is followed by another vote to rescind until the victor is confirmed. It's a somewhat controversial tactic. But it rarely comes into play more than once a year. During the 45th Annual IRAs, only one category winner will be rescinded, much to the displeasure of the group's most ardent critic of Vote To Rescind and ardent supporter of Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood.


NOTE: Half the fun of the IRAs is trying to figure out in advance which films might be contending and then campaigning for your favorite and blocking the one you like least by talking it down or simply ignoring the offending flick altogether. (That film? Hardly worth discussing, you sniff.) This year, four films widely recognized by other critics' groups and the Oscars threatened to make the IRAs part of the echo chamber of awards season. Those films are The Irishman, Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood, Pain and Glory and Parasite. Or, if you prefer, foreign language fare like Pain and Glory and Parasite which the IRAs have always celebrated are finally breaking through to the rest of those lesser bodies. However, it was an excellent year for documentary films. Might 2019 prove the first year since the still-hotly debated win of Eyes On The Prize triumphed in 1986 that a doc will take the top prize. Or will other films like Birds of Passage or the last-minute, where-did-that-come-from surge for End Of The Century outflank the aging auteurs? After just one category, it's clear that Quentin Tarantino is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

BEST EDITING

1. Kim Horton for 63 Up  -- 24 pts.
2. Nicholas Monsour for Us -- 14 pts.
3. Chris Dickens for Rocketman -- 11 pts.
4. Fred Raskin for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 10 pts.
5. Lee Smith for 1917 -- 8 pts.


NOTE: When editing was added to the list of categories that the IRAs vote on, some concern arose it might be dominated by nonfiction films. Even though many docs have a script, by nature they are often discovered after filming has ended. Happily, the recent trend of the editing category being dominated by docs has been snapped. However, the winner is the latest entry in the documentary epic Up series. Interestingly, it will not win the Nonfiction Film category, proving that editing will not just allow a doc to double on wins and that the best edited film won't necessarily win the top prize as well. In this case, the deep appreciation and respect for the Up series gave it a deserved leg up here.

BEST SCORE/USE OF MUSIC

1. Mary Ramos for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood  -- 17 pts.
2. Michael Abels for Us -- 14 pts.
3. Jean-Baptise de Laubier and Arthur Simonini for Portrait Of A Lady On Fire -- 11 pts.
4. Leonard Heiblum for Birds Of Passage --10 pts.
5. (three way tie) American Factory, Atlantics and Wild Rose  -- 8 pts.


NOTE: The category of Best Score was recently renamed Best Score/Use Of Music to accommodate the endless ways in which films make use of music. More proof that Once Upon A Time means business. On the other hand, Tarantino's movies are always known for their great use of music and its win here wasn't nearly so dominant as in Costumes. But the real news is the runner up. This makes two categories in a row where the horror film Us takes second place, presaging the film's win of a major category. In third place, we list the official composers are correctly honored. However, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire is being singled out not for its modest score but for how music is so sparingly and strikingly used in the film. Indeed, there is NO score at all until halfway through the film when women gathered outside around a fire begin to chant an a cappella tune. (Turns out this seeming folk song was actually given lyrics by director Celine Sciamma when she couldn't find the right ancient tune with the rhythm she needed.) And at the end of the film the other key use of music is a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. We always list those mentioned in the credits but in this case it could as easily be Sciamma and Vivaldi.


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Barbara Ling for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood  -- 31 pts.
2. Angélica Perea (art direction) and Juan David Bernal (set decoration) for Birds Of Passage -- 25 pts.
3. Ha-Jun Lee for Parasite -- 15 pts.
4. Dennis Gassner for 1917 -- 13 pts.
5. Bob Shaw for The Irishman -- 8 pts.


NOTE: Well, who can dispute that the production design of Once Upon was a triumph, recreating Los Angeles to perfection? Not the IRAs, certainly. However, it's worth noting that Birds Of Passage was a very close second indeed. The house in Parasite and the trenches of WW I were also honored, with The Irishman bringing up the rear. That film once seemed a comer but proved to be a non-factor throughout the night. Martin Scorsese was rightly honored by seeing Raging Bull make the top 10 of the IRA's list of the 100 Best Films of the 1980s (see below, waaaay below). The Irishman? Not so much.


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. David Gallego for Birds Of Passage -- 26 pts.
2. (tie) Claire Mathon for Atlantics and Portrait Of A Lady On Fire -- 22 pts.
    (tie) Robert Richardson for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 22 pts.
4. Roger Deakins for 1917 -- 15 pts.
5. Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma for Honeyland -- 9 pts.


NOTE: Hmm, it's a close battle but the night is proving interesting. Once Upon A Time has won three of the first five categories and had a fighting chance in the other two. Here it's tied for second. But Birds of Passage is proving a contender and wins its first category after being runner up in two more. And the gorgeously shot Portrait Of A Lady On Fire gave that a tie for second, thanks to the work of Claire Mathon, a rare DP who also did excellent work on Atlantics. The great stunt of 1917 got some appreciative nods while the stunning work of the documentary film Honeyland should have ranked higher. So far, End Of The Century isn't capitalizing on its buzz, but that's probably because the low budget indie wasn't going to be a factor in flashy tech categories like Production Design and Costumes.

FOOD ALERT: Pizza is ordered.


BEST SCREENPLAY

1. Pedro Almodóvar for Pain And Glory  -- 24 pts.
2. Lucio Castro for End Of The Century -- 22 pts.
3. Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 21 pts.
4. Joe Talbot & Rob Richert for The Last Black Man In San Francisco --18 pts.
5. Greta Gerwig for Little Women -- 11 pts.


NOTE: Speak of the devil. Suddenly End Of The Century makes its move. And what a move. It doesn't win Best Screenplay; the autumnal Almodovar speaks too strongly to the admittedly august members of the IRAs. But writer-director Lucio Castro edges out Tarantino by a hair for second place. The complete absence of Birds of Passage is just as telling a sign of weakness for that film.


BEST NONFICTION FILM 
1. American Factory -- 28 pts.
2. Honeyland -- 23 pts.
3. Leaving Neverland -- 13 pts.
4. 63 Up -- 12 pts.
5.  Le Livre d'image -- 7 pts.


NOTE: The Best Nonfiction Film is a recent add to the IRAs and not without controversy (of course), since creating a category like this almost ensures a nonfiction film won't win the much-desired top prize for Best Film.  Nonetheless, it was a rich year indeed. Honeyland scored a nomination in Cinematography, 63 Up won Editing and American Factory scored a mention in Best Use Of Music and won the top prize. All were eligible for Best Picture but failed to break through. Just as sadly, the Obamas were not on hand to accept their award.


FOOD BREAK

Pizza is eaten. Career highlights and lowlights are dissected, recent marriages are announced (Mazel tov!), career advancements are planned (tenure, here we come), various medical aches and pains are probed, the pandemic is analyzed ad nauseum and so on and so forth.  And then action resumes!



BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Shuzhen Zhao for The Farewell  -- 28 pts.
2. (tie) Carmiña Martínez for Birds Of Passage -- 17 pts.
    (tie) Margot Robbie for Bombshell and Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 17 pts.
4. (tie) Luàna Bajrami for Portrait Of A Lady On Fire --9 pts.
5. Julieta Serrano for Pain And Glory -- 9 pts.


NOTE: The delightful grandmother "Nai Nai" proved the role of a lifetime for Zhao, easily besting a strong group. The Freudian analysts in the crowd noted an IRA propensity for awarding this prize to women who serve others as mothers, wives and the like with no agency of their own. Perhaps an issue to raise with their analysts in the months ahead?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Brad Pitt for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 20 pts. RESCINDED

2. Asier Etxeandia for Pain And Glory -- 19 pts. WINNER
3. Noah Jupe for Ford v Ferrari and Honey Boy -- 18 pts.
4. Dean-Charles Chapman for 1917 --14 pts.
5. Choi Woo-shik for Parasite -- 9 pts.

NOTE: Heartbreak for the fans of Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood. Tensions rose as various people rightly insisted Brad Pitt's role in the film was a leading role, Oscar win or no Oscar win. A hasty compromise ensured the two leading supporters of Pitt would both give him five points (the maximum) when he competed for Supporting and Lead. And it worked! Pitt won for his excellent turn in the film. However, whether because they felt he really wasn't a supporting actor or simply for a desire not to repeat a win at the Oscars, a majority of voters present voted to rescind, cruelly taking back the prize. it was thus awarded to the heroin addict actor portrayed in Pain And Glory. 

                                            
BEST ACTRESS

1. Lupita Nyong'o for Us -- 22 pts.
2. (tie) Awkwafina for The Farewell -- 16 pts.
    (tie) Camilla Morrone for Mickey And The Bear -- 16 pts.
4. Saoirse Ronan for Little Women --15 pts.
5. (tie) Adèle Haenel for Portrait Of A Lady On Fire -- 9 pts.
    (tie) Beanie Feldstein for Booksmart -- 9 pts.

NOTE: The bubbling under passion for Us came to a boil here with Lupita Nyong'o triumphing for her turn in that horror film. Michael stuttered and stammered with confusion and anger, insisting the film was complete nonsense and what was with the rabbits and that Hands Across America finale? It made no sense and no one could defend it. In a Hands Across The Internet moment of solidarity, Aaron agreed wholeheartedly. The film's ardent supporters were ready with theories, but the late hour prevented a thorough airing of the dispute. Michael was heartened by the runner-up status of his passion project for the year: championing the indie film Mickey and the Bear and its terrific lead Camilla Morrone. His attempt to champion a vote to rescind since second place was a tie with the very popular Awkwafina ready for her closeup along with Morrone was met with sneers of indifference by the Us contingent. Nice try, they laughed.



BEST ACTOR

1. Antonio Banderas for Pain And Glory -- 28 pts.
2. Brad Pitt for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood  -- 24 pts.
3. Shia LeBeouf for Honey Boy-- 17 pts.
4. (tie) Juan Barberini for End Of The Century --12 pts.
    (tie) Leonardo DiCaprio for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 12 pts.


NOTE: Pedro Almodovar's late career triumph hit its peak with the win of Antonio Banderas for Best Actor, a notable achievement alongside its trophies for Supporting Actor and Screenplay. Brad Pitt almost won as Supporting and Lead, but it wasn't meant to be. In an act of integrity admired by all, Pitt's most fervent and disgruntled champion Andy refused to vote to rescind the win by Banderas. He objects to the Vote To Rescind tool and introduced a measure to end it last year. That measure was rejected. But even when a Vote To Rescind would give Andy his most cherished win, he refused to bite the apple tantalizingly offered to him. A tear or two of admiration was discreetly wiped away by his fellow IRA members. And hmm, the lead actor Juan Barberini popped onto the list. A last gasp or an indication of better things to come?

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Lucio Castro for End Of The Century -- 28 pts.
2. (tie) Pedro Almodóvar for Pain And Glory -- 21 pts.
    (tie) Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 21 pts.
4. Cristina Gallego & Ciro Guerra for Birds Of Passage -- 14 pts.
5. Bong Joon Ho for Parasite -- 13 pts.

NOTE: And here it is. Thanks to auteur slant of the IRA members (not officially but present nonetheless), a win for Best Director often presages a win for Best Picture. And indeed, End Of The Century wins here and again in a moment. You can see it's close with Almodovar and Tarantino breathing down its neck as they tie for second. But neither contingent would sacrifice their favorite to ensure the top prize for an aging hero.

BEST PICTURE

1. End Of The Century -- 26 pts.
2. Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood -- 24 pts.
3. Pain And Glory -- 21 pts.
4. Birds Of Passage -- 19 pts.
5. Parasite  -- 15 pts.

And so End Of The Century  wins the top prize, beating out Once Upon by a mere two points.  Fans of Tarantino will surely take comfort in that film's dominant performance in the tech categories. It won three and competed everywhere, with two actors in the mix for Lead, an actress popping into Supporting and the heartbreak of a technical victory for Brad Pitt that was rescinded. Nonetheless, history remembers best the film that won and this year it's the enigmatic Argentinian puzzler End Of The Century, a film that subtly combines Grindr with The Twilight Zone in a way that Rod Serling would appreciate. Only time will tell if Lucio Castro can deliver on this early promise. But for now, he's beginning the century very nicely indeed.


FOOD BREAK 

Best of all, the great night fell on the birthday of IRA member in good standing David. A birthday cake procured by Andy proved a delicious capper to the evening. The sugar high may be partially responsible for the harsh tone of the "negative" awards, which spared neither small children nor (in an outburst by Michael that seemed more like a brain aneurysm) beloved filmmakers like Errol Morris. (Michael was not a fan of American Dharma.) 

SOMINEX (The movie that put you to sleep)

1. The Lighthouse -- 14 pts.

2. The Irishman -- 10 pts.

3. The Souvenir -- 9 pts.

4. Portrait Of A Lady On Fire -- 8 pts.

5. (tie) Judy -- 6 pts.
    (tie) Marriage Story -- 6 pts.
             

DRAMAMINE (The film that made you sick)

1    1. Joker -- 37 pts.

2. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood -- 10 pts.

3. Uncut Gems -- 9 pts.

4. (tie) In Fabric -- 8 pts.

    (tie) The Irishman -- 8 pts.

MECHANICAL ACTRESS

1. Renee Zellwegger for Judy -- By Acclamation

2. Florence Pugh for Little Women -- 14 pts.

3. Meryl Streep for The Laundromat and Little Women -- 12 pts.
4. Dakota Johnson for The Peanut Butter Falcon -- 8 pts.
5. Mindy Kaling for Late Night -- 7 pts.

NOTE: Like our Mechanical Actor winner, comments throughout the night made clear Renee Zellwegger would not be going home empty-handed...unfortunately for her. The buzz surrounding Florence Pugh puzzled the IRA members, who instead singled her out in the worst way possible. Tellingly, both Meryl Streep and Dakota Johnson repeated as Mechanical Actress winners...and exactly in the same slots they occupied one year earlier.   

MECHANICAL ACTOR

1. Joaquin Phoenix for Joker -- 32 pts.

2. Adam Driver for The Dead Don't Die, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Marriage Story, The Report and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker -- 16 pts.
3. Robert De Niro for The Irishman -- 16 pts.
4. Azhy Robertson for Marriage Story -- 14 pts.
5. Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood -- 6 pts.

THE 2019 FILMS HONORED BY THE IRAS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

American Factory 

Atlantics 

Birds Of Passage 

Bombshell 

Booksmart 

End Of The Century 

The Farewell 

Ford v Ferrari 

Honey Boy 

Honeyland

The Irishman 

Jojo Rabbit 

The Last Black Man In San Francisco 

Leaving Neverland 

Le Livre d'image

Little Women 

Mickey And The Bear 

1917 

Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood  

Pain And Glory  

Parasite

Peterloo 

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire 

Rocketman

63 Up 

Us 

Wild Rose

WHO OR WHAT ARE THE IRAS? A HISTORY

The IRAs are a mysterious but august film society that has voted on the best films of the year since 1976. Officially known as the New York Independent Film Critics Awards -- but lovingly nicknamed the IRAs -- they are more international and indie focused than the Oscars, more mercurial than the LA Film Critics, more loyal to their favorites than the Golden Globes. 

The IRAs began when passionate film students and friends complained about the parade of annual awards shows, declaring, "We could do better!" What followed was an all-night, knock-down, drag-out fight to establish the very first winners of the IRAs. (One of the members is named Ira, but how his name became the name of the award is a story lost in the mist of time, alcohol and since it was the 1970s perhaps cannabis.) The IRAs group has been profiled in The New Yorker, so it is officially a New York institution, though no one has ever heard of it. Over the years, its rotating cast of voting members have included Oscar-winning writers, major directors, top studio execs, best-selling and critically acclaimed authors of books on movies, critics, screenwriters, budding playwrights, film scholars, plain old movie buffs and so on. 

Every year, the IRAs shine a light on some of the best movies of the year. The secret reason the IRAs flourish is that its members are passionate film lovers. Many have careers involving the arts, but it's not always easy to stay in the swim of things, to keep on top of the flood of new releases every year, especially when the movies favored by IRA members are not always playing at your local multiplex for weeks at a time. The movies they appreciate tend to be harder to catch, playing in theaters only briefly before popping up (hopefully) eventually on some streaming service or DVD. Quite simply, the IRAs force them to stay committed to seeing new movies with the same fervor they felt in their college days when going to see a film was the only purpose in life, before jobs and family made frivolous claims on their time. So if you want to stay on top of great cinema every year or explore its history, there's no better place to start than the award winners of the IRAs. 

True, the IRAs have no more claim to pronounce the best films of the year than anyone else. But they've been doing it for decades so hey, it's tradition! 


PAST IRA WINNERS 



THE COMPLETE IRA MOVIE AWARD WINNERS

1975 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Barry Lyndon
Best Director: Claude Chabrol for La Rupture and Just Before Nightfall
Best Actor: Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
Best Actress: Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Best Supporting Actor: François Perrier in Just Before Nightfall
Best Supporting Actress: Blythe Danner in Hearts Of The West
Best Screenplay: Tom Stoppard and Thomas Wiseman for The Romantic Englishwoman
Best Cinematography: John Alcott for Barry Lyndon


1976 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: (tie) Lipstick and The Marquise Of O
Best Director: Eric Rohmer for The Marquise Of O
Best Actor: Sean Connery in Robin And Marian
Best Actress: Sissy Spacek in Carrie
Best Supporting Actor: Jason Robards in All The President’s Men
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Bancroft in Lipstick
Best Screenplay: Alain Tanner and John Berger for Jonah Who Will Be 25 In The Year 2000
Best Cinematography: Nestor Almendros for The Marquise Of O


1977 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Annie Hall
Best Director: Wim Wenders for The American Friend
Best Actor: John Gielgud in Providence
Best Actress: Dianne Keaton in Annie Hall and Looking For Mr. Goodbar
Best Supporting Actor: G. D. Spradlin in One On One
Best Supporting Actress: Vanessa Redgrave in Julia
Best Screenplay: Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman for Annie Hall
Best Cinematography: Robby Müller for The American Friend


1978 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Days Of Heaven
Best Director: Terence Malick for Days Of Heaven
Best Actor: Jon Voight in Coming Home
Best Actress: Jane Fonda in Coming Home
Best Supporting Actor: Dom DeLuise in The End
Best Supporting Actress: Stephane Audran in Violette
Best Screenplay: Eric Rohmer for Perceval
Best Cinematography: Nestor Almendros for Days Of Heaven


1979 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Fedora
Best Director: Blake Edwards for 10
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood in Escape From Alcatraz
Best Actress: Hanna Schygulla in The Marriage Of Maria Braun
Best Supporting Actor: Denholm Elliott in Cuba and Saint Jack
Best Supporting Actress: Frances Sternhagen in Fedora and Starting Over
Best Screenplay: Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond for Fedora
Best Cinematography: Tak Fujimoto for Last Embrace and Remember My Name
Best Music: Miklos Rozsa for Fedora and Last Embrace
Best Production Design: Dean Edward Mitzner for 1941


1980 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: The Big Red One
Best Director: Sam Fuller for The Big Red One
Best Actor: Lee Marvin for The Big Red One
Best Actress: Jodie Foster for Carny and Foxes
Best Supporting Actor: (tie) Joe Pesci in Raging Bull and Harry Dean Stanton in The Black Marble, The Long Riders, Private Benjamin and Wise Blood
Best Supporting Actress: Pamela Reed in The Long Riders and Melvin And Howard
Best Screenplay: Sam Fuller for The Big Red One
Best Cinematography: Jordan Cronenweth for Altered States
Best Music: Dana Kaproff for The Big Red One
Best Production Design: Tambi Larsen for Heaven’s Gate


1981 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Cutter’s Way
Best Director: Ivan Passer for Cutter’s Way
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges in Cutter’s Way
Best Actress: Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Nicholson in Reds
Best Supporting Actress: Mona Washbouurne in Stevie
Best Screenplay: John Guare for Atlantic City
Best Cinematography: Jordan Cronenweth for Cutter’s Way
Best Music: Georges DeLerue for The Last Metro, Rich and Famous, True Confessions and The Woman Next Door
Best Production Design: Ken Adam for Pennies From Heaven
Best Costume Design: Shirley Russell for Reds


1982 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Victor/Victoria
Best Director: Blake Edwards for Victor/Victoria
Best Actor: Jack Lemmon in Missing
Best Actress: (tie) Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria and Jessica Lange in Frances
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Preston in Victor/Victoria
Best Supporting Actress: Lesley Ann Warren in Victor/Victoria
Best Screenplay: Blake Edwards for Victor/Victoria
Best Cinematography: Xaver Schwartzenberger for Lola and Veronika Voss
Best Music: Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse for Victor/Victoria
Best Production Design: Rodger Maus for Victor/Victoria
Best Costume Design: Patricia Norris for Victor/Victoria


1983 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Berlin Alexanderplatz
Best Director: Andrzej Wajda for Danton
Best Actor: Eric Roberts for Star ’80
Best Actress: Shirley MacLaine for Terms Of Endearment
Best Supporting Actor: Jerry Lewis for The King Of Comedy
Best Supporting Actress: Jamie Lee Curtis for Trading Places
Best Screenplay: Bill Forsyth for Local Hero
Best Cinematography: Sven Nykvist for Star ’80
Best Music: Peer Raben for Berlin Alexanderplatz
Best Production Design: Fernando Scarfiotti for Scarface
Best Costume Design: Yvonne Sassinot DeNestle for Danton
Sominex Award: The Dresser
Dramamine Award: The Big Chill
Mechanical Actor: Matt Dillon for The Outsiders and Rumble Fish 
Mechanical Actress: Nastassja Kinski for The Moon In The Gutter and Exposed


1984 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: (tie) L’Argent and Once Upon A Time In America
Best Director: Sergio Leone for Once Upon A Time In America
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood in Tightrope
Best Actress: Helen Mirren in Cal
Best Supporting Actor: Jean-Luc Godard in First Name: Carmen
Best Supporting Actress: Christine Lahti in Swing Shift
Best Screenplay: Franco Arcalli, Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Franco Ferrini, Sergio Leone, Enrico Medioli for Once Upon A Time In America
Best Cinematography: Robby Müller for Paris Texas and Repo Man
Best Music: Ennio Morricone for Once Upon A Time In America
Best Production Design: James Singelis for Once Upon A Time In America
Best Costume Design: Mic Cheminal for Entre Nous
Sominex Award: 
Dramamine Award: 
Mechanical Actor:  
Mechanical Actress: 


1985 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Prizzi’s Honor
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for After Hours
Best Actor: Jack Nicholson in Prizzi’s Honor
Best Actress: Mia Farrow in The Purple Rose Of Cairo
Best Supporting Actor: William Hickey in Prizzi’s Honor
Best Supporting Actress: Anjelica Huston in Prizzi’s Honor
Best Screenplay: Joseph Minion for After Hours
Best Cinematography: Andrzej Bartkowiak for Prizzi’s Honor
Best Music: Brian Gascoigne and Junior Hamrich for The Emerald Forest
Best Production Design: Jeffrey Townsend for After Hours
Best Costume Design: Ann Roth for The Jagged Edge and Sweet Dreams
Sominex Award: 
Dramamine Award: 
Mechanical Actor:  
Mechanical Actress: 


1986 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Eyes On The Prize
Best Director: David Lynch for Blue Velvet
Best Actor: (tie) Daniel Day-Lewis in My Beautiful Laundrette and Jeff Goldblum in The Fly
Best Actress: Laura Dern in Smooth Talk
Best Supporting Actor: Steve Buscemi in Parting Glances
Best Supporting Actress: Mary Stuart Masterson in At Close Range
Best Screenplay: Hanif Kureishi for My Beautiful Laundrette
Best Cinematography: Frederick Elmes for Blue Velvet
Best Music: (tie) George Delerue for Platoon and Herbie Hancock for Round Midnight
Best Production Design: Patricia Norris for Blue Velvet
Best Costume Design: Jenny Beaven and John Bright for A Room With A View
Sominex Award: Brighton Beach Memoirs
Dramamine Award: Crocodile Dundee
Mechanical Actor: Jon Cryer for Pretty In Pink 
Mechanical Actress: Meryl Streep for Heartburn


1987 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Housekeeping
Best Director: Bill Forsyth for Housekeeping
Best Actor: Gary Oldman in Prick Up Your Ears
Best Actress: Christine Lahti in Housekeeping
Best Supporting Actor: John Mahoney in Moonstruck and Tin Men
Best Supporting Actress: Vanessa Redgrave in Prick Up Your Ears
Best Screenplay: Bill Forsyth for Housekeeping
Best Cinematography: Phillippe Rousselot for Hope And Glory
Best Music: David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su for The Last Emperor
Best Production Design: Santo Loquasto for Radio Days
Best Costume Design: Mary-Jane Reyner for Housekeeping
Sominex Award: Dark Eyes
Dramamine Award: Fatal Attraction
Mechanical Actor: Eddie Murphy for Beverly Hills Cop II 
Mechanical Actress: Sean Young for No Way Out and Wall Street


1988 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Dead Ringers
Best Director: David Cronenberg for Dead Ringers
Best Actor: Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers
Best Actress: Jodie Foster in The Accused
Best Supporting Actor: Divine in Hairspray
Best Supporting Actress: Claudia Karvan in High Tide
Best Screenplay: Christopher Hampton for Dangerous Liaisons
Best Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro for Tucker: The Man And His Dream
Best Music: George Fenton for Dangerous Liaisons
Best Production Design: Dean Tavoularis for Tucker: The Man And His Dream
Best Costume Design: Van Smith for Hairspray
Sominex Award: Wings Of Desire
Dramamine Award: Mississippi Burning (by acclamation!)
Mechanical Actor: William Hurt for Broadcast News 
Mechanical Actress: Maria Conchita Alonso for Extreme Prejudice and The Running Man


1989 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Story Of Women
Best Director: Claude Chabrol for Story
Of Women
Best Actor: John Hurt in Scandal
Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert in Story Of Women
Best Supporting Actor: Ethan Hawke in Dad and Dead Poets Society
Best Supporting Actress: Anjelica Huston in Enemies: A Love Story
Best Screenplay: Blake Edwards for Skin Deep
Best Cinematography: Jeff Preiss for Let’s Get Lost
Best Music: Michael Kamen for The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
Best Production Design: Dante Ferretti for The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
Best Costume Design: Jane Robinson for Scandal
Sominex Award: Batman
Dramamine Award: Steel Magnolias
Mechanical Actor: Spike Lee for Do The Right Thing 
Mechanical Actress: Roseanne Barr for She-Devil


1990 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: GoodFellas
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for GoodFellas
Best Actor: Michel Blanc in Monsieur Hire
Best Actress: Anjelica Huston in The Grifters
Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci in GoodFellas
Best Supporting Actress: Lorraine Bracco in GoodFellas
Best Screenplay: Craig Lucas for Longtime Companion
Best Cinematography: Oliver Stapleton for The Grifters
Best Music: Elmer Bernstein for The Grifters
Best Production Design: Dennis Gassner for The Grifters
Best Costume Design: Richard Bruno for The Grifters
Sominex Award: 
Dramamine Award: 
Mechanical Actor:  
Mechanical Actress: 


1991 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: The Man In The Moon
Best Director: Robert Mulligan for The Man In The Moon
Best Actor: River Phoenix in Dogfight and My Own Private Idaho
Best Actress: Judy Davis in Barton Fink, Impromptu, and Naked Lunch
Best Supporting Actor: Harvey Keitel in Bugsy, Mortal Thoughts, and Thelma (ampersand) Louise
Best Supporting Actress: Juliette Lewis in Cape Fear
Best Screenplay: Michael Tolkin for The Rapture
Best Cinematography: Freddie Francis for Cape Fear and The Man In The Moon
Best Music: Ennio Morricone for Bugsy
Best Production Design: Dennis Gassner for Barton Fink and Bugsy
Best Costume Design: Albert Wolsky for Bugsy
Sominex Award: 
Dramamine Award: 
Mechanical Actor:  
Mechanical Actress: 


1992 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Raise The Red Lantern
Best Director: Robert Altman for The Player
Best Actor: Tim Robbins in Bob Roberts and The Player
Best Actress: Emma Thompson in Howards End
Best Supporting Actor: Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game
Best Supporting Actress: Judy Davis in Husbands And Wives
Best Screenplay: Michael Tolkin for The Player
Best Cinematography: Zhao Fei and Lun Yang for Raise The Red Lantern
Best Music: Lenny Niehaus for Unforgiven
Best Production Design: Marc Caro for Delicatessen
Best Costume Design: Alexander Julien for The Player
Sominex Award: A Few Good Men
Dramamine Award: Basic Instinct
Mechanical Actor: Michael Douglas in Basic Instinct
Mechanical Actress: ****


1993 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Six Degrees Of Separation
Best Director: Nancy Savoca for Household Saints
Best Actor: Dennis Quaid in Flesh And Bone
Best Actress: Stockard Channing in Six Degrees Of Separation
Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio in A Boy’s Life and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Best Supporting Actress: Regina Tourney in Like Water For Chocolate
Best Screenplay: Mike Leigh for Naked
Best Cinematography: Michael Balhaus for The Age Of Innocence
Best Music: Elmer Bernstein for The Age Of Innocence and The Cemetery Club
Best Production Design: Dante Ferretti for The Age Of Innocence
Best Costume Design: Gabriella Pescucci for The Age Of Innocence
Sominex Award: Heaven And Earth
Dramamine Award: Falling Down
Mechanical Actor: Richard Gere in Sommersby
Mechanical Actress: Madonna in Body Of Evidence


1994 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Red
Best Director: Krzyzstof Kieslowski for Red and White
Best Actor: Terence Stamp in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Best Actress: Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale in Little Women
Best Supporting Actress: Kristin Scott Thomas in Four Weddings and a Funeral
Best Screenplay: Steve Baranczek for The Last Seduction
Best Cinematography: Stephen Czapsky for Ed Wood
Best Music: Zbigniew Preissner for Red and White
Best Production Design: Dennis Gastner for The Hudsucker Proxy
Best Costume Design: Lizzie Gardiner and Tim Chappel for Priscilla, Queen of The Desert
Sominex Award: Wyatt Earp


1995 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Exotica
Best Director: Terry Zwigoff for Crumb
Best Actor: John Travolta in Get Shorty
Best Actress: (A three-way tie) Mia Kershner in Exotica; Alicia Silverstone in Clueless; Nicole Kidman in To Die For
Best Supporting Actor: Tim Roth in Rob Roy
Best Supporting Actress: Mare Winningham in Georgia
Best Screenplay: (tie) Atom Egoyan for Exotica and Buck Henry for To Die For
Best Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel for The Usual Suspects
Best Music: John Ottman for The Usual Suspects
Best Production Design: Dante Ferretti for Casino
Best Costumes: Mona May for Clueless
Sominex Award: The Brothers McMullen
Dramamine Award: Braveheart
Mechanical Actor: Dennis Miller in The Net and the cast of The Brothers McMullen
Mechanical Actress: Annette Bening in The American President


1996 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: La Ceremonie
Best Director: Claude Chabrol for La Ceremonie
Best Actor: Ewen McGregor in Trainspotting
Best Actress: (tie) Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient and Emily Watson in Breaking The Waves
Best Supporting Actor: Ian Holm in Big Night
Best Supporting Actress: Mary Kay Place in Citizen Ruth and Manny and Lo
Best Screenplay: John Sayles for Lone Star
Best Cinematography: (tie) Darius Khondji for Stealing Beauty and Oliver Stapleton for Kansas City
Best Music: Tiffany Anders, Burt Bacharach, David Baerwald, Carole Bayer Sager, Ed Berghoff, Elvis Costello, Gerry Goffin, Louise Goffin, Tonio K, Larry Klein, J. Mascis, Joni Mitchell, Boyd Rice, David A. Stewart, and J. Mayo Williams for Grace Of My Heart
Best Production Design: Harley Jessup for James And The Giant Peach
Best Costume Design: Dona Granata for Kansas City
Sominex Award: The English Patient
Dramamine Award: A Time To Kill
Mechanical Actor: All the men in She’s The One
Mechanical Actress: Maxine Bahns in She’s The One


1997 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: (tie) Crash and Grosse Pointe Blank
Best Director: David Cronenberg for Crash
Best Actor: John Cusack for Grosse Pointe Blank
Best Actress: Julie Christie in Afterglow
Best Supporting Actor: Kevin Spacey in L. A. Confidential
Best Supporting Actress: Christina Ricci in The Ice Storm
Best Screenplay: Neil LaBute for In The Company Of Men
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins for Kundun
Best Music: (tie) Eleni Karaindrou for Ulysses’ Gaze and Michael Nyman for Gattaca
Best Production Design: (tie) Dan Weil for The Fifth Element and Jan Roelfs for Gattaca
Best Costume Design: Denise Cronenberg for Crash
Sominex Award: The Pillow Book
Dramamine Award: Con Air
Mechanical Actor: Billy Zane in Titanic
Mechanical Actress: Elisabeth Shue in Deconstructing Harry and The Saint


1998 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Gods And Monsters
Best Director: (tie) Bill Condon for Gods And Monsters and Todd Solondz for Happiness
Best Actor: Ian McKellen in Gods And Monsters
Best Actress: Christina Ricci in The Opposite Of Sex
Best Supporting Actor: Dylan Baker in Happiness
Best Supporting Actress: Lisa Kudrow in The Opposite Of Sex
Best Screenplay: Bill Condon for Gods And Monsters
Best Cinematography: Maryse Alberti for Happiness and Velvet Goldmine
Best Music: Carter Burwell for Gods And Monsters
Best Production Design: Thérèse DePrez for Happiness
Best Costume Design: Bruce Finlayson for Gods And Monsters
Sominex Award: Dangerous Beauty
Dramamine Award: Stepmom
Mechanical Actor: Bruce Willis in Armageddon, The Siege and Mercury Rising
Mechanical Actress: Jena Malone in Stepmom


1999 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Fight Club
Best Director: (tie) David Fincher for Fight Club and Spike Jonze for Being John Malkovich
Best Actor: Terence Stamp in The Limey
Best Actress: (tie) Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut and Hillary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry
Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Magnolia and The Talented Mr. Ripley
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Keener in Being John Malkovich
Best Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor for Election
Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson for Bringing Out The Dead and Snow Falling On Cedars
Best Music: Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman for South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Best Production Design: Owen Paterson for The Matrix
Best Costume Design: Michael Kaplan for Fight Club
Sominex Award: The World Is Not Enough
Dramamine Award: The Green Mile
Mechanical Actor: Kevin Spacey in American Beauty
Mechanical Actress: Annette Bening in American Beauty


2000 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: L’ Humanite
Best Director: (tie) Terence Davies for The House Of Mirth and Jim Jarmusch for Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai
Best Actor: Forrest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai
Best Actress: (tie) Severine Caneele in L’ Humanite and Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Black in High Fidelity and Jesus’s Son
Best Supporting Actress: Lupe Ontiveros in Chuck And Buck
Best Screenplay: Kenneth Lonnergan for You Can Count On Me
Best Cinematography: Remi Adefarasin for The House Of Mirth
Best Music: RZA for Ghost Dog: Way Of The Samurai
Best Production Design: Gideon Ponte for American Psycho and Hamlet
Best Costume Design: Monica Howe for The House Of Mirth
Sominex Award: Mission Impossible 2
Dramamine Award: The Replacements (aka The Scabs)
Mechanical Actor: Ian Holm in Joe Gould’s Secret
Mechanical Actress: Charlize Theron in Reindeer Games


2001 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: The Werckmeister Harmonies
Best Director: Bela Tarr for The Werckmeister Harmonies
Best Actor: John Cameron Mitchell for Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Best Actress: Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive
Best Supporting Actor: Steve Buscemi in Ghost World
Best Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johansson in Ghost World and The Man Who Wasn’t There
Best Screenplay: Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff for Ghost World
Best Cinematography: (tie) Peter Deming for From Hell and Mulholland Drive and Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bin for In The Mood For Love
Best Music: Mihály Vig for The Werckmeister Harmonies
Best Production Design: Edward T. McAvoy for Ghost World
Best Costume Design: Mary Zophres for Ghost World
Sominex Award:
Dramamine Award:
Mechanical Actor:
Mechanical Actress:


2002 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: (tie) Far From Heaven and The Son’s Room
Best Director: (tie) Todd Haynes for Far From Heaven and Aleksandr Sokurov for Russian Ark
Best Actor: Greg Kinnear in Auto Focus
Best Actress: (tie) Emmanuelle Devos in Read My Lips and Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven and Samantha Morton in Minority Report and Morvern Callar
Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Izzard in The Cat’s Meow
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Clarkson in Far From Heaven
Best Screenplay: Bill Condon for Chicago
Best Cinematography: Tilman Büttner for Russian Ark
Best Music: Elmer Bernstein for Far From Heaven
Best Production Design: Mark Friedberg for Far From Heaven
Best Costume Design: Sandy Powell for Far From Heaven and Gangs Of New York
Sominex Award: Naqoyqatsi
Dramamine Award: Bowling For Dollars
Mechanical Actor: Anthony Hopkins in Red Dragon
Mechanical Actress: Catherine Keener in Lovely And Amazing


2003 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Decasia
Best Director: Bill Morrison for Decasia
Best Actor: Johnny Depp in Pirates Of The Caribbean
Best Actress: Hope Davis in American Splendor and The Secret Lives Of Dentists
Best Supporting Actor: Max Pirkis in Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World
Best Supporting Actress: Ludivine Sagnier in Swimming Pool
Best Screenplay: Shari Springer Bergman and Robert Pulcini for American Splendor
Best Cinematography: Peter Suschitzky for Spider
Best Music: Michael Gordon for Decasia
Best Production Design: Andrew Laws for Down With Love
Best Costume Design: Daniel Orlandi for Down With Love
Sominex Award:
Dramamine Award: In My Skin
Mechanical Actor: Anthony Hopkins in The Human Stain
Mechanical Actress: Nicole Kidman in The Human Stain


2004 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Kinsey
Best Director: Bill Condon for Kinsey
Best Actor: Ethan Hawke in Before Sunset
Best Actress: Laura Linney in Kinsey and P.S.
Best Supporting Actor: Peter Sarsgaard in Kinsey
Best Supporting Actress: Kirsten Dunst in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Best Screenplay: Bill Condon for Kinsey
Best Cinematography: Christopher Doyle for Hero, Last Life In The Universe and Days Of Being Wild
Best Music: Alberto Iglesias for Bad Education
Best Production Design: Dante Ferretti for The Aviator
Best Costume Design: Emi Wada for Hero and House Of The Flying Daggers
Sominex Award: The Village
Dramamine Award: The Passion Of The Christ
Mechanical Actor: Cate Blanchett in The Aviator
Mechanical Actress: Anthony Hopkins in Alexander


2005 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Mysterious Skin
Best Director: Gregg Araki for Mysterious Skin
Best Actor: Joseph Gordon-Leavitt in Mysterious Skin
Best Actress: Maria Bello in A History Of Violence
Best Supporting Actor: Paddy Constantine in My Summer Of Love
Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Keener in Capote
Best Screenplay: Gregg Araki for Mysterious Skin
Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit for Good Night And Good Luck and Syriana
Best Music: Howard Shore for A History Of Violence
Best Production Design: William Chang Suk Ping for 2046
Best Costume Design: William Chang Suk Ping for 2046
Sominex Award: Saraband
Dramamine Award: Crash
Mechanical Actor: Tom Cruise for War Of The Worlds
Mechanical Actress: Dakota Fanning for War Of The Worlds 
Complete coverage of the 2005 IRAs here.


2006 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: L’Enfant
Best Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for L’Enfant
Best Actor: Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson
Best Actress: Maggie Cheung in Clean
Best Supporting Actor: Anthony Mackie in Half Nelson
Best Supporting Actress: Carmen Maura in Volver
Best Screenplay: (tie) Guillermo Del Toro for Pan’s Labyrinth and Jean- Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne for L’Enfant
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Children Of Men
Best Production Design: Eugenio Caballero for Pan’s Labyrinth
Best Music: Philip Glass for Notes On A Scandal and The Illusionist
Best Costume Design: Sharon Davis for Dreamgirls
Sominex Award: The Da Vinci Code
Dramamine Award: Babel
Mechanical Actor: Robert Downey, Jr. in Fur and A Scanner Darkly
Mechanical Actress: Julianne Moore in Children Of Men 
Complete coverage of the 2006 IRAs here.


2007 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Best Director: Andrew Dominik for The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Best Actor: Casey Affleck in The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and Gone Baby Gone
Best Actress: Marina Hands in Lady Chatterley
Best Supporting Actor: Paul Schneider in The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and Lars And The Real Girl
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone
Best Screenplay: Corneliu Porumboiu for 12:08 East Of Bucharest
Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins for The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, In The Valley Of Elah and No Country For Old Men
Best Production Design: Patricia Norris for The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Best Music: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis for The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Best Costume Design: Patricia Norris for The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Sominex Award: Youth Without Youth
Dramamine Award: Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
Mechanical Actor: John Travolta in Hairspray
Mechanical Actress: Meryl Streep in Lions For Lambs and Rendition 
Complete coverage of the 2007 IRAs here.


2008 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: The Edge Of Heaven
Best Director: Fatih Akin - The Edge Of Heaven
Best Actor: Michael Shannon - Shotgun Stories
Best Actress: Anamaria Marinca - 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Best Supporting Actor: Emile Hirsch - Milk
Best Supporting Actress: Hanna Schygulla - The Edge Of Heaven
Best Screenplay: Fatih Akin - The Edge Of Heaven
Best Cinematography: Jody Shapiro - My Winnipeg
Best Production Design: Rejean Labrie - My Winnipeg
Best Music: Carter Burwell for In Bruges and Burn After Reading
Best Costumes: Danny Glicker - Milk
Sominex: The Happening
Dramamine: The Reader
Mechanical Actor: Mark Wahlberg for The Happening
Mechanical Actress: Meryl Streep for Doubt 
Complete coverage of the 2008 IRAs here.


2009 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: Hunger
Best Director: Olivier Assayas - Summer Hours
Best Actor: Sharlto Copley - District 9
Best Actress: Catalina Saavedra - The Maid
Best Supporting Actor: Liam Cunningham - Hunger
Best Supporting Actress: Anna Faris - Observe And Report
Best Screenplay: Olivier Assayas - Summer Hours
Best Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt - Hunger
Best Production Design: Philip Ivey - District 9
Best Music: Marvin Hamlisch - The Informant!
Best Costumes: Janet Patterson - Bright Star
Sominex: Public Enemies
Dramamine: Anti-Christ
Mechanical Actor: Peter Sarsgaard for An Education
Mechanical Actress: Hilary Swank for Amelia


2010 IRA Film Award Winners
Best Picture: A Prophet/Un Prophete
Best Director: Jacques Audiard - A Prophet/Un Prophete
Best Actor: Edgar Ramirez - Carlos
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton - I Am Love
Best Supporting Actor: Niels Arestrup - A Prophet/Un Prophete
Best Supporting Actress: Dale Dickey - Winter's Bone
Best Screenplay: Thomas Bidegain and Jacques Audiard - A Prophet/Un Prophete
Best Cinematography: Yorick Le Saux - I Am Love
Best Production Design: Francesca Balestra Di Mottola - I Am Love
Best Music: John Adams - I Am Love
Best Costumes: Antonella Cannarozzi - I Am Love
Sominex: Cairo Time
Dramamine: Black Swan
Mechanical Actor: Vincent Cassel for Black Swan
Mechanical Actress: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
The Governor Scott Walker Award For Achievement In Political Thuggery: Waiting For "Superman" 
Complete coverage of the 2010 IRAs here.


2011 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS
Best Picture: The Tree Of Life
Best Director: Terrence Malick - The Tree Of Life
Best Actor: Peyman Moadi - A Separation
Best Actress: Leila Hatami - A Separation
Best Supporting Actor: Hunter McCracken - The Tree Of Life
Best Supporting Actress: Sareh Bayet - A Separation
Best Screenplay: Ashgar Farhadi - A Separation
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki - The Tree Of Life
Best Production Design: Dante Ferretti - Hugo
Best Score: Alberto Iglesias - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Skin I Live In
Best Editing: Hank Corwin, Jay Rabinowitz, Daniel Rezende, Billy Weber, Mark Yoshikawa - The Tree Of Life
Best Costumes: Jacqueline Durran - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): Midnight In Paris
Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): The Help
Mechanical Actress: Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Mechanical Actor: Owen Wilson - Midnight In Paris 
Complete coverage of the 2011 IRAs here.


2012 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS
Best Picture: Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

Best Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

Best Actor: Jean-Louis Trintignant - Amour

Best Actress: Rachel Weisz - The Deep Blue Sea

Best Supporting Actor: Taner Birsel - Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

Best Supporting Actress: Cecile De France - The Kid With A Bike

Best Screenplay: Ebru Ceylan and Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Ercan Kesal - Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

Best Cinematography: Gokhan Tiryaki - Once Upon A Time In Anatolia

Best Production Design: Arvinder Grewal - Cosmopolis
Best Score: Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin - Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Best Editing: Todd Woody Richman and Tyler H. Walk - How To Survive A Plague

Best Costumes: Kari Perkins - Bernie
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): (tie) Les Miserables and Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): The Intouchables

Mechanical Actress: Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
Mechanical Actor: Russell Crowe - Les Miserables 
Complete coverage of the 2012 IRAs here.


2013 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS
Best Picture: Laurence Anyways

Best Director: Xavier Dolan for Laurence Anyways and I Killed My Mother

Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix for Her

Best Actress: Hadas Yaron for Fill The Void

Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Bruhl for The Fifth Estate and Rush

Best Supporting Actress: Nathalie Baye for Laurence Anyways

Best Screenplay: Sarah Polley for Stories We Tell

Best Cinematography: Asaf Sudri for Fill The Void

Best Production Design: K.K. Barrett for Her
Best Score: (tie) Alex Ebert for All Is Lost and Arcade Fire for Her

Best Editing: Mike Munn for Stories We Tell

Best Costumes: Francois Barbeau, Xavier Dolan for Laurence Anyways
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): Faust

Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): The Great Gatsby

Mechanical Actress: Meryl Streep for August: Osage County
Mechanical Actor: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club  
Complete coverage of the 2013 IRAs here. 


2014 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS
Best Picture: Nightcrawler

Best Director: Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler

Best Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler

Best Actress: Essie Davis for The Babadook

Best Supporting Actor: Ethan Hawke for Boyhood

Best Supporting Actress: Agata Kulesza for Ida

Best Screenplay:  Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler

Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit for Nightcrawler and Inherent Vice

Best Production Design: Suzie Davies for Mr. Turner
Best Score: Mica Levi for Under The Skin

Best Editing: (tie) Simon Njoo for The Babadook; Jay Cassidy, Stuart Levy and Conor O'Neill for Foxcatcher

Best Costumes: (tie) Kasia Walicka-Maimone for Foxcatcher and A Most Violent Year (but not St. Vincent);       Jacqueline Durran for Mr. Turner
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): The Monuments Men

Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): The Imitation Game

Mechanical Actress: Lilla Crawford for Into The Woods
Mechanical Actor: The Entire Cast of The Monuments Men  
Complete coverage of the 2014 IRAs here. 


2015 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS
Best Picture: Tangerine

Best Director: Miroslav Slaboshpytski for The Tribe

Best Actor: Jason Segel for The End Of The Tour 

Best Actress: (tie) Anne Dorval for Mommy
                   (tie) Kitana Kiki Rodriguez for Tangerine

Best Supporting Actor: Alexander Skarsgård for The Diary Of A Teenage Girl

Best Supporting Actress: Mya Taylor for Tangerine by acclamation
Best Nonfiction Film: In Jackson Heights 

Best Screenplay:  Donald Margulies for The End Of The Tour

Best Cinematography: Sean Baker and Radium Cheung for Tangerine

Best Production Design: (tie) Judy Becker for Carol
                                    (tie) Colin Gibson for Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Score: (tie) Junkie XL for Mad Max: Fury Road
                 (tie) Atticus Ross and Brian Wilson for Love And Mercy 

Best Editing: Sean Baker for Tangerine

Best Costumes: Shih-Ching Tsou for Tangerine
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): The Assassin

       Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): Chi-Raq

Mechanical Actress: Eddie Redmayne for The Danish Girl
Mechanical Actor: John Cusack for Chi-Raq and Love And Mercy 
Complete coverage of the 2015 IRAs here.


2016 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS

Best Picture: Moonlight

Best Director: Barry Jenkins for Moonlight

Best Actor: Antonythasan Jesuthasan for Dheepan

Best Actress: Annette Bening for 20th Century Women

Best Supporting Actor: Ralph Fiennes for A Bigger Splash and Hail, Caesar!

Best Supporting Actress: Linda Emond for Indignation
Best Nonfiction Film: O.J.: Made In America
Best Screenplay: Taylor Sheridan for Hell Or High Water

Best Cinematography: James Laxton for Moonlight

Best Production Design: (tie) Craig Lathrop for The Witch
                                            (tie) Ryan Warren Smith for Green Room
Best Score: Nicholas Britell for Moonlight

Best Editing: Andrey Paperniy for Under The Sun

Best Costumes: Madeline Fontaine for Jackie
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): Girl On A Train

       Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): Nocturnal Animals

Mechanical Actress: Nicole Kidman for Lion
Mechanical Actor: Aaron Taylor-Johnson for Nocturnal Animals 
Complete coverage of the 2016 IRAs here.


2017 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS

Best Picture: BPM

Best Director: Robin Campillo for BPM

Best Actor: Michael Keaton for The Founder

Best Actress: Daniela Vega for A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica)

Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe for The Florida Project

Best Supporting Actress: Lesley Manville for Phantom Thread
Best Nonfiction Film: Dawson City: Frozen Time
Best Screenplay:  Robert Siegel for The Founder

Best Cinematography: Alexis Zabe for The Florida Project

Best Production Design: Stephonik Youth for The Florida Project
Best Score: Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never for Good Time

Best Editing: Robin Campillo, Stéphanie Léger and Anita Roth for BPM

Best Costumes: Pascaline Chavanne for Frantz
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): The Post
Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): mother!
Mechanical Actress: Emma Watson for Beauty and the Beast and The Circle
Mechanical Actor: James Franco for The Disaster Artist, et. al 
Complete coverage of the 2017 IRAs here.


2018 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS 

Best Picture: Capernaum

Best Director: Nadine Labaki for Capernaum

Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix for Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot; Mary Magdalene; The Sisters Brothers; You Were Never Really Here

Best Actress: Sakura Andô for Shoplifters

Best Supporting Actor: Brian Tyree Henry for Hotel Artemis, If Beale Street Could Talk, Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse, White Boy Rick, Widows 

Best Supporting Actress: Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Nonfiction Film: Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Best Screenplay:  Barry Jenkins for If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Cinematography: Alfonso Cuaron for Roma

Best Production Design: Eugenio Caballero for Roma
Best Score/Use Of Music: Nicholas Britell for If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Editing: Nick Fenton, Chris Gill and Julian Hart for American Animals

Best Costumes: Caroline Eselin for If Beale Street Could Talk
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): On The Basis Of Sex
Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): The Favourite
Mechanical Actress: Tilda Swinton for Suspiria 
Mechanical Actor: Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody 
Complete coverage of the 2018 IRAs here. 

2019 IRA FILM AWARD WINNERS 

Best Picture: End Of The Century

Best Director: Lucio Castro for End Of The Century

Best Actor: Antonio Banderas for Pain And Glory

Best Actress: Lupita Nyong'o for Us

Best Supporting Actor: Asier Etxeandia for Pain And Glory 

Best Supporting Actress: Shuzhen Zhao for The Farewell 
Best Nonfiction Film: American Factory 
Best Screenplay:  Pedro Almodóvar for Pain And Glory

Best Cinematography: David Gallego for Birds Of Passage

Best Production Design: Barbara Ling for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood 
Best Score/Use Of Music: Mary Ramos for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood

Best Editing: Kim Horton for 63 Up 

Best Costumes: Arianne Phillips for Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood
Sominex Award (The Movie That Put Us To Sleep): The Lighthouse 
Dramamine Award (The Movie That Made Us Sick): Joker
Mechanical Actress: Renee Zellwegger for Judy  
Mechanical Actor: Joaquin Phoenix for Joker


IRA BEST PICTURE WINNERS

Barry Lyndon (1975)
Lipstick and The Marquise Of O (tie) (1976)
Annie Hall (1977)
Days Of Heaven (1978)
Fedora (1979)

The Big Red One (1980)
Cutter’s Way (1981)
Victor/Victoria (1982)
Berlin Alexanderplatz (1983)
L’Argent and Once Upon A Time In America (tie) (1984)
Prizzi’s Honor (1985)
Eyes On The Prize (1986)
Housekeeping (1987)
Dead Ringers (1988)
Story Of Women (1989)

GoodFellas (1990)
The Man In The Moon (1991)
Raise The Red Lantern (1992)
Six Degrees Of Separation (1993)
Red (1994)
Exotica (1995)
La Ceremonie (1996)
Crash (the David Cronenberg film) and Grosse Pointe Blank (tie) (1997)
Gods And Monsters (1998)
Fight Club (1999)

L’ Humanite (2000)
The Werckmeister Harmonies (2001)
Far From Heaven and The Son’s Room (tie) (2002)
Decasia (2003)
Kinsey (2004)
Mysterious Skin (2005)
L’Enfant (2006)
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)
The Edge Of Heaven (2008)
Hunger (2009)

A Prophet/Un Prophete (2010) 
The Tree Of Life (2011)
Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (2012)
Laurence Anyways (2013)
Nightcrawler (2014)
Tangerine (2015)
Moonlight (2016)
BPM (2017)
Capernaum (2018)
End Of The Century (2019) 


THE IRA AWARDS: THE TOP 100 FILMS OF THE 1940S

1. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
2. Letter From An Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls, 1948)
3. The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles, 1942)
4. Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946)
5. The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946)
6. Shadow Of A Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943)
7. Red River (Howard Hawks, 1948)
8. It's A Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946)
9. To Have And Have Not (Howard Hawks, 1944)
10. The Palm Beach Story (Preston Sturges, 1942)

See the complete list of the Top 100 Films Of The 1940s here.


THE IRA AWARDS: THE TOP 100 FILMS OF THE 1950s

1. The Earrings of Madame de… (Max Ophüls, 1953)
2. Touch of Evil (Orson Welles, 1958)
3. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)
4. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) 
5. The Searchers (John Ford, 1956) 
6. In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950) 
7. Anatomy of a Murder (Otto Preminger, 1959) 
8. Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953) 
9. North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959) 
10. Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959) 

See the complete list of the Top 100 Films Of The 1950s here. 


THE IRA AWARDS: THE TOP 100 FILMS OF THE 1960s

1. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
2. The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)
3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Ford, 1962)
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
5. Chimes At Midnight (Orson Welles, 1965)
6. Once Upon A Time In The West (Sergio Leone, 1968) 
7. The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963) 
8. Marnie (Alfred Hitchcock, 1964) 
9. When A Woman Ascends The Stairs (Mikio Naruse, 1960)
10. Contempt (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963)....

See the complete list here.


THE IRA AWARDS: THE TOP 100 FILMS OF THE 1980s

1. Dekalog 

2. Shoah  

3. Housekeeping 

4. Berlin Alexanderplatz

5. Raging Bull

6. Fanny and Alexander

7. Once Upon A Time In America  

8. Eyes On The Prize

9. Danton

10. Crimes and Misdemeanors

See the complete list here.  

THE IRA AWARDS: THE BEST FILMS OF THE 2000s (voted in 2010)

1. The Son/Le Fils (Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, 2002)
2. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
3. Yi Yi (Edward Yang, 2000)
4. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)
5. The Edge Of Heaven (Fatih Akin, 2007) (tie)
    In The Mood For Love (Kar Wai Wong, 2000) (tie)
7. The Heart Of The World (Guy Maddin, 2001)
8. Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki, 2004) (tie)
    Bus 174 (José Padilha and Felipe Lacerda, 2002) (tie)
10. The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu (Cristi Puiu, 2005) (tie)
      Head-On (Fatih Akin, 2004) (tie)
      Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001) (tie)


THE IRA AWARDS: THE BEST FILMS OF THE 2010s 

Coming soon! Watch this space!


THE IRA AWARDS: THE TOP 100 FILMS OF ALL TIME (voted in 2012)

1. The Rules Of The Game (Jean Renoir, 1939)
2. The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles, 1942)
3. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
4. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)
5. The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)
6. Letter From An Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls, 1948)
7. The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946)
8. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
9. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Ford, 1962)
10. The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)

See the complete list of the Top 100 Films Of All Time here.