The respected mainstream arts and culture journal The Beverly Hills Outlook has posted its 2005 Film Awards winners, and Wicked Pictures, dubbed "a filmmaker's paradise" by the publication,
has received seven awards.
In a surprising turn, Brad Armstrong's film Sold tied with Woody Allen's Match Point as the Best Film of 2005. BHO Editor Charles Lonberger revealed the reasoning behind the unorthodox tie by observing, "We consider every film without prejudice. Each of these films, in its own way
and regardless of genre, is perfectly constructed."
Other films nominated in this category include Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain and the Johnny Depp vehicle The Libertine, both of which received awards in other categories.
Armstrong also received Best Director of the Year (2005) for a body of work that has included such highly regarded titles as Eternity, Sold, The Closer, and Between The Sheets. In other Armstrong related wins, Francois Clousot's camerawork for Eternity received the Best
Cinematography of 2005 nod, and Rod Hopkins' art design for Sold, described by Lonberger as "outrageous, beautiful, and imaginative," snared Best Art Direction of 2005.
Wicked contract director Michael Raven, who's been scoring his films with his own original compositions for the last few years, beat out contributions by such mainstream Hollywood composers as Stephen Trask and Alexandre Desplat to receive Best Score Of 2005 for Dark Sins. The director's haunting sonic stylings were described by Lonberger as "a superb tonal score that doesn't just compliment the drama, it becomes the drama."
In another Raven-related win, Wicked contract star jessica drake received Best Actress of 2005 for her work in Raven's The Perfect Life. Finally, in another twist, filmmaker Mark Stone's work
in the "All Access" behind-the-scenes feature for Jonathan Morgan's Camp Cuddly Pines Power Tool Massacre DVD received the award for Best Documentary of 2005.
In a year that saw such celebrated mainstream releases as The War Of The
Worlds, Sin City, and The Corpse Bride, (all of which won BHO awards in other film categories), Charles Lonberger views Wicked's strong showing in 2005 as a result of "[president and owner] Steve Orenstein's strong commitment to allowing his directors artistic freedom. The Beverly Hills Outlook is a strong believer in the auteur theory, and Mr. Orenstein has created something of a filmmaker's paradise. These films can't be ignored. Their excellence demands that they be taken seriously."
For a complete list of the 2005 Beverly Hills Outlook Films Awards winners and nominees, please visit www.bhoutlook.us.
