Monday, January 31, 2011

SAG RESULTS



No surprises in the SAG awards this year. I missed one prediction in the Supporting Actress role. It seemed like Haille Steinfeld was gaining momentum, but that doesn't seem to be the case. After the SAG's last night almost everyone is changing their Best Picture prediction to THE KINGS SPEECH. The odds of it winning have gone way up with it's 12 nominations and other award wins. THE SOCIAL NETWORK is quickly losing steam.


Female Actor in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Male Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture: The King’s Speech
Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture: Inception

Sunday, January 30, 2011

SAG PREDICTIONS







The SAG awards are tonight and being aired on TBS and TNT.  My predictions are highlighted below:



Best Ensemble
'Black Swan'
'The Fighter'
'The Kids Are All Right'
'The King's Speech'
'The Social Network'

Best Leading Actor
Jeff Bridges, 'True Grit'
Robert Duvall, 'Get Low'
Jesse Eisenberg, 'The Social Network'
Colin Firth, 'The King's Speech'
James Franco, '127 Hours'

Best Leading Actress
Annette Bening, 'The Kids Are All RIght'
Nicole Kidman, 'Rabbit Hole'
Jennifer Lawrence, 'Winter's Bone'
Natalie Portman, 'Black Swan'
Hilary Swank, 'Conviction'

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, 'The Fighter'
John Hawkes, 'Winter's Bone'
Jeremy Renner, 'The Town'
Mark Ruffalo, 'The Kids Are All Right'
Geoffrey Rush, 'The King's Speech'

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, 'The Fighter'
Helena Bonham Carter, 'The King's Speech'
Mila Kunis, 'Black Swan'
Melissa Leo, 'The Fighter'
Hailee Steinfeld, 'True Grit'

KINGS SPEECH BEST PICTURE?




Surprisingly Tom Hooper won the DGA for THE KINGS SPEECH. Everyone was sure it was going to be David Fincher for THE SOCIAL NETWORK.  This award usually solidifies the Best Picture and Best Director category for the Academy Awards, so does this mean THE KING'S SPEECH could win Best Picture?  It seems to be gaining strength after getting the most nominations. It also has a lot of bloggers is an uproar. Sasha Stone from Awardsdaily.com said that she would quite if Hooper won a DGA because she claims now that she knows nothing about the awards race. THE KINGS SPEECH is not a Directors movie. It is more about the acting. It certainly is not better INCEPTION or THE SOCIAL NETWORK. I am sticking with my prediction of THE SOCIAL NETWORK as Best Picture, but only time will tell.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

DGA AWARDS




The Directors Guild of America announces their winners tonight. It will not be televised. Here is a reminder of the nominees:

Best Director
Darron Aronofsky-BLACK SWAN
David Fincher THE -SOCIAL NETWORK
Tom Hooper THE- KING'S SPEECH
Christopher Nolan- INCEPTION
David O'Russell -THE FIGHTER

It would be great to see Nolan win since being snubbed from the Academy Awards, but its hard not to see Fincher as the winner.

Friday, January 28, 2011

MY REVIEW: BLUE VALENTINE



BLUE VALENTINE is the story of a married couple and their relationship over a span of years. Michelle Williams plays Cindy who falls for Dean played by Ryan Gosling. The film is cut between time periods, where you see a happy fun loving pair along with their very dark and difficult times together. Williams is nominated for Best Actress for this role and does not disappoint. The real star though is Gosling. It is unfortunate that he has not been recognized for this part. The movie is shot documentary style making the performances feel very real and this is where Gosling shines. I was not crazy about the scenes being out of sequence. I really had to think a second to figure out where they were in their relationship. This took me out of film a little bit. I would have rather have seen their story develop and be shown through its natural course. BLUE VALENTINE was originally given a NC-17 rating, but with some convincing the MPAA changed it to an R rating. This movie is for the true independent film lover. Nothing flashy here, just great acting with a so-so story.

MY GRADE: B

Thursday, January 27, 2011

BEST PICTURE MOVIE POSTERS

If the Best Picture movie posters told the truth:




Tuesday, January 25, 2011

AND THE NOMINEES ARE:




Here are all of the nominations and my thoughts. I will making predictions in every category in the coming weeks. Please feel free to add your comments.

Picture
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

My post on 12/7 2010 predicted this exact list of Best Picture nominations. Not bad for my first time. I almost went with THE TOWN as the 10th nomination, but glad I bet on WINTER'S BONE.


Director
Darron Aronofsky (Black Swan)
Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
David O'Russell (The Fighter)

I really thought that Christopher Nolan for INCEPTION would be on this list and he should be. The Coen Brothers were sort of a surprise.



Actor
Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)

Javier Bardem surprised a lot of people. He was not really getting much attention before today. I have not seen BIUTIFUL, but I heard that it was a great performance.

 
Actress
Annete Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

I could not commit to a solid list in this category. I knew that Portman, Bening and Lawrence were a sure thing. I am glad to see Nicole Kidman on the list. Her performance in RABBIT HOLE is one of the best. It would have also been great to see Julianne Moore get a nomination, but there can only be five nominations.



Supporting Actor
Christian Bale (The Fighter)
John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

The big surprise for me was John Hawkes. I had Andrew Garfield for THE SOCIAL NETWORK in his place. It is a shame that Garfield has mostly gone unnoticed this year.


Supporting Actress
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham-Carter (The King's Speech)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

I predicted all of these nominations. I took a gamble with Weaver, and I am happy that she made the list.


Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

I did not post any predictions for the screenplay or technical awards. This was a learning year for me so I did not know enough to predict many of the other categories. There doesn't seem to be too many surprises.


Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Animated Film
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

DESPICABLE ME is a snub in this category.


Foreign Language Film
Biutiful (Mexico)
Dogtooth (Greece)
Incendies (Canada)
In a Better World (Denmark)
Outside the Law (Algeria)

Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part I
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Editing
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
The Social Network

Costumes
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

Makeup
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Score
127 Hours
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network

Song
127 Hours (If I Rise)
Country Strong (Coming Home)
Tangled (I See the Light)
Toy Story 3 (We Belong Together)

No Cher??

Documentary
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Wasteland

This was a great year for documentaries. CLIENT 9 is a huge snub. Many thought that it would not only be nominated, but go on to win. WAITING FOR SUPERMAN also surprisingly not on the list.


Animated Short
Day and Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar

Live Short
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Documentary Short
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Monday, January 24, 2011

STAY TUNED.................




Tuesday morning the Academy Award nominations will be announced at 8:30am ET/5:30am PT. Academy President Tom Sherak and last year's supporting actress winner, Mo'Nique, will take the stage in the academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater to reveal the nominees.

 Check back here for my thoughts...

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

This category is a tough one. The big question is will Hailee Steinfeld be on the Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress category?  My guess is that she will end up with a Supporting nomination.

Melissa Leo-THE FIGHTER
Amy Adams-THE FIGHTER
Hailee Steinfeld-TRUE GRIT
Jacki Weaver-ANIMAL KINGDOM
Helena Bonham Carter-THE KINGS SPEECH

Mila Kunis for BLACK SWAN is a possibility rather than Amy Adams or Jacki Weaver.

My Prediction
Melissa Leo

My Personal Favorite
Amy Adams

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR





These five are  most likely to get the nomination:

Christian Bale-THE FIGHTER
Geoffrey Rush-THE KINGS SPEECH
Mark Ruffalo-THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Andrew Garfield-THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jeremy Renner-THE TOWN

Matt Damon or Armie Hammer are possible, but not likely as of now.

My Prediction
Christian Bale-THE FIGHTER

My Personal Favorite
Christian Bale-THE FIGHTER


Sunday, January 23, 2011

BEST DIRECTOR



The Best Director category is pretty straight forward except for the last spot.  Most likely the nominations will be:

 -David Fincher-THE SOCIAL NETWORK
 -Darren Aronofsky-BLACK SWAN
 -Christopher Nolan-INCEPTION
 -Tom Hooper-THE KINGS SPEECH
 -David O' Russell-THE FIGHER

Other possibilities for the last spot are:

-Danny Boyle-127 HOURS
-Coen Brothers-TRUE GRIT
-Ben Affleck-THE TOWN

Predicted Winner
David Fincher-THE SOCIAL NETWORK

My Personal Favorite
Christopher Nolan-INCEPTION

Saturday, January 22, 2011

NATALIE PORTMANS AWKWARD LAUGH



College Humor edited together the awkward laugh of Portman's Golden Globe Acceptance speech...funny stuff.


PORTMAN VIDEO LINK

BEST ACTOR




This category is seems pretty much set with the last spot up in the air. The safe bets are:

Colin Firth
Jesse Eisenberg
Robert Duvall
James Franco

The last spot could be Jeff Bridges, Ryan Gosling, Mark Wahlberg or Javier Bardem.

My Prediction
Colin Firth-The Kings Speech

My Personal Favorite
Colin Firth-The Kings Speech

Friday, January 21, 2011

HIGH ON CRACK STREET



If you are interested in watching the real documentary that is featured in THE FIGHTER it is available online. It follows people who turn to crack. This is the documentary that Dicki thought was being filmed about his boxing come back. Here is the link:

Watch High on Crack Street

BEST ACTRESS


This week I will give my opinions on each Oscar category. I will include my predictions and personal favorites. Today I  my opinion on Best Actress.

This is a tough category this year. There were a lot of great performances, so the competition is tough. There are only a couple nominees that are a sure thing. The rest are a toss up. The safe bets are:

Natalie Portman
Annette Bening
Jennifer Lawrence

The other two spots are a toss up between:

Nicole Kidman
Hailee Steinfeld
Lesley Manville
Michelle Williams
Julianne Moore

I would like to see Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams fill the other spots. The critics have a lot of opinions on this category, so it's tough to say how the Academy will vote.

Predicted Winner 
Natalie Portman-BLACK SWAN

My Personal Favorite
Nicole Kidman-THE RABBIT HOLE

Feel free to post your own thoughts.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

GOLDEN GLOBE RESULTS




This is my first try at predicting the Golden Globes. I picked 11 winners out of the 14 categories that I predicted. The few I missed were not easy calls to make. There really weren't any surprises. THE SOCIAL NETWORK continues its run. Here is the list of winners in bold, underlined were my picks with my thoughts on each category underneath:


BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BLACK SWAN*
THE FIGHTER*
INCEPTION*
THE KING’S SPEECH*
THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
No surprise at all. It only reiterates the fact that it will win Best Picture. When the winner was announced Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garflied stayed in their seats. I don't know if they were being humble or just unsure.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Halle Berry, FRANKIE AND ALICE
Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE*
Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER’S BONE*
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN*
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE
Portman was naturally going to win against the others in this list. She is well on her way to a Best Actress Academy Award.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Colin Firth, THE KING’S SPEECH*
James Franco, 127 HOURS*
Ryan Gosling, BLUE VALENTINE
Mark Wahlberg, THE FIGHTER*
I saw THE KING'S SPEECH today and Colin Firth nails it. He deserves this and the Oscar that he will win. He gave a pretty good acceptance speech too.


BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
BURLESQUE*
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
RED
THE TOURIST
The only movie from this list that could possibly win. I am still not sure how the others made the list.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Annette Bening, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
Anne Hathaway, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
Angelina Jolie, THE TOURIST
Julianne Moore, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
Emma Stone, EASY A
Bening is another great pick for this award. If it can't be Julianne Moore than Bening deserves it.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE -MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Johnny Depp, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Johnny Depp, THE TOURIST
Paul Giamatti, BARNEY’S VERSION
Jake Gyllenhaal, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
Kevin Spacey, CASINO JACK
This one completely surprised me and it is an odd list to begin with. I should have predicted Giamatti because he is one of my favorite actors, but I went with Depp the usual favorite.


BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN*
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Tom Hooper, THE KING’S SPEECH*
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION*
David O. Russell, THE FIGHTER*
I think Nolan did the best work, but it's hard to bet against THE SOCIAL NETWORK.



BEST SCREENPLAY
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS*
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Hart, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION*
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH*
Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
A no brainer


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexander Desplat, THE KING’S SPEECH*
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
A.R. Robin, 127 HOURS*
Trent Reznor, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Hans Zimmer, INCEPTION*
I pretty much just took a wild guess here hoping Inception would win something, but I was wrong.


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BIUTIFUL
THE CONCERT
THE EDGE
I AM LOVE
IN A BETTER WORLD
I chose BIUTIFUL only because of the Oscar buzz it had earlier in the year. Other than that it was just a guess.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams, THE FIGHTER*
Helena Bonham Carter, THE KING’S SPEECH*
Mila Kunis, BLACK SWAN*
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER*
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM*
Leo had the best and most sincere acceptance speech of the night.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER*
Michael Douglas, WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
Andrew Garfield, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN*
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING’S SPEECH*
Rush is fantastic in THE KING'S SPEECH and he would be my second choice, but it will be Bale all the way.


BEST ANIMATED FILM
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
THE ILLUSIONIST
TANGLED
TOY STORY 3*
Another no brainer.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Bound to You” – BURLESQUE*
“Coming Home” – COUNTRY STRONG
“I See the Light” – TANGLED
“There’s a Place for Us” – THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE DAWN TREADER
You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” – BURLESQUE*
Just a lucky guess on this one.

*films I have seen

MY GOLDEN GLOBE PREDICTIONS




Many say the Golden Globes should not be taken seriously. The word is that they only nominate big names to get the top actors to attend the ceremony. It was also recently reported that a publicist is suing the Hollywood Foreign Press because they take bribes from studio executives to support their films. That may explain BURLESQUE and THE TOURIST nominations. One fun part of the Golden Globes is that everyone gets to drink which makes for some entertaining speeches. This is my first attempt at predicting the Globes so here it goes. My picks are underlined:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BLACK SWAN*
THE FIGHTER*
INCEPTION*
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK*

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Halle Berry, FRANKIE AND ALICE
Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE*
Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER’S BONE*
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN*
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Colin Firth, THE KING’S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 HOURS*
Ryan Gosling, BLUE VALENTINE
Mark Wahlberg, THE FIGHTER*

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
BURLESQUE*
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
RED
THE TOURIST

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Annette Bening, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
Anne Hathaway, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
Angelina Jolie, THE TOURIST
Julianne Moore, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
Emma Stone, EASY A

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE -MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Johnny Depp, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Johnny Depp, THE TOURIST
Paul Giamatti, BARNEY’S VERSION
Jake Gyllenhaal, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
Kevin Spacey, CASINO JACK

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN*
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Tom Hooper, THE KING’S SPEECH
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION*
David O. Russell, THE FIGHTER*


BEST SCREENPLAY
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS*
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Hart, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT*
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION*
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH
Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexander Desplat, THE KING’S SPEECH
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
A.R. Robin, 127 HOURS*
Trent Reznor, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Hans Zimmer, INCEPTION*

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BIUTIFUL
THE CONCERT
THE EDGE
I AM LOVE
IN A BETTER WORLD

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams, THE FIGHTER*
Helena Bonham Carter, THE KING’S SPEECH
Mila Kunis, BLACK SWAN*
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER*
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM*

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER*
Michael Douglas, WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
Andrew Garfield, THE SOCIAL NETWORK*
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN*
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING’S SPEECH

BEST ANIMATED FILM
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
THE ILLUSIONIST
TANGLED
TOY STORY 3*

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Bound to You” – BURLESQUE*
“Coming Home” – COUNTRY STRONG
“I See the Light” – TANGLED
“There’s a Place for Us” – THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE DAWN TREADER
You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” – BURLESQUE*

*films I have seen

Saturday, January 15, 2011

CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS WINNERS

The Critics Choice Awards Winners were presented last night. No real surprises in the results. It only gives more credit to THE SOCIAL NETWORK winning Best Picture.

Best Picture: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Young Actress: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Ensemble: The Fighter
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech
Best Foreign Language Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Documentary Feature: Waiting for Superman
Best Animation: Toy Story 3
Best Comedy: Easy A
Best Picture Made for TV: The Pacific
Best Action Movie: Inception
Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister, Inception
Best Editing: Lee Smith, Inception
Best Art Direction: Inception
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Sound: Inception
Best Makeup: Alice in Wonderland
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Song: 127 Hours, “If I Rise”
Best Score: The Social Network

Thursday, January 13, 2011

90 MINUTES?




The Academy announced yesterday that the red carpet pre-show will now run for 90 minutes. For the last ten years it was only 30 minutes of red carpet which was more than enough. It will air 7-8:30PM ET on Oscar night.

DGA DOCUMENTARY NOMINEES



The Directors Guild of America announced their nominees for documentary directors. Surprisingly THE TILLMAN STORY and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP were left out. Last year THE COVE won the DGA and went on to win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.  Here are this years nominations:

LAST TRAIN HOME
INSIDE JOB
CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN
RESTREPO

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

THE SOCIAL NETWORK ON DVD









If you still haven't seen what will most likely win Best Picture for 2010 THE    SOCIAL NETWORK was released today on DVD. It was also re-released in movie theaters. I always recommend you see a film in a theater as it was meant to be seen.

Monday, January 10, 2011

DGA NOMINEES



The Directors Guild of America announced their nominees for Best Director. They are good indication of how the Academy will vote.

Darren Aronofsky- BLACK SWAN
David Fincher -THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Tom Hooper -THE KINGS SPEECH
Christopher Nolan- INCEPTION
David O. Russell -THE FIGHTER
 
Surprisingly left out:
Joel and Ethan Coen-TRUE GRIT
Danny Boyle-127 HOURS
Ben Affleck-THE TOWN
 
I think that Christopher Nolan should win, but Fincher will most likely be the winner.

JIM CARREY AND BLACK SWAN


If you missed Saturday Night Live this week, check out Jim Carrey doing what he does best. A parody of BLACK SWAN.


Link to SNL Black Swan

Sunday, January 9, 2011

SAVE THE DATE



Here are some important dates coming up for awards season:

Golden Globes-Sunday January 16th 8PM ET (NBC)

Oscar nominations announced-Tuesday January 25th 8:30am ET

Screen Actors Guild Awards-Sunday January 30th 8PM ET (TBS)

83rd Annual Academy Awards- Sunday February 27th 8PM ET (ABC)

Friday, January 7, 2011

MY THOUGHTS ON BEST PICTURE




Every critic and blogger has their predictions for the 10 movies that will be nominated in the Best Picture category. Everyone seems to agree on the same 8 or 9 with the 10th spot still open. Here is a list of the most likely nominated movies and my thoughts:

THE SOCIAL NETWORK-This movie keeps moving forward full steam ahead. It will definitely be nominated. I can no longer have THE KINGS SPEECH as my pick to win Best Picture. THE SOCIAL NETWORK has won too many critics awards and been on too many favorite lists to not win. They also have the money to pay for a huge Oscar campaign. So, I am giving in to the hype and predicting it to be the winner!

THE KINGS SPEECH-In the beginning it seemed like a shoe in to win, but now that it has been released the reviews have slowed down its momentum. Colin Firth is a favorite to win Best Actor, but the movie itself does not tell a story as well as THE SOCIAL NETWORK.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT-Has had excellent reviews and is a great movie, but some see flaws in the story.  More specifically the way Mark Ruffalos character is treated and ultimately shunned by the family. Some also say that the Academy is still apprehensive about stories with gay characters, so some members may not even see it.

BLACK SWAN-Has some things going against it. It may be too much of a horror film to be considered Best Picture. It certainly does not tell a story as well as THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Natalie Portman will most likely win Best Actress and deservedly so.  BLACK SWAN does not have the legs to win Best Picture, but it does for a nomination.

TOY STORY 3-Great movie, very well done and will win Best Animated Film. It would be a slap in the face to all of the other filmmakers if a cartoon won Best Picture.
THE FIGHTER-Christian Bale will come out of this with a Best Supporting Actor nomination and most likely the win. David O'Russell possibly a nomination for directing. The problem is that many say the film is overrated. The movie has been criticized for the ending. (*SPOILER ALERT*) Many do not feel as though Mark Wahlberg's character would decide to go back to that awful family with no explanation. It also seems odd that the mother never acknowledges or confronts Bale's drug addiction.

INCEPTION-It was released early in the year and still maintaining momentum going into the awards season. After watching some of INCEPTION for a second time I realized what a great picture this really is. It will receive many nominations like art direction, cinematography, visual effects and directing. I still don't think that it can win Best Picture over THE SOCIAL NETWORK.

127 HOURS-This movie has lost a lot of steam since its release. Partly because people including Academy voters are afraid to see it due it's so called "graphic nature".  There is too much competition out there for it to win or for that matter be nominated in the Best Picture category.

THE TOWN-Another great movie that continues it's momentum. It has Golden Globe, SAG and BFCA nominations. It would be great to see Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner get some awards from THE TOWN. Not strong enough for a Best Picture win.

TRUE GRIT-Since it's release it has been gaining strength. It is making huge amounts of money and getting great reviews. The big question is will Hailee Steinfeld get a Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress nomination. She would have a much better chance of winning in the supporting role. She is in almost every frame of the film so it's hard to call her supporting. Some are predicting TRUE GRIT as a Best Picture winner, but I do not.

WINTER'S BONE-It is a very quiet and some what slow movie. It's buzz has quieted due to the fact that it hasn't received many nominations or awards so far. Jennifer Lawrence deserves a nomination for the role, but in no way can beat Natalie Portman. It is possible that WINTER'S BONE will not even make it in the 10 nominations list.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

WGA NOMINATIONS

 Here are the nominations for WGA awards. Remember films like THE KINGS SPEECH, TOY STORY 3 and WINTERS BONE are not eligible. Winners will be announced February 5th.


ORIGINAL:
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception,
The Kids Are All Right
Please Give

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
127 Hours
I Love You Phillip Morris
The Social Network
The Town
True Grit


DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY:
Enemies of the People
Freedom Riders
Gasland
Inside Job
The Two Escobars

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA





The Producer Guild of America announced their nominees today. These are usually a pretty good indication of how the Oscar nominations will go. 127 HOURS is still in the game with a nomination. WINTER'S BONE was strangely left out as was RESTREPO for Best Documentary.

BEST PICTURE
"127 Hours
"Black Swan"
"Inception"
"The Fighter"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"
"The Town"
"Toy Story 3"
"True Grit"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"Despicable Me"
"How to Train Your Dragon"
"Toy Story 3"

BEST DOCUMENTARY
"Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer"
"Earth Made of Glass"
"Inside Job"
"Smashes His Camera"
"The Tillman Story"
"Waiting for Superman"

BEST TV COMEDY SERIES
"30 Rock"
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Glee" "Modern Family"
"The Office"
BEST TV DRAMA SERIES
"Breaking Bad"
"Dexter"
"Lost"
"Mad Men"
"True Blood"

BEST TV MOVIE/MINI
"Murder on the Orient Express"
"Pillars of the Earth"
"Temple Grandin"
"The Pacific"
"You Don't Know Jack"

BEST NON-FICTION TV
"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations"
"Deadliest Catch"
"Intervention"
"Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List"
"Undercover Boss"

BEST LIVE ENTERTAINMENT/COMPETITION TV
"The Amazing Race"
"The Colbert Report"
"Project Runway"
"Real Time with Bill Maher"
"Top Chef"

Monday, January 3, 2011

ONLINE FILM CRITICS WINNERS


The Online Film Critics award winners were announced today. This could be exactly the way the Academy votes this year with the exception of documentary which will probably go to inside job.

Best Picture
Black Swan
Inception
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, True Grit
DAVID FINCHER, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Christopher Nolan, Inception

Best Lead Actor
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
COLIN FIRTH, THE KING'S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Edgar Ramírez, Carlos

Best Lead Actress
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Kim Hye-ja, Mother
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
NATALIE PORTMAN, BLACK SWAN

Best Supporting Actor
CHRISTIAN BALE, THE FIGHTER
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Best Supporting ActressAmy Adams, The Fighter
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
HAILEE STEINFELD, TRUE GRIT
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin, Black Swan
Noah Baumbach, Greenberg
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, INCEPTION
Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler, The King’s Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay
Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
AARON SORKIN, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, Winter’s Bone

Best Cinematography
Anthony Dod Mantle & Enrique Chediak, 127 Hours
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan
Wally Pfister, Inception
Robert Richardson, Shutter Island
ROGER DEAKINS, TRUE GRIT

Best Editing
Jon Harris, 127 Hours
Andrew Weisblum, Black Swan
LEE SMITH, INCEPTION
Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall, The Social Network

Best Animated Feature
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
TOY STORY 3

Best Film Not in the English Language
Carlos
Dogtooth
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
MOTHER
A Prophet

Best Documentary
Catfish
Inside Job
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Restrepo
Waiting for “Superman”

Saturday, January 1, 2011

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP: MY REVIEW



EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP is a documentary about an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker trying to find Bansky a world famous graffiti artist. Through the entire movie Bansky electronically changes his voice and never shows his face. The amateur film maker is Thierry Guetta who decides to follow the underground world of street artists. The movie shows some really amazing work by these "artists" who in reality are vandalizing property. The movie has many twists and turns that you don't expect in a documentary. It also makes you question what art really is. Who decides what is a piece of art or a piece of junk? This movie can be either one, but it is a fascinating look into their world.  It will get a Best Documentary nomination and currently on DVD.

MY GRADE: A-
Any movie released after today will be considered for next year awards