Movie Review: Toy Story 3 - A-

Who's In It: Woody, Buzz, Hamm, basically anything from your toy box as a kid except Star Wars figures.

What It's About: Andy is growing up and heading to college. The toys are mistakenly donated to a daycare. Hilarity ensues.

What I Was Expecting: It's Pixar. They STILL have yet to make a bad movie 15 years running. And, as usual, the trailer made the movie look stupid, but I was not going to fall for it this time.

What I Got: For the first hour, I thought they blew it. I didn't laugh once. I thought it was too self-referential. Recycling jokes constantly from the previous Toy Story films. It doesn't work on Family Guy and it really doesn't work here. The entire opening is a rehash of the beginning of the first Toy Story. Maybe I was different as a kid, but when I was playing make believe, I varied the stories. I digress. About halfway through the movie, something just clicks. It gets a lot funnier. It's exciting. And it's as emotional as any of the Pixar films. I will admit, by the end, tears were streaming down my face. A beautiful ending to the series.

Grade: A-

Oscar Potential: I don't think it will keep up Pixar's streak of doing well outside of the Animation category, but it would be nice to see a Toy Story movie win there. The category did not exist yet for parts 1 & 2.

Five Random Thoughts:

1. It's obvious they are trying to avoid using Slink too much (previously voiced by the late Jim Varney). But whoever is doing the voice is doing a great job.

2. HEY! It's Michael Keaton! Where on earth has HE been?

3. Lottso is the worst villain in the series. And in the end, not all that necessary.

4. Wow! Did NOT recognize Whoopi Goldberg's voice in this. Such a memorable character, I don't even recall who "Stretch" was.

5. I do not see what benefit this movie would have in 3-D. Just see the 2-D version, your brain thinks it's 3-D anyway.

Trailer Park:

Mega Mind: A very funny trailer about an evil mastermind. They WISELY leave off the actual premise of the movie, thus, not giving it all away. Smart, smart move. (Note: the premise is great comedy fodder, but probably better if you don't see it coming.)

Despicable Me: A very funny trailer about an evil mastermind. (Didn't I just say this?) It looks less funny with each trailer. Here's to hoping.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: And the winner of worst movie title of the year is.... No. Let's not pick on this one. Disney will look like a genius for ditching this franchise. I thought the end of the trailer was cute. "Directed by Michael Apted". I don't think many in the Narnia crowd has seen any of the "7 Up" films. His biggest box office hit was "The World Is Not Enough", one of the worst in the Bond franchise. "Directed by Michael Apted" means nothing to this series' core audience. Or any audience for that matter. Maybe if "Gorillas in the Mist" is your favorite movie of all time.
 
The Smurfs: It's just a teaser trailer. Not much to see really. Thought the mash-up of the Smurfs theme with Tone-Loc's "Wild Thing" was amusing.
 
Secretariat: Ummm. Okay. It will be hard to separate this film from "Seabiscuit".
 
Tangled: Hand drawn animation? How novel. Tangled is the story of Rapunzel with a twist (and not just of the hair). An amusing trailer, if a little one-note in its humor. But, I said the same thing about "The Princess and the Frog", which was terrific.

The Martin Scorsese Film Festival

For the last 12 years, a friend of mine has argued that Martin Scorsese is our greatest living director. I've changed my counterargument from time to time. For a long time, I argued Spielberg was the greatest, but he's had a mediocre run for most of the last decade. You can make a surprisingly strong case for Clint Eastwood. I think Danny Boyle has entered the argument. The Coen Brothers, for sure. Ang Lee. There are others who I will counter with on occasion, but his answer has always been pat: Martin Scorsese.

I never understood exactly why film buffs love Scorsese so much. Raging Bull is a classic. So is Goodfellas. I'll grant you Taxi Driver. If I'd seen it in its era, I might have liked it more, but now, it's been imitated so much, it's hard to appreciate. Same for Mean Streets. And then.....

I just conceded to four movies considered to be great; two of which, I don't particularly like. Scorsese has been making films for more than 40 years! That's one great film every ten years. Not a great track record for someone who's made 20-plus films. Spielberg made Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders and E.T. in a span of 8 years. And that's an era that probably won't be considered his best!

Besides the four I mentioned, I've only seen New York, New York, The Color of Money, Cape Fear, Casino, Bringing Out the Dead, Gangs of New York, The Aviator and the Departed. So, of Scorsese's 21 non-documentary features, I've seen 12.

There are elements I find common in almost all of Scorsese's films. For one, Master Martin cannot seem to make a film less than two hours. Even when the film doesn't have enough story to warrant it. The hyperkinetic feel, with the tracking shots and zooms on faces, are there whether the movie requires it or not. Again, there's a lot of his movies I haven't seen yet. Maybe I missed something.

And so, the film festival was born. I decided to watch them in no particular order.

Day 1: Kundun

This is the kind of film Scorsese was born NOT to make. You don't make a movie about the freaking Dalai Lama with the feel of a movie about Henry Hill. It was like he was trying to build a sense of urgency in a film that had none. Nor needed it. Scorsese's style actually got in the way.

Day 2: The Age of Innocence

I'd tried watching this movie in the 90s. Fell asleep. Tried watching it for this blog. Fell asleep. Tried a third time. Stayed awake. It's one of Scorsese's more unusual efforts. Unlike his other movies which have loads of physical violence, the violence in Age is emotional. A very good movie, but his style doesn't work in the early scenes. And there are moments when explaining New York society that feel ripped right out of other Scorsese movies. At least in those cases, it works well, even if it's apparent that he's stealing from himself.

Next up.... Day 3: After Hours

Post Oscar Bliss

I probably shouldn't write this now. I'm still excited that, for the second year in a row, my #1 film of the year won Best Picture and I'm more than a little drunk. But, as someone who has thought that, while Avatar is a technical marvel NOW, it's not a very good movie. So here's the breakdown:

BEST PICTURE: THE HURT LOCKER

I don't normally do it in all caps, but I am so excited it won. This is the Platoon for Generation X and whole-heartedly deserved it.

BEST DIRECTOR: KATHRYN BIGELOW, THE HURT LOCKER

I actually teared up when she won. To be honest, a year ago, I could have made a LONG list of female directors I thought would have been the first and Kathryn Bigelow wouldn't have been on it. Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Jodie Foster, Barbra Streisand, Penny Marshall, Nancy Myers, Amy Heckerling, etc. Either way, it's a great acheivement.

BEST ACTOR: JEFF BRIDGES, CRAZY HEART

Jeff Bridges has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. He's always been one of those actors who gave phenomenal performances in roles not recognized by the Academy. I couldn't be happier.

BEST ACTRESS: SANDRA BULLOCK, THE BLIND SIDE

I'm glad she won, but it's one of those cases that the person won and not the performance. She's very popular among people in Hollywood and she's not exactly the type of actress who gets nominated. I wouldn't be shocked if this will be her only nomination.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: CHRISTOPH WALTZ, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

A terrific performance and I'm glad it was honored, but I will always argue that he had no business being in the supporting category. Yes, it's an ensemble piece. But so was Pulp Fiction. The first 15 minutes is almost all Christoph Waltz.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: MO'NIQUE, PRECIOUS

There was no question. It was easily one of the best performances of the year.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: THE HURT LOCKER

Missed this one. I picked Basterds. Don't mind this one.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: PRECIOUS

I picked Up in the Air here. I'm still surprised it lost and I owe Jason Reitman an apology. Sorry, dude.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: AVATAR

I argued in another post that Avatar shouldn't have even been nominated. Then I read an article about how hard it was to shoot. More than just CGI and green screen. Yeah, it deserved it.

BEST FILM EDITING: THE HURT LOCKER

I picked Avatar, but was hoping for a Hurt Locker upset. I got my wish.

BEST ART DIRECTION: AVATAR

My pick and it deserved it. Congrats to the Academy for finally recognizing the efforts of set decorators, even in a CGI world. Their job is still the same.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: THE YOUNG VICTORIA

I had no clue and went with Nine.

BEST MAKEUP: STAR TREK

The first Oscar ever for the Star Trek franchise. I believe this makes Harry Potter now the most nominated franchise to never win an Oscar.

BEST SOUND MIXING: THE HURT LOCKER

I was surprised by this one. The work on The Hurt Locker was amazing and it's wonderful that the Academy recognized the incredible work there.

BEST SOUND EDITING: THE HURT LOCKER

I thought the Academy would go with Avatar here, but felt the The Hurt Locker was more deserving. Thankfully, the Academy agreed.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: AVATAR

If there was EVER a slam dunk in a category, it was here.

BEST SCORE: UP

One of many slam dunks for this year's awards. The piece called "Married Life" during the montage at the beginning of the movie is one of those pieces that chokes me up just by hearing it. Congrats to Michael Giacchino, who deserved it for his work on The Incredibles and Ratatoiulle. It'll look great next to his Emmy for his work on Lost.

BEST SONG: CRAZY HEART

Another gimme.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: UP

If Up didn't win, I would've torched my house. For all of the wins Pixar has had in this category, Up was one of its best achievements.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS

I haven't seen this one. Un Prophete is an amazing film, but I can't fairly judge.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: THE COVE

Terrific film. Deserved it. Although Food, Inc. would have also been a fine choice.

Now, what you've all been waiting for....


Last year, my Post Oscar Bliss predictions for 2009 were: Nine, The Informant, Lovely Bones, Invictus, The Boat the Rocked, Inglourious Basterds, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, The Road, Shutter Island, Away We Go. So, I got ONE Best Picture nominee. One movie that never even went into production. One that got bumped to 2010. Four movies that go no nominations whatsoever. And three movies that got just a few nominations. Not my finest moment. So on to this year:

THE BEST PICTURE NOMINEES OF 2010!!!!

1. Hereafter

Going on a limb here. Clint Eastwood directing a Best Picture nominee. Although Invictus and The Changeling didn't make the cut. But his genre films seem to make it. Throw in that it's written by the writer of Frost/Nixon, The Queen and The Last King of Scotland. It's a pretty safe bet even with supernatural elements.

2. Untitled James Brooks Comedy

James Brooks so rarely does movies anymore. Or ever for that matter. But after Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News and As Good as It Gets (and ignoring I'll Do Anything and Spanglish), he's Oscar bait. Especially when Jack Nicholson is involved (who has won two Oscars for James Brooks movies). Also with Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon.



3. The Tree of Life

Director Terrance Malick also has a pretty good track record with the Academy. Although The New World missed its mark, his previous two films, The Thin Red Line and Days of Heaven, were Best Picture nominees. Oh. And did I mention it stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn?

4. Love and Other Drugs

Have to keep my streak going. Director Ed Zwick makes my list nearly every time he makes a movie and every time, I'm wrong. Be it Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, etc. And with Judy Greer as his lead (basically best known for repeatedly flashing Jason Bateman on the show Arrested Development), but it also has Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Just a whim.

5. The Social Network

David Fincher finally got Oscar recognition with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Here, he's bringing the story of the world's most popular social networking site to the big screen. I can't imagine a great story teller like Fincher even considering it without a brilliant script. And since Aaron Sorkin wrote it, I'm assuming it is. Even with a questionable cast that includes Justin Timberlake.

6. Secretariat

Hey! It worked for Seabiscuit. Diane Lane and John Malkovich head a cast directed by Braveheart scribe Randall Wallace.

7. The American

Any movie with George Clooney deserves consideration at this point. World renowned photographer Anton Corbijn pretty much guarantees it will be visually interesting, especially with the Italian location shooting. It's a suspense thriller, but the Academy has gone there before.

8. Eat, Prey Love

I may be reaching here. This will be the second film directed by Ryan Murphy, who is best known for the TV shows Glee and Nip/Tuck. It's with Julia Roberts and if it connects with people, expect it to make the short list.

9. Inception

While Clint Eastwood often gets nominated for genre films, Christopher Nolan has not had as much luck. In fact, it's because of Christopher Nolan that the Academy nominates 10 films for Best Picture, instead of 5. His follow-up to The Dark Knight stars Oscar nominees Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe and Ellen Page, along with Oscar winners Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine. It's a tentpole blockbuster, which don't usually carry over to Oscar glory. But we will see.

10. Debt

While John Madden directed Best Picture winner Shakespeare in Love, he has not fared so well since. This one is a remake of the Israeli film "HaHov" and starts Sam Worthington (and his dog, Spot) and Oscar winner Helen Mirren. The story is Mossad agents chasing a Nazi across Europe 20 years after World War II. Perhaps the voters who chose Spielberg's Munich will like this one too, although I still don't get why they liked Munich.

Until next year.....Cheers!

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland B-

Who's In It: Johnny Depp, every British actor who's finished shooting principal for the next Harry Potter, some blonde girl

What It's About: Alice. She goes to Wonderland. Hilarity ensues.

What I Was Expecting: I'm not a huge Tim Burton fan. He seems to just make mediocre films that are visually stunning.

What I Got: A mediocre film that is visually stunning. In 3-D!!! I'm not entirely sure why it's in 3-D. Except for a few moments, it really serves no purpose. Much like the film itself. There are a few moments of classic Tim Burton whimsy. But just a few. A couple of moments where the story is interesting. But just a couple. From a visual standpoint, it's a wonder to behold. I've been making the argument since Avatar debuted that its revolutionary special effects will be passe in a few years and people will see it for what it is. Well, it's not even three months later and I thought this film surpassed Avatar in the special effects department. Scene after scene and I kept trying to figure out whether they were on a set or if it was green screened. You really can't tell. If you're impressed by astonishing filmmaking based on the visuals, by all means, go see this movie. Just ignore the disjointed scenes. I was expecting better from the screenwriter who gave us Beauty & the Beast and The Lion King.

Grade: B-

Oscar Potential: It's very early in the year, but it should still get consideration for the visual effects, art direction and costume design by 8 time nominee, 2 time winner Colleen Atwood.

Five Random Thoughts:

1. For a movie in 3-D, it takes a LONG time to use it to its advantage. In fact, the film takes a long time to do much of anything.

2. Well, "Off with their heads" will be a popular catch phrase for the next ten minutes or so.

3. Oh my God, is that...Crispin Glover?

4. Let's see, there's one Death Eater. Two Death Eaters....and three. Oh and Dolores Umbridge is in this too. It's almost easier to count which British actors HAVEN'T been in a Harry Potter movie. Even Stephen Fry, who is the voice of the Cheshire Cat, is the narrator on the Harry Potter video games.

5. Wait. That's not Crispin Glover. Is it? Has to be. (Yes, it is.)

Trailer Park:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Very funny trailer of a movie about a kid going into junior high. Genius, at least in the sense that there's not an age where kids are more awkward and yet, Hollywood never touches on it.

Prince of Persia: Mike Newell used to make great movies with interesting characters. Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco. Well, I guess he needs to make up for Love in the Time of Cholera and do the paycheck movie.

Despicable Me: I would REALLY like to see a new trailer for this movie. I think this is the fourth time I've had to comment on it. The trailer they showed during the Super Bowl looks nothing like this.

Tron Legacy: Like the original Tron, with cooler graphics....I mean, visual effects.

Toy Story 3: I say this for just about every single trailer for Pixar movies. It looks okay, not great. Of course, I'm always wrong. This time, though, I think I may be right. The humor seems ripped right out of the Shrek movies.

My Take on All the Oscar Nominated Films

UPDATE 3/7/10

A Serious Man - Nearly made my Top Ten of 2009. Great film from the Coen Brothers. Both hilarious and sad at times. Should have been nominated for more than Best Picture and Screenplay.

A Single Man - Haven't seen it.

An Education - Another that nearly made my Top Ten. Wonderful story of a high school girl falling in love with an older man. Star-making performance from nominee Carey Mulligan.

Avatar - #10 of my Top Ten of 2009. A movie experience like no other to date. Fails in all of the usual areas that Cameron films are weak, but a film that is a must see in 3-D. In 2-D, everything that's wrong with the film would be that much more obvious.

Bright Star - Surprisingly effective romance from Jane Campion.

Burma VJ - Haven't seen it.

Coco before Chanel - In my NetFlix queue.

Coraline - One of those films that some people rave about and I just don't understand why. Rather macabre animated feature that just felt redundant.

Crazy Heart - Haven't watched it yet. Screener is sitting next to me.

District 9 - Clever, inventive sci-fi film that just felt like it was missing something. The weakest of the Best Picture nominees, in my opinion.

Fantastic Mr. Fox - One of the most fun films of the year. Sly and subversive. Makes you wish George Clooney and Meryl Streep would do a live action movie together.

Food, Inc. - If this film doesn't make you want to become a vegetarian, nothing will. Definitely makes you think twice about the food you're eating.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - Terrific chapter in the series. Like most of the series, repeat viewings makes you realize what all they left out from the book.

Il Divo - Had never heard of it. Only nominated for Makeup. Probably won't ever see it.

In the Loop - #9 film of the year for me. Outside of The Hangover, the funniest film of 2009. The British and American casts are terrific and play well off of each other.

Inglourious Basterds - #2 of the year for me. Only gets better on repeat viewings. Quentin Tarantino's most mature film to date.

Invictus - Inspiring, highly detailed film about the first days of Nelson Mandela's presidency. Amazing performance by nominee Morgan Freeman. Hit or miss, "keeps losing the accent" turn by Matt Damon.

Julie & Julia - Entertaining, if a tad long, story of Julia Child and a woman inspired by her. Meryl Streep as Julia is good at times, but wasn't really Oscar-worthy in my opinion. Felt more like an imitation, rather than a performance.

Nine - I made it about 5 minutes into this film and turned it off. Found those 5 minutes to rival any 5 minute span of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as far as irritation. Will try to push through another time.

Paris 36 - Had never heard of it. Only nominated for song. Probably won't ever see it.

Precious - Absolutely heartbreaking film. Just when you think things are going to be better, they get worse. And the main character perseveres anyway. #4 in my Top Ten of 2009.

Sherlock Holmes - Haven't seen it yet. Saw the first 10 minutes or so and it seemed pretty fun.

Star Trek - Does for the Star Trek series what Batman Begins did for Batman. May annoy some purists who aren't paying attention to why this Star Trek universe is different.

The Blind Side - Uplifting film, but pretty "by the numbers" overall. Sandra Bullock makes this film better than it should have been.

The Cove - #7 of 2009. Probably the most exciting documentary you will ever see. Could not have been better if it were scripted.

The Hurt Locker - #1. Hands down. Amazing film. Subtle in every place where other war films, like Saving Private Ryan, punched you right in the face.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Haven't watched it yet. Have screener and will hopefully get to it before Oscar night.

The Last Station - Haven't seen it.

The Lovely Bones - Keep meaning to read the book. Have a screener copy. Haven't gotten around to either.

The Messenger - Came very close to being in my Top 10. One of my favorite kinds of film. The kind that show you the life of someone who has a very important job, but one you just don't think about very often. In this case, military personnel who tells families their loved one died in the War of Terror.

The Most Dangerous Man in America - Another documentary I haven't seen.

The Princess and the Frog - The best Disney traditionally animated film in a long time. If not for Up, this could have been a serious contender for the Best Animated Feature category.

The Secret of Kells - Had never even heard of it. Still haven't seen it.

The White Ribbon - Hope to see it soon.

The Young Victoria - Ditto.

Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen - One of only 3 movies I actually gave F's to last year. (The other two: G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) I guess if you want to win with me, don't have a colon in your title.

Up - #6 film of 2009. Pixar can seem to do no wrong. At times, both their silliest and most adult film to date. I can't imagine why anyone WOULDN'T love this movie.

Up in the Air - Another near miss for the Top Ten. Funny at times, romantic at times, sad at other times. A mirror to our society at this moment in time.

Which Way Home - Haven't seen it. Way behind (as always) on my documentaries.

MOVIES IN MY TOP 10 THAT GOT ROBBED:

#3 Where the Wild Things Are - Costumes, anyone? Turning a book that only had something like 72 words in total into a brilliant 90 minute film? This film has moments of such pure joy that it's amazing it didn't get a single nomination.

#5 The Hangover - The number one R-rated comedy of all time and not even a nod for screenplay. My God, they nominate Beverly Hills Cop, but not The Hangover. This was a travesty.

#8 (500) Days of Summer - Just one of those movies that is VERY good in every aspect, but only outstanding as a whole. Wasn't surprised that it missed out for anything except screenplay.

Who's Going to Win.....

BEST PICTURE:
The Hurt Locker

At the beginning of the Oscar race, it seemed like it would be a battle between The Hurt Locker and Up in the Air. Until Avatar came out. Then the box office records started falling to the wayside. There were even articles in major entertainment magazines asking how any film could beat Avatar at the Oscars. And that was only 2 weeks ago. Now? Avatar has fallen by the wayside, as has Up in the Air. Sure, Avatar won the Golden Globe, but that becomes a less reliable indicator every year. The Hurt Locker, on the other hand, recently hit the trifecta: The Producers Guild, The Directors Guild and The American Cinema Editors awards. Slumdog Millionaire did it last year. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King won all three. So did Chicago. And Gladiator. BUT, there has been ONE instance where a film won all three and lost Best Picture. In 1998, Saving Private Ryan. Coincidence, that both SPR and The Hurt Locker are war films? We'll see.


BEST DIRECTOR:

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

There's some talk that Avatar may lose Best Picture, but James Cameron will win here. I would argue that the opposite is more likely. Avatar is no more extraordinary an achievement by a director than Jurassic Park was for Spielberg. Take away all the groundbreaking, 3-D special effects and you have a B-movie. And because so much of the film is CGI, I would argue that James Cameron deserves no more consideration for Best Director than Pete Docter would for Up. At least the performances in Up seemed natural.


BEST ACTOR:

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

I'm giddy at the thought of this. Jeff Bridges has been one of my favorite actors since Starman. Even more so as Jack Lucas in The Fisher King. It's amazing that this is only his 5th nomination and only his 2nd in the last 25 years. AND, he's never won. His first nomination was for The Last Picture Show, where he lost to his costar, Ben Johnson. He was nominated again, four years later, when teamed up with Clint Eastwood in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. He lost to Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Nomination number 3 was Starman. That was the year F. Murray Abraham won as Salieri in Amadeus. His fourth nomination came 16 years later for The Contender. Unfortunately, he was nominated against Benicio Del Toro for Traffic. After almost 30 years of being a bridesmaid, Bridges WILL be heading to the altar. If they took bets on the Oscars, this is about a sure thing as any category.


BEST ACTRESS:

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

She's going to win here for several reasons and none having to do with her actual performance. One, she's very popular in Hollywood. Her sweet, nice girl roles are supposedly never far from her own personality. When she plays against that type, it's usually with horrific results. This year will be the proof as Sandra Bullock will likely have the distinction of winning the Oscar and the Golden Raspberry (for All About Steve) in the same year. And she's going to be there to accept both awards. Because she doesn't take herself that seriously. Which leads to point number two. Sandra Bullock rarely gives performances worthy of Oscar consideration. Lord knows she's tried. 28 Days, Crash, Infamous. Just didn't happen. There's a strong possibility this will be the only nomination of Sandra Bullock's career. Which leads to point number three. The other contenders. Meryl Streep was terrific in Julie & Julia. This is her SIXTEENTH nomination. Her fourth in the last 10 years. It's a pretty safe bet she'll be nominated again at some point. Then there's Carey Mulligan who gave a performance in An Education that I would equate to Audrey Hepburn's Oscar winning performance in Roman Holiday. It's one of those where you just know this girl will be around for a long while. It was that belief that cost Kate Winslet the Oscar for Sense and Sensibility. You just knew she would be nominated again soon enough.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

I haven't seen the statistic yet, but I'm guessing Christoph Waltz has about as much screen time in the movie as anyone else. But, with Tarantino flicks, who's the lead, who's supporting can be tough to tell. With Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson had more dialogue that John Travolta, but Travolta was on screen more. So who's the lead? The first 10-15 minutes of Basterds is almost entirely Waltz talking. But then he disappears for a long part of the film only to come back and take over the film again. So, basically, Inglourious Basterds has no lead. But the same could be said about Woody Harrelson. Calling him supporting is like calling Susan Sarandon supporting in Thelma & Louise. Technically she was since the film is a little more about Geena Davis' journey than hers, but they're almost always on screen together. Stanley Tucci is the next contender and the one traditional supporting role. The other two, Matt Damon and Christopher Plummer, are just lucky to be there. Damon sucked in Invictus.

EDIT: I did find the statistic and Christoph Waltz is on screen more than "lead" actor, Brad Pitt. Go figure.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Mo'Nique, Precious

This is another lock. It goes to show you that you can't tell the actor by their role choices. Especially, if they don't have movie star looks and are black. At that point, you take the work you can get because they aren't going to look to you to star in Avatar. Mo'Nique previous three films? Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Beerfest and Phat Girlz. In Precious, she just owns the screen when she's on it. She makes you absolutely hate her and just when want her to just drop dead, she delivers one of the made-for-Oscar speeches that so rarely happens anymore because today's audiences know when they're being manipulated. But Mo'Nique pulls it off so well, that you actually feel sympathy for a character you've hated the whole film.


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Inglourious Basterds

Of the Big Eight categories, this one is the toughest. The Academy likes to give an Oscar somewhere to all of the Best Picture nominees, but now that there's 10, it's a little tougher. Especially since the three top contenders will win in other categories. A Serious Man shouldn't be taken very seriously. It's nomination was surprising enough. The Messenger is a brilliant script, but don't expect it to win. That leaves The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds and Up. The Hurt Locker is a stellar film. It just doesn't have a flashy script, which was kind of the point. Up is going to win in other categories and is a brilliant piece from Pixar. I can't think of any film this year that rode that fine line of mixing humor and pathos. If any film beats out Tarantino, this will be it. I just don't think it will. Tarantino shows with this one that he's grown up a bit.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Up in the Air

Another case of "where else are we going to give it something?" This will be Up in the Air's only win all night. An Education is brilliant, but just doesn't carry a lot of excitement with it. Precious falters because an unwittingly racist Academy who probably had never heard of nor read the book and they'll write it off here. District 9 will be the "we were lucky to be nominated" film all night and won't win squat. This is In the Loop's only nomination and those films NEVER win here, despite the fact that it's actually the best script out of either writing category. Nope. It's Up in the Air's category, one hundred percent.


BEST FILM EDITING:

The Hurt Locker

I'm probably wrong here and therefore, defeating the purpose of the title of this blog entry. I'm strictly going with my gut that this will be the one tech category where it beats out Avatar. In my opinion, it's the one technical category where it's actually better than Avatar. The Hurt Locker became what it is in the editing room. The rest of the nominees (District 9, Basterds, Precious) are just filler. Mainly because of having 10 nominations, but this is one of the rare years where all Film Editing nominees are up for Picture. It's also worth mention that NO film has won Best Picture without an Editing nomination since 1980. So, you can rule out any upsets from A Serious Man, An Education, The Blind Side, Up in the Air or Up right here.


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Avatar

I'm just not sold on it. I think we could be reaching a point where CGI will actually starting hurting films come Oscar time. It's not like Mauro Fiore (Avatar's DP) had to figure out how to light the Home Tree. Come to think of it, how often was he even behind a camera? So how much is a DP actually doing in a film like this. It's not like there was a bunch of Na'vi standing around waiting for magic hour. So what did he actually do here? James Cameron's a cinematographer also so I don't think he'd want another one to help decide how to light a CGI rock. That said, I'll go with it anyway. I haven't seen The White Ribbon yet, but I've seen the other four nominees. It really should be The Hurt Locker.


BEST ART DIRECTION:

Avatar

The Art Director, on the other hand, does play a big part, even when it's CGI. And they got so wildly inventive with Avatar that I can't imagine not giving it to them here. They deserve it.


BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

Nine

I haven't commented previously on Nine in any blog entry. I would like to say right now what an utter piece of crap it is. Or, what an utter piece of crap the first five minutes are since I turned it off during the opening credits. Or, at least, where the opening credits should have been since it would have justified taking so long to strut the entire cast out one by one. I may try and watch it again and skip those first few minutes. The costumes were nice though. And in large number and that's usually the best indicator of how the Academy will vote. Not by the best costumes, but the most.


BEST MAKEUP:

Star Trek

Yeah. Let's go with that one.


BEST SOUND EDITING and BEST SOUND MIXING:

Avatar

Some years, they just needn't bother nominating 5.


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Avatar

Could you imagine a bigger travesty in the history of the Academy Awards if Avater DIDN'T win here?


BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION):

The Door

Because that's what people who've seen them keep saying.


BEST SHORT FILM (ANIMATED):

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Two words: Nick Park. Three more words: Wallace and Gromit. Nick Park has only ever lost once at the Oscars. And who did he lose to? Nick Park.


BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE LENGTH):

The Cove

This is actually a tough category this year. Food, Inc. is very disturbing. I haven't seen The Most Dangerous Man in America, but it sounds fascinating, although how relevant is a Vietnam War documentary anymore. Burma VJ sounds like a documentary about making documentaries. Which Way Home follows the plight of illegal immigrants into America. The Cove is just one of those stand out films that transcends the documentary style of filmmaking and deserves it.


BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT):

The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Hell if I know. These categories are impossible to predict. The general rule of thumb is: If it sounds Jewish, it'll win. Otherwise, go with the most topical.


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

The White Ribbon

It's supposed to be good? I have a hard enough time keeping up with American films.


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

Up

Because it's Up.


BEST SCORE:

Up

Because there's nothing ethnic for the Academy to vote for. I mean that seriously. Avatar's score was too derivative of Titanic's (further proof that James Horner sucks.) I remember the songs from The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Not so much the score. Hans Zimmer never wins unless it's for Disney. The Hurt Locker's score was just okay. Michael Giacchino's score for Up was outstanding. So was his score for Star Trek. Even his score for Land of the Lost was notable. Winning here will make up for not even nominating his electric score for The Incredibles and as a consolation for not awarding his score for Ratatoiulle because the score for Atonement was just that brilliant.


BEST SONG:

Crazy Heart

I care so little about this category, I can't even be bothered to look up the name of the song. The one category that usually adds nothing to a film. Okay, last year was an exception, but this decade has sucked as far as song nominees go. Thankfully, this year, it's a slam dunk. This will win.

If They Had Ten Nominees for Best Picture During the 1990s......

To clarify how I'm coming up with these lists: Obviously, the five Best Picture nominees remain. I then go to the Best Director category and look at the nominees that aren't tied to a Best Picture nominee. If the Director nominee's film also received a screenplay or acting nominations, it is automatically included. If not, did the film have multiple nominations in the technical categories? If there were at least two, it makes the list. (Example: Robert Altman was nominated for the film Short Cuts, but that was the film's only nomination and was left off the list.)

Then I skipped to the screenplay nominees. Again, how many other nominations did the film get, with added weight for acting nominations.

Then I went to the acting categories, since most Best Picture nominees get at least one. Were there multiple technical nominations as well?

Most likely, that would cover most years, although, you will see, that I had to cheat in at least one year.

And the Best Picture nominees for 1990 could have been.....

Avalon
Awakenings*
Cyrano de Bergerac
Dances with Wolves**
Dick Tracy
Ghost*
The Godfather Part III*
Goodfellas*
The Grifters
Reversal of Fortune

Ten nominees would not have looked good for 1990. That Ghost and Awakenings made the top 5 told us that. That forgettable films like Avalon and Cyrano are here just add insult to injury. But it was amusing to look back 20 years later, not realizing Dick Tracy was that well represented at Oscar time with 7 nominations. Eventual winner Dances with Wolves was the only nominee with more noms than Dick Tracy.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1991 could have been.....

Barton Fink
Beauty and the Beast*
Boyz N the Hood
Bugsy*
The Fisher King
JFK*
The Prince of Tides*
The Silence of the Lambs**
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Thelma & Louise


YES! I KNOW! I CHEATED! Terminator 2 was not nominated for ANY of the top 8 categories. I base its inclusion on two factors. One, the only other movie that came close to qualifying under my rules was Fried Green Tomatoes. It was FGT's 2 noms vs. T2's 6. Two, I vividly recall the Oscar night during the acceptance speech of one of T2's FOUR Oscars, the winner exclaiming that James Cameron should be given an Oscar for his film and the thunderous applause the comment received. One thought that keeps recurring in my mind: What if John Singleton had directed a Best Picture nominee? Would his career have turned out differently? It's a thought I have again later with Oliver Stone.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1992 could have been.....

Chaplin
The Crying Game*
Enchanted April
A Few Good Men*
Howards End*
Husbands and Wives
Malcolm X
The Player
Scent of a Woman*
Unforgiven**


One thing I'm discovering, going back and breaking down the Oscar of the early 1990s: There's just not a lot to choose from. Unforgiven is a classic. As is The Crying Game. I'll even throw in The Player. But good Lord, the drop off after that. Eeek. I can't help but wonder if this era is what gave rise to the independent film boom that hits two years later.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1993 could have been.....

The Age of Innocence
The Fugitive*
In the Line of Fire
In the Name of the Father*
Philadelphia
The Piano*
The Remains of the Day*
Schindler's List**
Shadowlands
What's Love Got to Do with It

This was another tough year. Films like What's Love.... and Shadowlands scored multiple nominations in major categories but were left out everywhere else. I can't help but wonder if Jurassic Park might have come close to making this list.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1994 could have been.....

Bullets over Broadway
Forrest Gump**
Four Weddings and a Funeral*
Little Women
The Madness of King George
Nobody's Fool
Pulp Fiction*
Quiz Show*
Red
The Shawshank Redemption*


It's funny how one's memory can fail you on trivial things. I TRIPLE-CHECKED to make sure I had my actual Best Picture nominees correct. I totally remember Bullets over Broadway being a nominee. Shocking that it received 7 nominations and not Best Picture. Especially considering that Four Weddings... only had 2 nominations.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1995 could have been.....

Apollo 13*
Babe*
Braveheart**
Dead Man Walking
Il Postino*
Leaving Las Vegas
Mighty Aphrodite
Nixon
Sense and Sensibility*
The Usual Suspects

I don't buy this list at all. THIS was a crappy year for film. But there wasn't much else to put on the list. Dead Man Walking and Leaving Las Vegas were gimmes. Both had directing and screenplay nominations as well as nominations for the lead acting categories. But after that? Ouch.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1996 could have been.....

The Crucible
The English Patient**
Evita
Fargo*
Hamlet
Jerry Maguire*
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Secrets & Lies*
Shine*
Sling Blade

Another case where once you get past the obvious contenders, there is a HUGE drop off. Evita makes the list for its five nominations, despite none in an major category. Most of the nominees in the Big Eight were either nominated for a Best Picture contender or were its film's only nomination. It didn't make it easy. At least Hamlet was up for screenplay. So was The Crucible, which had the benefit of its only other nomination being for Supporting Actress. But we are talking about a year where Oscars went to films like Independence Day, The Nutty Professor and The Ghost and the Darkness. Not exactly a banner year.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1997 could have been.....

Amistad
As Good As It Gets*
Boogie Nights
The Full Monty*
Good Will Hunting*
L.A. Confidential*
The Sweet Hereafter
Titanic**
Wag the Dog
The Wings of the Dove


It's years like this one that I'm even doing this research. A lot of people bitched about Boogie Nights being passed over for lighter fare like The Full Monty or As Good As It Gets. But when you look to see where the other nominations landed, it becomes apparent that Boogie Nights probably came really close. Films like Wag the Dog and The Wings of the Dove were also considered strong contenders. The Sweet Hereafter, with only two nominations (Director and screenplay) would have been a nice surprise. I think people would have griped about Amistad making the list, arguing "Of course it's there. It's Spielberg."


And the Best Picture nominees for 1998 could have been.....

Central Station
Elizabeth*
Gods and Monsters
Life is Beautiful*
Out of Sight
Saving Private Ryan*
Shakespeare in Love**
A Simple Plan
The Thin Red Line*
The Truman Show

I really had to stretch on this one. It's funny to me because it's one of the few years where I really liked all five nominees (although William Goldman's article for Rolling Stone about how much he hated all five is still a classic.) The fact that I had to resort to a film like Out of Sight and it's whopping two nominations (Screenplay and Film Editing) or A Simple Plan (Screenplay and Supporting Actor) shows what a weak year it was overall and makes the argument why there SHOULDN'T be ten nominees.


And the Best Picture nominees for 1999 could have been.....

American Beauty**
Being John Malkovich
Boys Don't Cry
The Cider House Rules*
The Green Mile*
The Insider*
Magnolia
The Sixth Sense*
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Topsy-Turvy

This last one would have not made Kevin Smith very happy. But Magnolia aside, the four other add-ons could have replaced a film like The Green Mile. Boys Don't Cry and Topsy-Turvy each won more awards than the Green Mile, The Talented Mr. Ripley had more nominations and Spike Jonze was nominated for Best Director over Frank Darabont. It had to have been close.

Thanks for reading. It was a fun way to kill a dull Saturday waiting for the Super Bowl.