Before I do my predictions I have to say I haven’t seen all the films. I haven’t seen The Artist, The Descendants or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. The rest of the Best Picture nominees I have seen. Though not seeing the films is not a big deal. You don’t have to have seen the film to make a guess, you just have to have been paying attention. This year I made my predictions based on seeing the films, watching making of shorts, reading people predictions and checking the betting odds.

If I had my way I think Harry Potter would be getting many more nominations. It’s a crime that the Academy have mainly overlooked one of the greatest series of all time. I think Hugo should probably win Best Picture, although Tree of Life was pretty amazing even if I didn’t understand it. I’d be very happy for Viola to win Best Actress, and I think she will. If it’s not her it’ll be Streep, which wouldn’t disappoint me either. I think probably Best Director should go to Scorsese, though none of the options would disappoint me. Best visual effects should be Potter.

I think they’re all my thoughts. Now here are my picks for the winners this year. My predictions are in bold.

Best Motion Picture of the Year

The Artist (2011): Thomas Langmann
The Descendants (2011): Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011): Scott Rudin
The Help (2011): Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
Hugo (2011/II): Graham King, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris (2011): Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
Moneyball (2011): Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt
The Tree of Life (2011): Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill
War Horse (2011): Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir for A Better Life (2011)
George Clooney for The Descendants (2011)
Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011)
Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Brad Pitt for Moneyball (2011)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Viola Davis for The Help (2011)
Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011)
Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Jonah Hill for Moneyball (2011)
Nick Nolte for Warrior (2011)
Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)
Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)
Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011)
Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids (2011)
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011)

Best Achievement in Directing

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris (2011)
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011)
Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life (2011)
Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)
Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids (2011): Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Margin Call (2011): J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen
A Separation (2011): Asghar Farhadi

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Hugo (2011/II): John Logan
The Ides of March (2011): George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

A Cat in Paris (2010): Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli
Chico Rita (2010): Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011): Jennifer Yuh
Puss in Boots (2011): Chris Miller
Rango (2011): Gore Verbinski

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Bullhead (2011): Michael R. Roskam(Belgium)
Footnote (2011): Joseph Cedar(Israel)
In Darkness (2011): Agnieszka Holland(Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (2011): Philippe Falardeau(Canada)
A Separation (2011): Asghar Farhadi(Iran)

Best Achievement in Cinematography

The Artist (2011): Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo (2011/II): Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life (2011): Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse (2011): Janusz Kaminski

Best Achievement in Editing

The Artist (2011): Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants (2011): Kevin Tent
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
Hugo (2011/II): Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball (2011): Christopher Tellefsen

Best Achievement in Art Direction

The Artist (2011): Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
Hugo (2011/II): Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
Midnight in Paris (2011): Anne Seibel, Hélène Dubreuil
War Horse (2011): Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Anonymous (2011/I): Lisy Christl
The Artist (2011): Mark Bridges
Hugo (2011/II): Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre (2011): Michael O’Connor
W.E. (2011): Arianne Phillips

Best Achievement in Makeup

Albert Nobbs (2011): Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson, Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
The Iron Lady (2011): Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

The Adventures of Tintin (2011): John Williams
The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource
Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Alberto Iglesias
War Horse (2011): John Williams

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

The Muppets (2011): Bret McKenzie(“Man or Muppet”)
Rio (2011): Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett(“Real in Rio”)

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Bo Persson
Hugo (2011/II): Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
Moneyball (2011): Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco, Ed Novick
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Peter J. Devlin
War Horse (2011): Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Stuart Wilson

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Drive (2011): Lon Bender, Victor Ray Ennis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Ren Klyce
Hugo (2011/II): Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl
War Horse (2011): Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler, John Richardson
Hugo (2011/II): Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning
Real Steel (2011): Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, Swen Gillberg
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, Daniel Barrett
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew E. Butler, John Frazier

Best Documentary, Features

Hell and Back Again (2011): Danfung Dennis, Mike Lerner
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011): Marshall Curry, Sam Cullman
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011): Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Pina (2011): Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel
Undefeated (2011): Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin, Rich Middlemas

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement (2011): Robin Fryday, Gail Dolgin
God Is the Bigger Elvis (2012): Rebecca Cammisa, Julie Anderson
Incident in New Baghdad (2011): James Spione
Saving Face (2012): Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011): Lucy Walker, Kira Carstensen

Best Short Film, Animated

Sunday (2011): Patrick Doyon
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2011): William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg
La Luna (2011): Enrico Casarosa
A Morning Stroll (2011): Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe
Wild Life (2011): Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby

Best Short Film, Live Action

Pentecost (2011): Peter McDonald
Raju (2011): Max Zähle, Stefan Gieren
The Shore (2011): Terry George, Oorlagh George
Time Freak (2011): Andrew Bowler, Gigi Causey
Tuba Atlantic (2010):

I remember having a rotary dial telephone. People say technology has made us impatient. I was impatient then too. I would hate dialling phone numbers with too many 8s, 9s, or 0s in them because it would take so long for the dial to get back in position. I would keep my finger in the hole and try and force it back as quickly as possible. I once found out that those phones work on electrical pulses and if you pressed the hang up button quickly it would send an electrical pulse. That meant instead of dialling a seven you could just press the hang up button seven times really quickly. It saved time but was in-accurate. When we got a tone dialling phone, everything changed.

I remember when my Dad got a mobile phone he was on Optus so I would call the Castles because Janet had a mobile phone too, which was on Optus. Between 8pm and Midnight you got free calls for 20 minutes. I would talk to Ryan and Jemma for 20 minutes hang up then call back. Partly I liked talking to Ryan and Jem, partly I just like talking on mobile phone. Dad had a blue 5110, Janet had a yellow one. They had the game Snake on them. Snake was the greatest game ever. It craps all over Angry Birds.

Before mobile phones when you went somewhere with big crowds you’d arrange a place to meet if you got lost. Sometimes if you were in a group you’d split up for an hour and meet back at a pre-arranged spot. I can’t remember that last time I did something like that.

Before mobiles if you were late to meet someone, you were just late and they stood around waiting thinking you were probably in a car crash.

Before the internet you would go to the library and read an encyclopaedia to find out information. If you read multiple encyclopaedias it was called research. Sometimes if you wanted to read an old article from a magazine you’d ask the librarian to go get it out of the stack. They would do it and you felt like you were holding the past in your hands.

When the only way to write to a person was to do it by hand and put it in the mail, I very rarely did it. I was too lazy to write a letter, fold it, find an envelope address it, find a stamp and put it in the post box. If there was no internet and my sister lived in Guatemala still, she’d never hear from me. I have no doubt she’d write me letters though. She always was less lazy in the letter writing department.

And that is about the extent of my pre-mobile, pre-internet memories. What are yours? Do you have any?

This one… well, if Nicolas Cage is not the one of the greatest actors of our time, then I’m certain someone else is. He is however very good as shouting and saying insane things. Personally I found this hilarious.

Warning: This is very sweary. He drops the F-bomb like it’s a shock and awe campaign. There’s also a tiny bit of boob. Not a tiny boob, just a few frames of uncovered boob. You know what I mean. If you get offended, I did warn you.

Well the dinner party was pretty brilliant. I’d love to share some stories with you but there aren’t many. We drank wine, beer and tea. We talked, ate and watched YouTube. It’s what housemates and the visiting women-folk do. I was gonna take heaps of photos but I forgot. So here’s Johnny shopping and Curt washing up. It’s the beginning and the end of the night. Johnny and I made Honey Baked Pumpkin risotto. It tasted pretty amazing. I’d marry us.

I was expecting a quiet night at home tonight, I think we all were. I had heaps of things planned to do with my night, I did none of them. But I ate, talked, drank and laughed and I guess that could be the substance of many of a person’s truly great achievements. My to do list isn’t any shorter but my satisfaction levels are in surplus.

Bonza!

On Sunday Ryan and I went and saw The Grey. I was pretty excited for it. Liam Neeson is awesome, especially when he’s shooting guns or punching people. And the thought of Liam Neeson fighting killer wolves, that’s pretty cool.

The film isn’t really about wolves. The film is about a group of men who are in a plane crash somewhere in deserted Alaska. They have to try and trek to safety while avoiding being killed by wolves. Seeing as Liam is a trained wolf killer, he leads the men on a walk to safety. Though there isn’t really much safety. It’s more like a walk to new locations to die in. There is very little wolf fighting in the film and the wolves aren’t really wolves. Well they are wolves, but as far as I can tell they’re there to represent death. Death that hunts them, death that will take them one by one. Death that they must face by looking it in the eyes. For an action film it’s very thoughtful.

It kinda felt like The Thin Red Line of plane crash survival films, except the characters did more talking, nature was less beautiful, and things were less subtle. Still the flashbacks and contemplation of life and death, it had a similar feel. I liked that it was happy to be a film for grown ups with violence and adventure in it.

So if you judge the film on normal action movie standards, it’d rate highly for substance. If you judged it on contemplative films about death standards, it’d probably be on the less impressive end of the spectrum. But go see it. Because it’s better than lots of stuff, and the more people see it the more Hollywood will see that action movies with meat are worth making.

5:50am – Wake up to alarm
5:50am – Fall back to sleep
5:56am – Get up
6:50am – Leave for School 1
8:15am – Arrive at School 1
8:30am – Speak in School 1 Chapel – Years 7-9: 1 Cor 15:50-58
9:00am – Leave School 1 for School 2
9:20am – Arrive at School 2
9:50am – Speak in School 2 Chapel – Years 5-12: Sex
11:00am – Speak in School 2 Chapel – Years T-2: Luke 5:1-11
11:40am – Speak in School 2 Chapel – Years 3-4: Luke 5:1-11
12:20pm – Speak at School 2 Lunchtime group – Years 7-12: Luke 23:32-43
1:10pm – Leave School 2
1:20pm – Subway Lunch
1:44pm – Leave for Office
2:57pm – Arrive at Office
3:00pm – Staff Meeting
4:33pm – Leave Office
5:12pm – Arrive Home prepare Bible Study on Acts 19
6:13pm – Have Nap
6:40pm – Wake Up – Tidy house
6:50pm – People start arriving for Church Planting meeting
7:30pm – Church Planting Meeting/Dinner (including Bible Study)
10:50pm – Meeting and Pack-Up Finish
10:55pm – Check Facebook and Stuff
11:07pm – Start blogging
11:24pm – Publish blog

Bed imminent.

So I’m trying to work out how I’m going to do this. One option is to use more double entendres so that the kids that don’t get them are obviously too young for them. The other option is to just water it down, but then I probably won’t say anything at all. The last option is just to go for it and assume that kids know more than we want them to anyway. That tends to work for the majority of the time, but then will have one or two glaring exceptions, like the year seven kid in my youth group who went home and asked his Dad what masturbation was. Oops. Not that I’d be talking about masturbation tomorrow, but being the visiting speaker you don’t want to be the guy who says way too much.

I still haven’t decided how I’m going to do it. I guess we’ll see tomorrow.