The King Has Been Re-Elected

It's official all you James Cameron haters: "Avatar" is a HUGE success!  It's made it's budget back and then some.  It will continue to make money.  I personally suspect it will finally topple "Titanic" as the highest grossing film of all time (ironically also by Cameron).  This movie will get multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture.  This movie will give IMAX the funds they need to expand and make themselves a legitimate player in the theater business.  Those who were waiting twelve years for Cameron to fail will just have to wait another twelve years.  He was King of the World back then, and the King has been re-elected.

My "Avatar" Review

Eligible Best Songs

These are the songs eligible for Oscar for Best Song this year:

“All Is Love” from “Where the Wild Things Are”
“Almost Over You” from “My One and Only”
“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“AyAyAyAy” from “The Maid”
“Back to Tennessee” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“Being Bad” from “Duplicity”
“Blanco” from “Fast & Furious”
“Brothers in Arms” from “Brothers at War”
“Butterfly Fly Away” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“Cinema Italiano” from “Nine”
“Colorblind” from “Invictus”
“Depression Era” from “That Evening Sun”
“Don’t Walk Away” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“Dove of Peace” from “Bruno”
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“Fly Farm Blues” from “It Might Get Loud”
“Forget Me” from “I Love You, Beth Cooper”
“God Bless Us Everyone” from “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
“Here” from “Shrink”
“Hideaway” from “Where the Wild Things Are”
“Hoedown Throwdown” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“I Bring What I Love” from “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love”
“I See You” from “Avatar”

“(I Want to) Come Home” from “Everybody’s Fine”
“If You’re Wondering” from “The Lightkeepers”
“Impossible Fantasy” from “Adventures of Power”
“Innocent Child” from “Skin”
“Invictus 9,000 Days” from “Invictus”
“Legendary” from “Tyson”
“Let Freedom Reign” from “Skin”
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36”
“Ma Belle Evangeline” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“My One and Only” from “My One and Only”
“Na Na” from “Couples Retreat”
“Never Knew I Needed” from “The Princess and the Frog”
“New Divide” from “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
“New Jersey Nights” from “Adventures of Power”
“New York Is Where I Live” from “Did You Hear about the Morgans?”
“No Time for Love” from “Simon & Malou”
“One Day” from “Post Grad”
“Only You” from “The Young Victoria”
“Other Father Song” from “Coraline”
“Petey’s Song” from “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” from “Ponyo”“
Possibility” from “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”
“Raining Sunshine” from “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Running Out of Empty (Make Ourselves at Home)” from “Lymelife”
“Smoke without Fire” from “An Education”
“Somebody Else” from “Crazy Heart”
“Stu’s Song” from “The Hangover”
“Take It All” from “Nine”
“Through the Trees” from “Jennifer’s Body”
“Trust Me” from “The Informant!”
“Un Bouquet des Violettes” from “New York, I Love You”
“We Are the Children of the World” from “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“We Love Violence” from “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart”
“When You Find Me” from “Adam”
“Winter” from “Brothers”
“The Word Is Love” from “Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!”
“You Got Me Wrapped around Your Little Finger” from “An Education”
“You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” from “Hannah Montana The Movie”
“You’ve Been a Friend to Me” from “Old Dogs”

The Secret of Kells?

Surprised to see "The Secret of Kells" nominated for Best Animated Feature over "Ponyo" at the Annie Awards?  Yeah, me too.  Ever hear of this film?  Me neither.  Thankfully one Bing search showed me this trailer for the film:

I must admit that I'm intrigued.  Now the only question is why does it qualify for the Annie's this year and not next year when it's supposed to open?

37th Annie Award Nominations

And here are the nominations for the Annie Awards (this isn't looking good for "Ponyo"):

Best Animated Feature

• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs — Sony Pictures Animation
• Coraline — Laika
• Fantastic Mr. Fox — 20th Century Fox
• The Princess and the Frog — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• The Secret of Kells — Cartoon Saloon
• Up — Pixar Animation Studios

Best Home Entertainment Production

• Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas — Universal Animation Studios
• Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder — The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
  
• Green Latern: First Flight — Warner Bros. Animation
  
• Open Season 2 — Sony Pictures Animation
  
• SpongeBob vs. The Big One — Nickelodeon

Best Animated Short Subject

• Pups of Liberty — Picnic Pictures
• Robot Chicken: Star Wars 2.5 — ShadowMachine
• Santa, The Fascist Years — Plymptoons
• The Rooster, The Crocodile and The Night Sky — Barley Films
• The Story of Walls — Badmash Animation Studios

Best Animated Television Commercial

• Goldfish: In The Dark — Blur Studios, Inc.
• Idaho Lottery “Twiceland” — Acme Filmworks, Inc.
• McDonald's Nutty Trade — Blue Sky Studios
• Spanish Lottery “Deportees” — Acme Filmworks, Inc.
• The Spooning — Screen Novelties /Acne Media

Best Animated Television Production

• Glenn Martin, DDS — Tornante, Cuppa Coffee Studios & Rogers Communications
• Merry Madagascar — DreamWorks Animation
• Prep and Landing — ABC Family/Walt Disney Animation Studios
• The Simpsons — Gracie Films

Best Animated Television Production for Children

• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse — Disney Television Animation
• SpongeBob SquarePants — Nickelodeon
• The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack — Cartoon Network Studios
• The Mighty B! — Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper Kite Productions
• The Penguins of Madagascar — Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES___________________

Animated Effects

• Scott Cegielski “Monsters vs. Aliens” — DreamWorks Animation
• Alexander Feigin “9” — 9 L.L.C.
• Eric Froemling “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Tom Kluyskens “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” — Sony Pictures Animation
• James Mansfield “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Television Production

• Mark Donald “B.O.B.'s Big Break” — DreamWorks Animation
• Mark Mitchell “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Kevan Shorey “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Tony Smeed “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Phillip To “Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space” — DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Feature Production

• Andreas Deja “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Eric Goldberg “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Travis Knight “Coraline” — Laika
• Daniel Nguyen “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Bruce Smith “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Design in a Television Production

• Bryan Arnett “The Mighty B! - Catatonic” — Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper Kite Productions
• Ben Balistreri “Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Craig Kellman “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Bill Schwab “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Design in a Feature Production

• Daniel Lopez Munoz “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Shane Prigmore “Coraline” — Laika
• Shannon Tindle “Coraline” — Laika

Directing in a Television Production

• Pam Cooke & Jansen Yee “American Dad: Brains, Brains & Automobiles” — 20th Century Fox/Fuzzy Door/Underdog
• Rob Fendler “Popzilla” — Animax
• John Infantino, J.G. Quintel “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack: Candy Casanova” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Bret Haaland “The Penguins of Madagascar - Launchtime” — Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
• Jennifer Oxley “The Wonder Pets: Help The Monster” — Nickelodeon/Little Airplane Productions

Directing in a Feature Production

• Wes Anderson “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — 20th Century Fox
• Pete Docter “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Christopher Miller, Phil Lord “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” — Sony Pictures Animation
• Hayao Miyazaki “Ponyo” — Studio Ghibli
• Henry Selick “Coraline” — Laika

Music in a Television Production

• Michael Giacchino “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Kevin Kiner “Star Wars: The Clone Wars “Weapons Factory” — Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
• Guy Moon “The Fairly OddParents: “Wishology-The Big Beginning” — Nickelodeon

Music in a Feature Production

• Bruno Coulais “Coraline” — Laika
• Michael Giacchino “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Joe Hisaishi “Ponyo” — Studio Ghibli
• John Powell “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” — Blue Sky Studios

Production Design in a Television Production

• Mac George “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Andy Harkness “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Janice Kubo “Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends” — Cartoon Network Studios

Production Design in a Feature Production

• Christopher Appelhans “Coraline” — Laika
• Ian Gooding “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Tadahiro Uesugi “Coraline” — Laika
• Christophe Vacher “9” — 9 L.L.C.

Storyboarding in a Television Production

• Sunil Hall “The Mighty B!: Catatonic” — Nickelodeon/Polka Dot Pictures/Paper
• Robert Koo “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Brandon Kruse “The Fairly OddParents: Fly Boy” — Nickelodeon
• Joe Mateo “Prep and Landing” — ABC Family/Walt Disney Animation Studios Kite Productions
• Adam Van Wyk “The Spectacular Spider-Man: Final Curtain” — Culver Entertainment

Storyboarding in a Feature Production

• Sharon Bridgeman “Astro Boy” — Imagi Studios
• Chris Butler “Coraline” — Laika
• Ronnie Del Carmen “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Tom Owens “Monsters vs. Aliens” — DreamWorks Animation
• Peter Sohn “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios

Voice Acting in a Television Production

• Danny Jacobs - Voice of King Julien - “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation
• Nicky Jones - Voice of Chowder - “Chowder: The Dinner Theatre” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Tom Kenny - Voice of SpongeBob - “SpongeBob SquarePants — Truth or Square” — Nickelodeon
• Dwight Schultz - Voice of Mung Daal - “Chowder:The Party Cruise” — Cartoon Network Studios
• Willow Smith - Voice of Abby - “Merry Madagascar” — DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in a Feature Production

• Jen Cody - Voice of Charlotte - “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Dawn French - Voice of Miss Forcible - “Coraline” — Laika
• Hugh Laurie - Voice of Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. - “Monsters vs. Aliens” — DreamWorks Animation
• John Leguizamo - Voice of Sid - “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur” — Blue Sky Studios
• Jenifer Lewis - Voice of Mama Odie - “The Princess and the Frog” — Walt Disney Animation Studios

Writing in a Television Production

• Daniel Chun - “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XX” — Gracie Films
• Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers-Skelton - “Prep and Landing” — Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Valentina L. Garza - “The Simpsons: Four Great Women and a Manicure” — Gracie Films
• Billy Kimball and Ian Maxtone-Graham - “The Simpsons: Gone Maggie Gone” — Gracie Films
• Billy Lopez - “The Wonder Pets - Save the Honey Bears” — Nickelodeon Productions/Little Airplane Productions

Writing in a Feature Production

• Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach - “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — 20th Century Fox
• Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy - “Up” — Pixar Animation Studios
• Timothy Hyde Harris and David Bowers - “Astro Boy” — Imagi Studios
• Christopher Miller and Phil Lord - “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” — Sony Pictures Animation

JURIED AWARDS__________________________________

Winsor McCay Award — Tim Burton, Bruce Timm, Jeffrey Katzenberg

June Foray — Tom Sito

Ub Iwerks Award — William T. Reeves

Special Achievement — Martin Meunier and Brian McLean

Certificate of Merit — Myles Mikulic, Danny Young and Michael Woodside

Richard Roeper Says...

...that "Brothers" and "Up In The Air" are getting multiple Oscar nominations.  Sure he gives other movies solid grades in his reviews, but to my knowledge these are the only two movies of the year (so far) that he's singled out for awards.  Will his predication come true?  Probably, they're safe predictions after all.  Never-the-less, he's big enough to quote, so here are his videos:

Golden Globe Nominations

And so the Oscar race officially begins.  I'm not sure why the Golden Globes are considered an early indicator to what's going to be nominated come Oscar time, and it's especially true when you have strange nominations like Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock on the list for "Duplicity" and "The Proposal" (respectively), but they are here and you can discuss to your hearts content.  Will discuss some of the highs and lows for me either later tonight or early tomorrow:

Motion Picture, Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical
500 Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Actress, Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabby Sidibe, Precious
Actor, Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Actor Comedy/Musical
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joe Gordon Levitt, 500 Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Actress, Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Screenplay
Neill Blomkampt & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers, It’s Complicated
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Original Score
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are
Foreign Language Film
Baaria
Broken Embraces
The Maid
Un Prophete
The White Ribbon
Original Song
“Cinema Italiano,” Nine
“I Want To Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine
“I See You,” Avatar
“The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart
“Winter,” Brothers

Lambert At The Oscars?

I know I was very vocal in my disgust for Roland Emmerick's "2012" was even made.  I mean, how many times can this guy destroy the world?  He did this in "Independence Day," "Stargate," "Godzilla," "The Day After Tomorrow"...let's just say this is not one of my favorite directors, and this movie pained me because I know it was going to be a big hit.  What I didn't realize at the time was that Adam Lambert did a track for the movie.  Who's Adam Lambert?  Well, for those who don't know (probably very few) he was a contestant on "American Idol" last year, who was the favorite to win when he ended up coming in second in what became one of the shows (and televisions) most loud upsets.

Lambert was very flamboyant, strange, and not someone who looked like he belonged on AI.  But he also sounded great.  He had a style that blew everyone away.  Listening to his debut album "For Your Entertainment" he comes off as the new Davie Bowie, and his loss was felt by everyone who saw the show and voted for him.  But he has an original song in "2012."  It's called "Time For Miracles."  And while it doesn't has Adam's usual style it's a very good ballad.  This makes it a favorite to get an Oscar nomination.  Which...makes this interesting all of a sudden.  Wouldn't it just be the ultimate vindication if Adam Lambert, who is widely considered the guy who was most robbed on AI on the stage performing at the Academy Awards?

Not only that, what if he wins?  I can't think of any better revenge against the public for losing to Kris Allen.  Kris Allen gets an AI crown and an album that has yet to chart.  Adam Lambert gets a "out-of-the-door" hit album and an Oscar early next year.  The idea just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it?

Buy Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment"

Buy "Time For Miracles" MP3 from Amazon.com

Bullock Races For The Gold

While almost every teenage girl in America and several unlucky adults (yours included) went in droves to see "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (Which, FYI, will NOT be nominated for any Oscars) another movie shocked the box office even more: "The Blind Side" starring Sandra Bullock.  Now some of you may think that this movie may not compare to "New Moon."  After all "New Moon" made $140 million at the box office while "The Blind Side" made only a quarter of that.  This is true.  However it was also very unexpected.  Drama's starring women in lead roles are, sadly, not very profitable at the box office.  Movies starring women in general tend not to sell well.  This is mainly because most of these movies aren't very good, but studio executives don't look at quality they look at numbers and factors.

Sandra Bullock is well into her forties.  By now she should be one of the "has-beens" of Hollywood, yet she's had a remarkable year.  "The Proposal" was not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it was largely inoffensive and (more importantly) made a ton of money.  "All About Steve" was also a financial success, though audiences were less forgiving of the quality of the film.  "The Blind Side" is perfect Oscar bait and was always intended to be so.  It features a famous actress putting on a little weight, talking in an accent, and making one of those feel good movies that is based on a true story.  At Rotten Tomatoes this movie has a 71% fresh rating, so it's doing decently with the critics (who I find seem to like her performance more then the actual movie).

However the box office can make or break certain Oscar roles.  A stand out performance will usually survive even if the movie tanks, but box office success can pull you through the race.  Bullock most likely would have been nominated for Best Actress anyway, but the fact that her movie was a surprise success at the box office, made money off a crowd that normally isn't profitable (middle-aged women), and is the first successful sports movies in years means that not only is Bullock getting a nomination, she's in it to win it.  I personally still want to see Carrey Mulligan walk home with the gold, but Bullock has been in this business for a long time, so this may be the perfect time for the Academy to honor her.  I know one thing: The Best Actress race just got a whole lot more interesting.

Miley Cyrus's 'Last Song'

So it appears Miley Cyrus wants to break away from Disney and have a career on her own.  There is tremendous pressure on her to NOT turn out like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan though!  With that in mind her upcoming role in "The Last Song" is...probably a good choice.  It's PG-rated.  She gets to contribute a few songs (real ones maybe).  She gets top billing.  Greg Kinnear and Kelly Preston play major roles.  Her part isn't hammered to audiences by the trailer (giving us the impression this may be a role movie and not a star vehicle).  The thing that could go either way for this film is the fact that it's based off a Nicolas Sparks novel.  For me the guy is hit and miss.  Some movies like "A Walk In The Clouds" and "The Notebook" range from excellent to pretty good.

Some of his movie adaptations are unrealistic and predictable.  Most of his stuff tends to be syrupy whether it be presented in print or celluloid.  I'm more than certain that this film will not get any Oscar nominations.  That said it's going to be fun to see where Cyrus's career goes from here.  With all the concerns that she may be trying to "sexy up" her musical career, it's nice to see a realistic transition from family star to real movie star with this movie.  If the movie is actually good then her career could get a critical boost.  If it's bad then be prepared for her to "sexy up" her movie parts as well.  I have to say though that scene where she's accepted to Julliard but has decided she's not going rings of a very bad TV movie cliche.

Documentaries Shortlisted: Academy Doesn't Capitalise On Moore

The Academy has official shortlisted the documentaries that are eligible for Best Documentary Feature. Below are the 15 films in alphabetical order by their title:

• The Beaches of Agnes, Agnès Varda, director (Cine-Tamaris)
• Burma VJ, Anders Østergaard, director (Magic Hour Films)
• The Cove, Louie Psihoyos, director (Oceanic Preservation Society)
• Every Little Step, James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, directors (Endgame Entertainment)
• Facing Ali, Pete McCormack, director (Network Films Inc.)
• Food, Inc., Robert Kenner, director (Robert Kenner Films)
• Garbage Dreams, Mai Iskander, director (Iskander Films, Inc.)
• Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders,  Mark N. Hopkins, director (Red Floor Pictures LLC)
• The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith, directors (Kovno Communications)
• Mugabe and the White African, Andrew Thompson and Lucy Bailey, directors (Arturi Films Limited)
• Sergio,  Greg Barker, director (Passion Pictures and Silverbridge Productions)
• Soundtrack for a Revolution,  Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, directors (Freedom Song Productions)
• Under Our Skin, Andy Abrahams Wilson, director (Open Eye Pictures)
• Valentino The Last Emperor,  Matt Tyrnauer, director (Acolyte Films)
• Which Way Home, Rebecca Cammisa, director (Mr. Mudd)

A nice surprise is to discover Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story" has been shut out of the documentary race (and now most certainly the Best Picture race).  My deepest condolences to him.  It must not be easy to be snubbed another unearned award on TOP of your film underperforming at the box office!

Sizing Up The Directors: Part 1

When the Academy announced earlier this year that the Best Picture nominees would be give five additional nominees it changed many things about the race this year.  However no race has been affected by this as much as the Best Director race.  With only five nominees here a Best Director nominee could really boost a films chance to win the top prize at the Oscars.  Not only that, but with ten nominees directors will likely get their nominations more on spectacle and interesting camera movements, and intimate acting may not factor in the directors favor as much.  Right now there are 12 people that I can think of who have people talking "nomination" around them.  I'm going to look at these people and dissect which ones have the best shot at making the nominated five (in my opinion of course).

Name: Lee Daniels
Current Film: "Precious"
Nominated Before?: No
Won Before?: No

Going For Him/Her:  Lee Daniels is easily a front runner because he's made one of "the" movies of the year.  "Precious" is riding a wave of good press and public love that is rarely seen in independent films these days, and his unusual casting choices work wonderfully in this film despite sounding like complete misfires on paper.

Going Against Him/Her:  With ten nominees there's a chance the direction nominations willlean more towards spectacle rather then acting.  Voters might vote on acting quality by voting for the actors even though directors have a huge role in this process.

My Verdict:  I think Daniels has a great shot of getting a nomination.  He has little going for him, though I doubt his direction will actually win even if the movie is the big winner.

Name: Steven Soderberg
Current Film: The Informant
Nominated Before?: Twice.  For "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich."
Won Before?: Yes, for "Traffic"

Going For Him/Her:  Soderberg is always experimenting with film.  He makes experimental films and Hollywood successes with ease.  "The Informant" feels experimental but is widely accessible to most audiences.

Going Against Him/Her:  Some people feel Matt Damon is the real reason this movie works.  Soderberg has won before.  There's not a whole lot of obvious "directorial touches" in the film.

My Verdict:  I think praise for "The Informant" has come and gone and only Damon is talked about now, so I think he's out.

Name:  Michael Mann
Current Film:  "Public Enemies"
Nominated Before?:  Yes, for "The Informant."
Won Before?:  No.

Going For Him/Her:  "Public Enemies" was a mild summer hit.  It was a summer film that was intelligent for once.  Interesting use of digital film making.

Going Against Him/Her:  The movie isn't talked about much.  Some felt the digital camera was used poorly.

My Verdict:  I think he's out.  If Johnny Depp is looking shaky then Mann is certainly in trouble.

Name:  James Cameron
Current Film:  "Avatar"
Nominated Before?:  Yes, for "Titanic."
Won Before?:  Yes, for "Titanic."

Going For Him/Her:  Cameron aims big.  His movies are visual wonders to behold.  Has a good track record of taking financial gambles and turning them into money making hits.  "Avatar" has too much pizazz to be ignored.

Going Against Him/Her:  Some feel Cameron is indulgent.  Science fiction is rarely nominated and has never won.  Has won this award for a movie many people feel was never good in the first place.

My Verdict:  I think if "Avatar" is even half as good as the hype claims it is he's in.  Cameron is one of the few mainstream film makers the Academy loves mainly BECAUSE he's mainstream!

Name:  Peter Doctor
Current Film:  Up
Nominated Before?:  No
Won Before?:  No

Going For Him/Her:  "Up" has a good possibility of being the first animated film since "Beauty & The Beast" to get a nomination for Best Picture.  Two of the most memorable scenes of the year are in this film.  He's directed the most memorable film of the year (thus far).

Going Against Him/Her:  The Academy feels that animation contains no real direction (or acting or production for that matter).

My Verdict:  Though it would make the race VERY interesting I don't think this is going to happen!  The chances are pretty slim.

Name:  Kathryn Bigelow
Current Film:  "The Hurt Locker"
Nominated Before?:  No
Won Before?:  No

Going For Him/Her:  "The Hurt Locker" has stuck around since it's spring release to be noticed as one of the years best.  The direction is so solid more people are talking about the direction over the movie itself.

Going Against Him/Her:  The movie came out in spring.  The picture itself is not favored to be nominated in the Best Picture category anymore.  A woman has never won this award.

My Verdict:  I think she's in.  Even if "The Hurt Locker" isn't nominated Bigelow's direction has been praised too much to ignore.

Stay tuned for part 2...

Will Ethnicity Affect The Oscars?

I know it's sort of an on-and-off subject of the Oscars, but once in awhile ethnicity comes into play when people do and don't win Oscars.  Had Steven Spielberg not directed "The Color Purple" I'm convinced the film would have won Best Picture that year (as well as a bunch of other awards).  By the time Halle Berry won her Best Actress Oscar in 2000 there was word that a black person was long overdue for another Oscar win (the last won to win was Whoopi Goldberg for Best Supporting Actress in"Ghost").  Berry I can understand winning, but Denzel Washington for "Training Day?"  Hey, I love Washington, but that was NOT one of his more memorable movies!  In 2003 when three actors were favored to win Oscars (of which two did) it was purely for quality work, so sometimes the craft plays a crucial role in things.

This year is shaping up to be ethnically political.  First up we have "Precious" that is a Best Picture favorite.  The movie in limited release has gotten rave reviews, is making very good money, and it has the combined support of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.  This would be good merits on the films chances as it is, but then you have to factor in that a movie starring mostly black people and (more importantly) that are about the black culture has yet to win.  "The Color Purple" lost, a good portion of black people find "Driving Miss Daisy" to be offensive, and great movies about black people like "Do The Right Thing," "Malcom X," and "Dreamgirls" weren't even nominated.  With all that in mind, "Precious" stands out to me as being a favorite to win the top prize (though Best Director I'm not as sure).

Denzel Washington in his Oscar-winning role for "Training Day."

And folks, don't get me wrong: "Precious" is one of the best films of the year and I would have little problem with it winning.  The only thing I'm contemplating this is because it's been a sore spot for many that a movie made by black people and starring black people has yet to win Best Picture.  So the sudden success of such a movie that has award potential makes this a big one for people who have such concerns with the Academy.  However that's not the main reason I'm writing this article.  I'm writing because recently I saw a wonderful movie called "Skin" directed by Anthony Fabian.  Now "Skin" is a small movie that was released under-the-radar, but I'm sure this movie will be discussed in the public very soon.

I also believe that should the movie catch on with the public then Sophie Okonedo and Sam Neill will be favorites to be nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.  The story is based off the true story of Sandra Laing, a girl born to white parents in South Africa but was classified black because of her darker skin.  Her parents were not liberal.  Though they loved their daughter very much they never saw her as black, and her father in particular had PROBLEMS with black people!  Her story is almost so surreal it's difficult to believe.  Should this film catch on race will be a big discussion point for many people, and should it get big enough it will probably trickle into the Oscar race.  It's happened before and it will happen again.  I hope it doesn't though.  Nothing ruins the award race like discussions of ethnicity, and no topics ruins the awards more.

Sophie Okonedo as Sandra Laing in "Skin."

Because once these discussions start and they spiral out of control you see people, scripts, and films being awarded/not awarded Oscars for reasons other then quality.  Right now with the new ten rule the race is looking interesting, and "Precious" does seem like a logical choice for the big prize, but if a better movie is released I don't want their to be pressure on the Academy to award "Precious" just because a black film has yet to win this award.

And Then There Were Five (Finally)

Big news for the Best Animated Feature award: For the first time since 2001 (the year Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" won) there will be FIVE nominees for Best Animated Film!  This is the list of eligible films, I've highlighted the ones that I feel have the best shot at a nomination:

“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”
“Astro Boy”
“Battle for Terra”
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”
“Coraline”
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol”
“The Dolphin – Story of a Dreamer”
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
“Mary and Max”
“The Missing Lynx”
“Monsters vs. Aliens”
“9”
“Planet 51”
“Ponyo”
“The Princess and the Frog”
“The Secret of Kells”
“Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure”
“A Town Called Panic”
“Up”

Right now the favorite to win is "Up."  Mainly because it looks like Pixar has a good chance at (finally) getting a Best Picture nod with that film, and ask any person who tracks the Best Foreign Language Feature race how that usually goes.  Once in awhile a foreign film will get nominated for Best Picture.  It usually shows up in Best Foreign Language Film too.  The Academy will always go the conservative way and give the foreign film Best Foreign Language Film whether it deserves Best Picture or not.  This is an easy way to "spread the love around," so if "Up" does get nominated don't be too surprised if that fact alone makes it an automatic winner in this category.  Still, competition looks stiff, so it's going to be interesting what happens.

P.S. While I would love to see "A Christmas Carol" nominated over "Coraline" chances are the Academy will pass since they showed little love for Zemeckis's previous animated outing "The Polar Express."

Gervais To Host Globes

Ricky Gervais, creator of "The Office" and star of the recent comedy "The Invention of Lying," has been announced as this years host for the Golden Globes.  The funny thing about all this is that when discussing Oscar hosts many people were of the mindset that Gervais would make a great host for the Oscars this year.  Looks like the Academy lost out on this one.  But hey, maybe the Globes would be a better place for Gervais's improv comedy style anyway.  After all, the Globes allows their stars to get drunk, and we all know how many goofy things that can happen as a result!

The Sound of Animation

We've had a great year for animation, but one aspect of these animated films that are rarely being discussed is the music.  Believe it or not, not ONLY has animation managed to one-up many of the live action movies this year in terms of quality, but the soundtracks are also more memorable then most of the live action films.  Of course Michael Giacchino looks like a shoo in to get a nomination for his (yet to be released on CD) score for "Up," but let's face it: That nomination - while justified - will be there just to rack up the nominations for Pixar.  Below are some of the OTHER animated scores that deserve to recognized by the Academy (but most likely won't):

Astro Boy

Coraline

Ponyo

Up

Personally, if I had to award an Oscar to a score this year, it would be for "Ponyo."  Thankfully the score of "Ponyo" IS available on CD...for those willing to play the import game.  For those who WANT to play the import game but don't know how, here's a good place to start.

Next Years Oscar Producers Picked!

And the winners are Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic.  Seeing as how both men have produced big musical adaptations (with Shankman directing the surprise hit "Hairspray") I guess this will work.  Let's see if they improve on last years show which was, in my opinion, pretty good all things considered.

Press Release

BILL MECHANIC AND ADAM SHANKMAN
NAMED OSCAR® TELECAST PRODUCERS

Beverly Hills, CA — Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman will produce the 82nd Academy Awards® telecast, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced today. This will be the first major Oscar show involvement for both men.

“I couldn’t be happier to have this talented team on board,” said Sherak. “I’ve known Bill for many years so it’s like putting Oscar in the care of a dear friend. Bill has a tremendous love and respect of film and will draw from his vast experience as a producer, a studio executive and a film historian to help make this year’s Oscar telecast a memorable one. And Adam’s experience in producing, directing and especially choreography will be a huge asset to the production.”

“I’m thrilled to be producing the Oscars with Adam,” said Mechanic. “I think Adam has the perfect background and spirit to make the show both unique and fun to watch. Together we will build upon the best traditions from the great shows of the past while helping pave the way to the future.”

“The last time I was on the show was as a dancer, and to come back as a producer is such an unbelievable honor,” said Shankman. “I look forward to collaborating with Bill to celebrate the world’s collective love of movies and provide a fun escape from the difficult times we’re living in. Simply put, there is no show like the Oscars and I am thrilled to be a part of our industry’s most treasured tradition.”

Mechanic is the chairman and CEO of Pandemonium Films and the former chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment. While at Fox, the studio released titles including “True Lies” (1994), “Braveheart” (1995), “Titanic” (1997), “The Full Monty” (1997), “There’s Something About Mary” (1998), “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999) and “Cast Away” (2000) among many others. Prior to Fox, he served in executive positions at the Walt Disney Company and Paramount. Mechanic’s producer credits include this year’s animated feature “Coraline” and the thriller “Dark Water” (2005).

Shankman’s directorial credits include “Bedtime Stories” (2008), “Hairspray” (2007), “A Walk To Remember” (2002) and “The Wedding Planner” (2001). His upcoming projects include “Rock of Ages,” “Sinbad,” “Bob: The Musical” and “Bye Bye Birdie.” In addition to directing, Shankman, along with his sister, Jennifer Gibgot, produce films through their shingle, Offspring Entertainment. Together they are currently producing “The Last Song,” “Going The Distance” and “Step Up 3D,” all set for 2010 release.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

This Is Jackon's Moment

Though I know most of you are groaning at the idea of the upcoming Sony release of "Michael Jackson's This Is It" the fact of the matter is that movie IS coming!  Yeah it's taking advantage of Michael's death (as well as people's willingness to all of a sudden buy anything with his name on it), but the one aspect we're not looking at is how this will affect the Oscar race.  No, I don't think this is going to be nominated for Best Picture.  I question whether or not the movie will even crack the Best Documentary Feature race.  However the title track of the movie has never been released before, and the studio is making this song a movie exclusive.

If I'm not mistaken this makes it an easy favorite for the Best Song race, a category that has been losing respect slowly but surely over the past several years due to lame nominations and even worse winners.  If nominated "This Is It" will be the favorite song to win.  The only question left will be who sings the song.  I'm not even going to speculate and let the producer of the show deal with that problem.  You know, once a producer is picked that is.

"Toy Story 3" Trailer Released

Though it was supposed to be kept offline until the double feature run of the first two films had closed, it appears Disney has decided to let the clip out of the bag for those who don't want to go to the theater and relive some great nostalgia:

'Inception' Goes IMAX

IMAX has scored another mature film: Chrisopher Nolan's follow-up to the cirtically acclaimed (but not by the Oscars) film "The Dark Knight."  That movie is "Inception," starring Leonardio DiCaprio, and the film has a budget someone could only get by making the second highest grossing film of all time.  This new film is a science fiction film.  You can see the trailer below.  I have to admit that I'm impressed with IMAX.  Though movies like this, "Where The Wild Things Are," and "Avatar" are helping make IMAX a legitimate experience for people who love more then documentaries and 3D family films.

More Inception Info

Polanski's 'Ghost' In Limbo

Due to the recent arrest of Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski ("Chinatown," "The Pianist"), his almost-finished-but-not-quite film "The Ghost" has been put on hold.  From what I understand most of the film is in the can.  Polanski was practically done with the editing with only a few more scenes to go, but most of the postproduction work involving the sound is not.  Sound mixing, editing, and scoring still need to be done.  Of course this could all be done without Polanski's involvement, but chances are he'd rather not have the movie released then have someone else touch it.  Obviously production will not go forward until we know for sure whether or not Polanski will be extradited to the United States.

One things for sure though: If Polanski is extradited and forced to serve a jail sentence then the movie will most likely have to be completed without him.  Sorry, but as much as I'd love Polanski to finish this film there's too much at stake to drop it just because he can't finish it.  The movie is practically done at this point, and too much money has been spent on it to let it stay in limbo.  Ghost writers finish uncompleted book series when authors pass away suddenly, so I have on doubt the movie will be finished.  Who knows, maybe in a pity vote Hollywood would give Polanski a second Best Director Oscar (seeing how many Hollywood stars want him released, this movie could be very important next Oscar season depending on how this situation pans out).

Another thing we have to keep in mind is whether or not this situation will help sell the movie or hurt selling the movie.  On one hand he could go to jail and there could be interest in it because it's his last film.  If he goes free people might not be interested in seeing a movie made by someone who got away with rape.  Such a very, very interesting situation.  The movie stars Pierce Bronson and Ewan McGregor and was set to be released sometime in 2010.

Full 'Princess' Clip

Though I don't like spoiling too much Disney has released a full clip of their highly anticipated "The Princess and the Frog."  Okay, so it's not a great scene, but it sure is great to hand drawn animation again.

Animated Race Gets More 'Fantastic' By The Day

I know I've said it before, but the Best Animated Feature race actually feels like a race this year.  Though people predict that Pixar's "Up" will walk away with the prize (as well as a Best Picture nomination) I can't help but feel that in a year with such strong contenders, Pixar won't be the favorite to win even if their film is the best of the bunch.  They've won this award four times already.  In fact they've won the previous two years.  I think one of these others films is going to walk home with the gold, and our good friend "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" looks to be another contender in this race.

Cloudy With A Chance of Oscars

Well folks, I personally didn't care for "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs" much.  You can read my review here, but I thought that the movie - while funny - wasn't something worth remembering.  That said the movie does hold a 86% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes and was a surprise number 1 hit at the box office, so at this point anything is possible.  I'm still not sure if we're getting three nominated films or five (I'm guessing three), but Sony's animated underdog (in the sense that Sony needs this film to succeed...badly) might just squeeze into the nominees at one point.  If we get stuck with three nominees they should be:

• Ponyo
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up

If we get five nominees they should be:

• 9
• Coraline
• Ponyo
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up

I would hate to see 'Cloudy' sneak in on either of those lists (but if we have five, nudging out "9" for a slot would be a lesser offender since that was a movie with lots of style but little substance).

Producers Guild Goes 10

Not to be outdone by the Academy, the Producers Guild of America has announced that they will also expand their Best Picture nominees to 10 films.  Here's their press release:

PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARDS EXPAND
NOMINATIONS IN BEST PRODUCED MOTION PICTURE CATEGORY
TO INCLUDE TEN FILMS

LOS ANGELES (September 21, 2009) –The Producers Guild of America announced today that the 2010 PGA Awards nominations in the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures Category will be expanded from five to ten films. The 10 nominees will be announced on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. The 21st Annual PGA Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 24, 2010.

The PGA board approved the expansion of our Best Produced Picture category nominations to support our colleagues at the Academy, but also because we feel it better represents the unprecedented diversity of films being produced today,” said PGA President Marshall Herskovitz.

“We’re excited to involve even more industry members in this year’s event, as having 10 Best Produced Picture nominees allows us to recognize even more extraordinary films,” said David Friendly and Laurence Mark, co-chairs of the PGA Awards. “The PGA Awards ceremony is the only night of the year that celebrates the meaningful contributions of producers across all mediums.” In 1990, the PGA held the first-ever Golden Laurel Awards, which were renamed the Producers Guild Awards in 2002. Richard Zanuck and Lili Fini Zanuck took home the award for Best Produced Motion Picture for Driving Miss Daisy, establishing the Guild awards as a bellwether for the Oscars. Last year, the PGA awarded Slumdog Millionaire its Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures.

In June 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that they will have 10 feature films vying in the Best Picture category at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

Key dates for theatrical motion pictures competing in the 21st Annual PGA Awards include.

November 6, 2009:    Deadline for Receipt of NOTICE OF CREDITS and PRODUCER ELIGIBILITY Forms for Theatrical Motion Pictures

December 7, 2009:     Polls Open for Theatrical Motion Picture and Long-Form Television Nominations

January 4, 2010:        Polls Close for Theatrical Motion Picture and Long-Form Television Nominations

January 5, 2010:        Producers Guild Awards Nominees Are Announced; Final Polls Open

January 22, 2010:      Final Polls Close

January 24, 2010:      Producers Guild Awards

About the Producers Guild of America

The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. The PGA has over 4,000 members who work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and community by providing members health benefits, enforcing workplace labor laws, the creation of fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, as well as other education and advocacy efforts. The PGA hosts important industry events including the annual PGA Awards and the Produced By Conference. Visit www.producersguild.org for more information.

RIP Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze lost his battle with cancer yesterday and died at the young age of 57.  He wasn't always my favorite actor in the world, but he made a few good films that I would be lying if I claimed I didn't watch them once every few years (*cough*Dirty Dancing*cough*).  I know it's probably customary to post clips of him dancing with Jennifer Grey from his most famous movie, but I think it's more fitting to watch this scene instead:

New Trailer For "The Princess and the Frog"

Before I go to bed I present the second trailer for Disney's much anticipated return to traditional animation "The Princess and the Frog":

The "Julie & Julia" Project Delayed

So yeah, that Oscar feature that was going to be done via "Julie & Julia" style is going to have to be delayed by about a week. Sorry, but there are other projects I'm dealing with right now that are providing to be more lucrative (financially), so for now the project is delayed. Not by much, but I didn't want to be a liar to everyone who visited my blog today hoping to see that feature.

"Alice In Wonderland" Johnny Depp Trailer

I keep hearing how Disney plans to release multiple trailers for Tim Burton's upcoming "Alice In Wonderland" movie. Trailers starring Alan Rickman, Helen Boham Carter, and all those other famous people that are starring in the film. So far all the focus has been on Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter. While I get the fact that Depp is famous and a big box office draw, focusing the ad campaign on him still strikes me as odd seeing that The Mad Hatter very much a supporting character, and too much Depp in the ads could prove fatal once the public realizes just how little of the film he's in.

"The Lovely Bones" Trailer

I know it was released a month ago, but every time I watch this thing I keep thinking the same thing: Peter Jackson is a great director and I get excited about every project he's involved with. As someone who poured over the novel in less then a couple of days this movie is especially anticipated by me, and from the looks of things it's going to be big.

More "Ponyo" Trailers

We've got an additional two trailers for Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo." One bragging about the voice talent and the other one actually selling the film on it's own merits. And while it may be premature to say this, I think "Ponyo" may actually be a hit. It seems like Disney is finally getting behind this movie. With Miyazaki visiting the states, the 800 screen release, and for the first time Disney has made more then one trailer for a Miayazaki film and they don't totally suck. Who knows, but I think this is the perfect oportunity for the world to discover Miyzaki. Here's hoping they do.

Are The Oscars Stone Cold Deaf? #1: 1968

Welcome to a new feature on this blog called "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), but it doesn't change the fact that there are many great songs that get nominated for Best Song that never win. Sometimes the winners are either of lesser quality, not nearly as good, or so inferior to a fellow nominee that you just have wonder if the Oscars are just stone cold deaf. For our first installment we're going to look at the year 1968 (where the winner was not a total loss). Here's what won:

"Born Free" by Matt Monro (from "Born Free")

Not too bad. It has a nice (if unspectacular) sound to it. But chances are if you are a movie and music buff then you haven't heard that song. Nope, if your of the more casual type chances are you've heard this classic tune:

"What's It All About? (Alfie)" by Cher (from "Alfie")

Which is the song that should have won in the first place. In the second case the song had a more memorable memory, great vocals, and considering what the movie "Alfie" was all about made the song that much more poetic when the film ended and you had to reflect on the film with the words of this song. A good second choice (if not similarly unspectacular) would be this song from "Georgy Girl:"

"Georgy Girl" by The Seekers (from "Georgy Girl")

Yeah it's not as deep, but it sure was a lot of fun.

5 to 10 (What A Way To Make A Living)

Today the Academy made a startling announcement: the number of films eligeble for Best Picture will be bumped up form 5 to 10. There will still be 5 nominees in all the other categories, but 10 films will now be up for Best Picture, the first time since 1943. No doubt this is in response to "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E" just barely not making the top five last year. The Academy received a lot of flack for that and deservingly so. Chances are they are doing this to hopefully get the publics latest critical darling, "Up," into the Best Picture race. This still might not happen as Academy voters could still vote for more 'Oscar friendly' films that are of lesser quality. Movies like "The Soloist" may not be great films, but since that movie is more in line with the Academies tastes we could be looking at more mediocrity getting nominated.

If that happens you can be sure the Academy will get Hell from the public. But before we jump all over the cons lets look at some of the pros:

1. Movies like "Up," "Watchmen," and even "Star Trek" have decent shots at getting into the Best Picture race. There's no telling whether they will or not, but they have a shot.


2. The Best Director award may be forced to stand seperate from the Picture category. Seriously, I know the director is important, but just because you made one of the best films of the year does NOT mean you are a great director! "The Queen" was one of my favorite films of 2006, and even I wouldn't say Stephen Frears direction was anything special.


3. Foreign films, animated films, and even documentaries have a better shot at getting Academy recognition that is normally overlooked in favor of more "dramatic" fare.


4. Now with 10 nominees, studios have more freedom to spread out their Oscar over the year.

I'll talk about the cons in another post, but for now I feel this is great news. I can't wait to see how this plays out next year when it's time to announce the nominees.

"Ponyo" Trailer

Disney has finally graced us with the trailer for Hayao Miyazaki's latest film:

While it certainly is better then the Japanese one, I'm a little disapointed that they have so little faith in this film that they have to make it look like a second rate action film. Oh well. August 4th. Mark your calanders.

Poster For "Ponyo"

As we get nearer and nearer to the American release of Hayao Miyazaki's next masterpiece (which is bound to be a let down for fans of "Princess Mononoke"), Disney has graced us with a poster...

...which looks very nice. I like how they push the voice talent (though putting them in alphabetical order wielded some funny placements this time around). The MPAA has also given it a rating: G. So parents, make sure to take your kids to this. You can thank me later.

"Watchmen" Off The Predix (Mostly)

Well folks, we gave it a long shot, but I think it's time to admit that Zach Snyder's superhero epic "Watchmen" isn't going to go very far in the Oscar race, no matter how light the competition is. People just didn't pick up on it. Critics didn't like it. It did good but not great at the box office. Really, the only thing that can save it now are milestone BluRay sales, and I know THAT'S not going to happen! Now the thing is "Watchmen" was a great movie. The reason I think it never caught on was that people just didn't get what they were watching. Most everyone went to see an ultra-violent superhero movie and got something very different. I think it's fair to say that years down the road we'll be viewing "Watchmen" more highly then we are now, but for now I think it's time to close the book of it on the Oscar race. It was a good effort, but it's time to move on.

Untitled Michael Moore Documentary

Well, Michael Moore has officially released his first teaser trailer for his upcoming "documentary" on the Wall Street scandal. I will save you all some money and let you know what it's going to be about: Rich greedy Republicans robbed poor people, the Bush Administration helped, only a poor Democratic president like Barack Obama can save us. This is more or less what the film will be, I fully expect the fact sheets to be the size of dictionaries shortly after the film opens. That said I have to admit that this teaser was actually pretty cleaver and funny. I still think the "documentary" is going to be a pile of doggie doo, but because Moore's involved you can bet it will be an Oscar contender in the Documentary race.

"Creation" Trailer

Oh boy, creationists are going to crucify this film. Really, they are. This film is likely going to be the most controversial big budget film of the year. Making a movie about Charles Darwin (played by Paul Bettany) was always going to garner boos and cheers before we even saw a single frame of it. Well, now we DO have a frame to see, as well as several scenes! And, as Christian who doesn't totally buy into the whole Big Bang Theory, I have to say that "Creation" looks...very, very interesting. The conflict of a man who is making big discovers but at the cost of his personal relationship with his family is the great marks of any good movie. The fact that it's about the guy who thought of evolution is besides the point.

Chances are you will read article after article on this movie, but remember: We can't pass judgment on the film until we actually see it. Who knows; from what I see this movie isn't going out of it's way to bunk religion as it is trying to tell a good story. Once the movie is released we'll know for sure, until then though let's look forward to seeing the film. As for it's Oscar potential I will say this: Never count out Jennifer Connelly in the Best Supporting Actress category.

"Shutter Island" Trailer

Scorsese seems to have rejuvinated himself now that he no longer has to worry about winning an Oscar. "Shutter Island" looks to be a horror film, that much is certain. Unlike teenage slasher films you can bet this film will actually be scary. Really, truly scary. I don't know if Marty is going to have a shot at the gold with this film, but maybe Leonardo DiCaprio and/or Michelle Williams will finally walk away with the gold. Both actors look totally engrossed in their roles, and if they are as authentic in the movie as they are in the trailer...well, then expect voters to respond.