Quendrith Johnson

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

Raise your hand if you saw Al Pacino in "Danny Collins." Raise your hand if you saw Al Pacino in "Danny Collins" and actually liked it. Okay, kidding aside, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced their nominations today at 5:15 am PST, which left a few of us critics cranky. But not without the usual clear-eyed objections to the Golden Globes' mash-up of categories. Is "Joy" a comedy? Is "The Martian" a comedy? Is "The Big Short," about the collapse of the housing market due to subprime mortgage swaps, a comedy? Well, it's good for a laugh anyway. Plus, they need four, get this four, actors to make the announcements this morning: America Ferrera, Chloe Grace Moretz, Angela Bassett, and Dennis Quaid. Quaid had a funny moment when he drew out the title of Amy Schumer's nominated film as "Traaainwreck," from the podium setup at The Beverly Hilton.

On the bright side, this organization was formed in 1943, with the first ceremony in 1947, so you know what they say about ugly buildings and old award shows... after enough years go by, they become classics. And this 2016 slate of noms is classic in the ironic sense, HFPA have once again thrown a few eyerolling choices into their hotpot here. On Sunday Jan. 10, 2016, we can see who ends up laughing or crying when the winners are revealed. Until then, here's a partially decoded list from their website, having moved a few categories into logical succession. See for yourself who ended up on the complete list, which includes their TV choices...

Best Motion Picture — Drama

CAROL

(Number 9 Films; TWC

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

(Warner Bros. Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures)

THE REVENANT

(Regency enterprises; Twentieth Century Fox)

ROOM

(Element Pictures/No Trace Camping; A24)

SPOTLIGHT

(Anonymous Content/Participant Media/First Look; Open Road Films)

Best Motion Picture — Comedy

THE BIG SHORT

(Paramount Pictures/Regency Enterprises; Paramount Pictures)

JOY

(Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox)

THE MARTIAN

(Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox)

SPY

(Twentieth Century Fox,Twentieth Century Fox)

TRAINWRECK

(Universal Pictures/Apatow Productions; Universal Pictures)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture — Drama

CATE BLANCHETT  - CAROL

BRIE LARSON - ROOM

ROONEY MARA - CAROL

SAOIRSE RONAN - BROOKLYN

ALICIA VIKANDER - THE DANISH GIRL

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture — Drama

BRYAN CRANSTON - TRUMBO

LEONARDO DICAPRIO - THE REVENANT

MICHAEL FASSBENDER - STEVE JOBS

EDDIE REDMAYNE - THE DANISH GIRL

WILL SMITH - CONCUSSION

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture — Musical Or Comedy

JENNIFER LAWRENCE - JOY

MELISSA MCCARTHY - SPY

AMY SCHUMER - TRAINWRECK

MAGGIE SMITH - THE LADY IN THE VAN

LILY TOMLIN - GRANDMA

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture — Musical Or Comedy

CHRISTIAN BALE - THE BIG SHORT

STEVE CARRELL - THE BIG SHORT

MATT DAMON - THE MARTIAN

AL PACINO - DANNY COLLINS

MARK RUFFALO - INFINITELY POLAR BEAR

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture

JANE FONDA - YOUTH

JENNIFER JASON LEIGH - THE HATEFUL EIGHT

HELEN MIRREN - TRUMBO

ALICIA VIKANDER - EX MACHINA

KATE WINSLET - STEVE JOBS

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In Any Motion Picture

PAUL DANO - LOVE & MERCY

IDRIS ELBA - BEASTS OF NO NATION

MARK RYLANCE - BRIDGE OF SPIES

MICHAEL SHANNON - 99 HOMES

SYLVESTER STALLONE - CREED

Best Director - Motion Picture

TODD HAYNES - CAROL

ALEJANDRO G. INARRITU - THE REVENANT

TOM MCCARTHY - SPOTLIGHT

GEORGE MILLER - MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

RIDLEY SCOTT - THE MARTIAN

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

EMMA DONOGHUE - ROOM

TOM MCCARTHY, JOSH SINGER - SPOTLIGHT

CHARLES RANDOLPH, ADAM MCKAY - THE BIG SHORT

AARON SORKIN - STEVE JOBS

QUENTIN TARANTINO - THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Stay Tuned for the 73rd Annual Golden Globes presentation from HFPA, Sunday Jan 10, 2016.

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