The Always Unpredictable Oscars

My Ideal "Best Song" Nominations

2012-01-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here are the songs I would love to see be nominated for Best Song. Whether they do or don't, I guess we'll see. Albert Nobbs - "Lay Your Head Down" by Sinead O'Connor Captain America: The First Avenger - "Star Spangled Man" by Alan Menkin Gnomeo & Juliet - "Hello, Hello" by Elton John Happy Feet Two - "Bridge of Light" by Pink The Muppets - "Life's A Happy Song" by

My Ideal 'Best Original Score' Nominations List

2012-01-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

The title says it all! Enjoy the score samples: Ludovic Bource - "The Artist" Alexander Desplat - "The Tree of Life" Harry Escott - "Shame" John Williams - "War Horse" Alan Silvestri - "Captain America: The First Avenger"

My Ideal Oscar Nominations List

2012-01-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

We're a few weeks away from the nominations for the Oscars, but I think that makes it a good time for me to round up what my ideal nominations list will look like. Now keep in mind there are a few award favorite films out there that I haven't seen, but I've seen most of them, and this list is based on what I've seen. Because it seems like a seven picture nomination year, that's how many

My Book Is Coming Out Soon (So Now What?)

2012-01-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

My faithful readers: I have written the final review I needed to write for "The Complete Unofficial 83rd Annual Academy Awards Review Guide" yesterday! That means all I need is for my editor Emily to wring it through a shredder, help me fix any sentence structure problems, and we'll begin formatting the book for Kindles, Nooks, and even have some hard copies available. This is the start of

Here Comes the Family (Films)

2011-11-27T17:25:00.001-08:00

This is a great time to go to the movies if you've got families. "The Muppets" was released to great critical acclaim and has re-introduced the characters in a way that means they'll be coming back in a big way after the dust settles with this film. "Arthur Christmas" was released to great critical acclaim and is poised to become a new holiday classic for many families. And Martin

"Happy Feet Two" is NOT Winning Best Animated Feature (But it Might Win Best Song)!

2011-11-18T23:53:00.001-08:00

I saw "Happy Feet Two" tonight on IMAX 3D. You can read my full review here, but to sum it up: "Happy Feet Two" will NOT be nominated for Best Animated Feature! It's not as dull as "Cars 2" was, but it certainly failed to live up the quality of the original film. That said, I DO believe that P!nk has got Best Song in the bag with her downright moving song "Bridge of Light." Listen to the song

Billy Crystal Hosting 2011 Oscars!

2011-11-10T22:56:00.001-08:00

So, to recap: Brett Ratner makes homophobic slur. Academy and gay community get pissed off (rightfully so). Ratner quits. Eddie Murphy quits. Brian Grazer (who produced "Tower Heist") steps in. Billy Crystal comes back as host. Alright, got all that? Good. Now then, all that aside, now that Billy Crystal is back on board, I'm feeling pretty good about the Oscars again. I don't want to

Brett Ratner Resigns As Oscar Producer

2011-11-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Looks like Brett Ratner's thoughtless remark that rehersing was for "fags" finally caught up with him. Despite a public letter apology, he resigned as producer today. The Academy had this to say: “He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself,” Sherak said. “Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this

Know What's My Favorite Animated Number: 5!

2011-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

Well folks, there are eighteen films up for Best Animated Feature, which means there will be five nominations. Yay! I always like five more than three, it's just a shame that five seems like a stretch this year. For the record, here's what's up for consideration: “The Adventures of Tintin” “Alois Nebel” “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” “Arthur Christmas” “Cars 2″ “A Cat in Paris” “

Oscar Going NC-17?

2011-11-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

This is sort of old news, but Steve McQueen's controversial and haunting film "Shame" was given an NC-17 by the MPAA about a month ago. Fox Searchlight decided not to edit the film or appeal it for the less restrictive R. "Shame" has been screened at several film festivals prior to getting the rating. It was cited as an early Oscar contender for Best Picture, and Michael Fassbender's

Sizing Up The Directors 2011 (Midyear Predictions)

2011-10-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time for our annual tradition of sizing up the directors and which ones stand a chance of getting a Best Director nomination. Though the Academy has kind of/sort of reduced the Best Picture nominees down to five again, it could STILL go as high as ten, which makes the Best Director race all the more complicated! There are so far NINE directors who (thus far) have a good chance at a

The Double Hitter Oscars?

2011-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

Never before in all the years I've been watching the Oscars have I seen anything like the potential number of double nominees this year. We have not one, not two, not three, but FOUR actors who are battling themselves in Oscar potential! George Clooney is the one who stands to get the most Oscar nominations next year. He's a strong contender to be nominated for Best Actor in “The

What Are Chances of Oscar Love For "50/50": About 50/50 I'd Say

2011-10-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

So one of the movies that I'm going to cautiously be keeping an eye on during this Oscar race is "50/50." I haven't written my review yet (it should come in at around three and a half stars for me), but spoil it a bit for you, this is a good movie. It may not be the greatest film in the world, but its amazing how it takes a serious situation that is so bleak for everyone, and manages to make

I Want To Be A Paperback Writer...PAPERBACK WRITER!!!

2011-09-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

So faithful readers, I have an announcement to make: I'm writing a book. An Oscar book to be more precise. See, its like this... Alright, so the picture quality is not all that great (and I know I misspelled "presents," and I'm more ashamed of that than anything else I've done recently). Just because because I understand film, doesn't mean I'm good at making it. I actually meant to bring

Academy To Members: Dinner Bribes Are Over

2011-09-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little late to the party, but I want to take a moment to comment on the Academy's recent new rule that says once a film is nominated the studio can't throw any elaborate parties for Academy members. Which means if the nominations aren't announced yet, you can throw a dinner party (or something to that effect) for Academy members to attend. Once the films are nominated though,

Why Harry Potter Is NOT Getting A Best Picture Nomination!

2011-09-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

This is going to hurt me to say it, more than it will hurt you to read it, but it must be said: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II" is NOT going to be one of the ten nominees for Best Picture! I know its not a done deal until the nominations are actually announced, but its so close to a done deal its worth dealing with now rather than later. We had a brief flirt with the idea

Here Comes The "Bridesmaids"

2011-09-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

After a hard night as work (don't ask), I went home to my humble house and popped in a movie that I picked up Tuesday: "Bridesmaids." I saw this movie earlier in the year and deemed it the surprise hit of the year. I gave it four stars in my review, but considering how few great comedies we've gotten this year, maybe I should have added an extra half star to the grade. The year is almost

"J. Edgar" Trailer

2011-09-20T00:28:00.000-07:00

Today we get our first real look at Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar." While Eastwood has not had a film in serious competition since "Letters From Iwo Jima," never underestimate him. That's how so many people lost money the year "The Aviator" was supposed to sweep the Oscars and give Marty his much coveted Oscar. This film is an Eastwood film, and he's directed two Best Picture winners. It

Best Picture Prediction Count

2011-09-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've got more articles to write (one that Harry Potter fans might be upset with me once written), but for statistics sake, here's where my personal Oscar count would be fore my (current) five Best Picture nominees: Drive: 8 nominations Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II: 11 nominations The Help: 4 nominations Midnight In Paris: 3 nominations The Tree of Life: 6 nominations Again,

State of the Race: Best Picture Midyear

2011-09-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to do this in the middle of the year, but there were so few contenders in the race I delayed it a bit. Now more films have come out, so lets look at how the Best Picture race is shaping up. Film: Drive Going For It: Film opened to rave reviews. Audiences love it! Critics are getting giddy! Released late enough in the year that voters can remember it. Ryan Gosling is

Ryan Gosling To “Drive” To Oscar

2011-09-17T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well folks, there's another movie to keep an eye on: “Drive.” This action film has opened soft at the box office (a little over $4 million on the opening day), but the rave reviews are piling up. It appears to be a “love or hate it” film, but so far more people seem to love it than hate it. It's not even polarizing female audiences, which is amazing since “Drive” is being advertised

Are The Oscars Stone Cold Deaf? #2: 1985

2011-09-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

elcome to the feature on this blog I like to call "Are The Oscars Stone Cold Deaf?" This is a feature that is dedicated to one of the most highly publicized awards in the Oscar season that is (for some reason) still underrated. This may have more to do with the fact that the Best Song category is the reason we still have dance numbers in the Oscar telecast (and people hate those dance numbers),

Viola Davis's Oscar Campaign Needs 'Help'

2011-09-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

This week "The Help" crossed the $100 million dollar mark. It shows once again that making smart films for older women is an untapped market that Hollywood needs to stop ignoring. It's avoided a lot of controversy on the basis that people of different ages, colors, and genders love it. It makes you feel good, but it doesn't sugarcoat things. All these reasons make it one to watch for Best

Patriotism Never Sounded So Catchy

2011-07-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

For those who are feeling particularly patriotic this morning, take a listen to "Star Spangled Man," a catchy Broadway-style tune by Alan Silvestri (the Oscar-nominated composer who wrote the "Back To The Future" theme) for the new film "Captain America: The First Avenger." And yes, I would SO love to see this nominated for Best Song and performed with lots of flamboyant glee at the Oscar

Memo To The Academy: Honor the Voice Actors

2011-07-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Alright Academy: It's time to get over your old fashioned beliefs about animation and create a category for honoring voice over work. I think it became painfully obvious after "Rango" was released that voice acting is crucial to these animated movies. More than ever before, big established actors are giving out Oscar worthy performances in voice over work. Yet none of it is being